INTRODUCING: Ropes Inside A Hole
ROPES INSIDE A HOLE have managed to carve out a corner of the post-rock world and mould themselves shapes and melodies that play with conventions fresh and untrodden areas. After a length between their first album and their spectacular second, A Man And His Nature, they’ve collected a fresh line-up and shown immense focus. We caught up with bassist and synth player Diago Ruggeri about the and inspiration in the record.
While the band’s first album Autumnalia was released back in 2018, the progression since then has left not only the tone of the music feeling completely different, but the line-up of the band itself has been reshaped. “Andrea [Binetti] and Michele‘s [Verni] entry was the key to writing the new album,” Diago asserts. “When we auditioned for a new guitarist and we heard them both play we said to ourselves: but why not try three guitars? They are too great and stylistically different, we can’t choose! We’re not the first and we wouldn’t be the last to have three guitars in the band. Andrea has a natural talent for song writing and Michele for arranging from a solid starting point. As far as the rhythmic part is concerned, Flavio [Di Bella, guitar], Rocco [Catturani, drums] and I have always remained the engine of the band.”
With the contributions from Daniel Loefgren on vocals, ROPES INSIDE A HOLE became more experimental and fluid in their approach to make music. “[Especially] on the melodies and the smoothness of the songs. What we reproach ourselves most about our first work is the lack of spontaneity in the passages between the melodic and the heavy parts. In AMAHN we absolutely didn’t want this to happen again.”
There was no fear of that, with there being selective and deliberate use of vocals and instrumentation throughout their work, including with additional collaborations from tenor sax player William Suvanne. “Having a true jazz master William Suvanne on our record was an honour and a great challenge! We wanted leaden atmospheres and a more hypnotic gait that recalled certain dark jazz sounds. Feet In The Swamp, Gaze To The Sky is probably our most ambitious track and we are very proud of it.”
ROPES INSIDE A HOLE play with space a lot within their music, letting some parts breathe and others grow dense and heavy. While building and utilising those parts was important, what took precedence for the guys was how it served the songs. “In our opinion the heavy parts should be used with caution because they tend to make listening rather monotonous in terms of dynamics- and I know this statement will bring the wrath of the various metal heads who read these words,” he jokes, “We prefer not to abuse it, but on the other hand when we happen to listen to a record, especially post rock, we often find ourselves thinking that it sounds too deflated. I’m afraid we haven’t found this balance yet,” he laughs.
For all of Diago’s jovial remarks, the record has been received with great acclaim, with critics and fans alike noting a shift into heightened polish. That’s taken the group by surprise, “It’s absolutely unexpected. For our part we tried to take care of every single detail of the work maniacally,” Diago recounts. “I think my band mates hated me in certain situations because I told them I wasn’t convinced that certain passages expressed at the best the potential of a song. We stopped and did it all over again. Reading comments and reviews that appreciate our work is by far the greatest gratification and this makes us think that it was worth working on the arrangements in this way.”
A Man And His Nature holds plenty of treats for those looking for a tonic to the melancholy of the beginning of the year. The space and the depth throughout the record is a direct reflection of the band and the times the songs were conceived. There are some beautiful moments that feel both comforted and sorrowful at the same time. “Distance was the first song composed for the new album. It was March 2020 and here in Italy the level of fear and anxiety was already very high. The initial bass part that opens the piece captures exactly what you say: I was on the one hand relieved to be home with my wife and my son but at the same time terribly worried about everything that was going on out there. This kind of feeling influenced the writing of practically the entire record as it drew from the mood of all the band members. Some of us have been really bad isolated at home alone away from family and closest affection, for example Rocco spent three months completely alone in the house.”
While it was important to capture the true nature of the collectives emotions, it’s evident that ROPES INSIDE A HOLE won’t be defined by anyone but themselves. Without wanting to fall into too deep a melancholy, they sought to achieve balance. “When ideas started to come into focus, they always took a rather dark and oppressive direction. We therefore looked for a solution to partially lighten this sensation while maintaining coherence with the rest. So, Andrea began to write for the quieter parts of the passages with the acoustic guitar. We were struck by the sense of intimacy and fragility that was transmitted in these new inserts and we used it several times in the songs.”
There’s been a multitude of hurdles on the way to this moment. However, the resulting proficiency in sound and strength of conviction of ROPES INSIDE A HOLE has lead to them turning many heads, eager to see where they’ll head next.
A Man And His Nature is out now via Voice Of The Unheard Records/Shove Records.
Like ROPES INSIDE A HOLE on Facebook.