NAHUI stands for the Italian mastermind Luca Giancotti. Having released two promo EP’s Tidal Wave (2003) and Around The Shadows (2005), he now comes up with his first full-length entitled A Blue Fire. It’s a marvelous debut record, ranging in melancholic Alternative/Rock fields with a certain dash of power. Only little downer is the short running time…
We asked for an interview and Luca emerges himself as a friendly and eloquent dialogue partner.

Jochen: Congratulations to your fabulous debut! Are your two preceding EPs actually still available?
Luca: First of all, thank you; Around The Shadows is still available, while Tidal Wave is no more.

Jochen: Would you like to give us an “autobiographic” insight to our readers into your music, your influences and yourself?
Luca: I’ll explain it this way: I was a metal head - grunger in the early 90’s, then I was fascinated by electronic-trance-ambient stuff and I turned to these kinds of music. After some years, I realized the best way I could express myself was playing the guitar, so I began to play rock music again. As I was disappointed with the previous experiences I had with bands, I decided to make it on my own and started NAHUI.

Jochen: I compared your music with some of the most influential New Wave bands of the 80's. Particularly with regards to “The Sound” and their, unfortunately much too early deceased mastermind Adrian Borland to whom your voice reminds me. Are there any conscious references, or is it rather coincidental?
Luca: It is coincidental, I didn’t know about this band, though I think that 80’s music had a great impact on me, and that way of expressing melodies in a very simple and direct way is something I got influenced by.

Jochen: One song on the album is called Berlin. Does this city have a (special) meaning to you?
Luca: I was in Berlin right after I was graduated, in ’96, and I could feel a special vibe there, a vibe of opportunities that were growing and slowly submerging the past, it was a city that was rebirthing after the wall’s fall.
I think the fall was so important for mankind because it is symbolizes something that belongs to every human being: we all have many personalities in ourselves, which often are contentious or simply different: that makes us incoherent, contradictory and often lead us to make strange things...
Our fears build the Wall that keeps these parts distant. The song is about letting these fears fall down and come back to unity. To do this, you need energy, enthusiasm and will: I hope the song express that.

Jochen: Your label My Kingdom Music recently published a lot of interesting (Italian) artists and their albums (And Harmony Dies, the early Klimt 1918, Aura, Orient Express, The Sun Of Weakness among others). Is there contact and exchange between the bands, or is it rather a merit of some resourceful employees of the company?
Luca: You named very good bands; I would add En Declin to this list too.
I wouldn’t say there is a scene in the way you usually imagine it. And if there is, I am not really a part of it. My opinion is that the division in sub-genres we have today in rock music makes it very difficult for a scene to become big and then noticed. The fact that we come from a country where rock music is not exactly popular makes the rest. But there’s quality music and fortunately My Kingdom Music is helping good bands to come out.

Jochen: NAHUI seems to be a “one-man-project” with changing guest musicians; will there be a stable line-up/structure in the future?
Luca: I don’t feel the need to do that, but, who knows, I don’t either put limitations in this direction.

Jochen: Is your music a kind of too personal for a performance with a constant band?
Luca: Well, when it comes to emotions I want to express I am a little bit jealous. If you talk about NAHUI, well that’s my creation. Writing or playing together with other musician would be fine, but I would give it a different moniker.

Jochen: Please tell me something about the reviewers- and audience-response to A Blue Fire?
Luca: To my surprise, I’m getting good feedbacks from Germany, Holland, generally northern Europe, more than I have in Italy. You have to know I have Danish origins, and I have been influenced by good Danish bands that came out in the last years (Kashmir, Carpark North to name a few), so probably my “language” is better recognized in northern countries more than in Italy.

Jochen: Are there any new projects planned?
Luca: Of course! Right last week I made the first rehearsal with a drummer and a bass player. We’re playing acoustic songs I wrote, and I think this project may be a real challenge as these two musicians are far away from metal and rock; they’re more into Jazz/Funk/Experimental, so I am really looking forward to see what will come out!

Jochen: Will there be in the near future some live performances or a tour outside of Italy?
Luca: Not in the near future, unfortunately, though I am working for bringing NAHUI live.

Jochen: Any suggestion you would like to give to our readers (or your listeners)?
Luca: No suggestions, but I’d like to say this:
I think that the really honest bands/artists are those who make great music without repeating themselves.
My dream would be to have an audience that enjoys my music, never knowing what will come next. Pretty tough in these times, isn’t it?

Jochen: Maybe, so we spend a tough Thank you for your outstanding music until now and the friendly interview, the last words are yours :)
Luca: Outstanding music is nothing without a listener who can appreciate it. Thank you Jochen, and thanks to anyone who’ll spend a moment of their time listening to my work.