Just a few weeks ago, Berlin-based post-punk duo Circolo Vizioso released their debut album, titled ‘Verrückt’.Today we have the pleasure of introducing you to this dynamic violin-led duo and their new video for the album’s title track from their debut album. Arriving four years after releasing their 5-track ‘Isolation’ EP (2020), ‘Verrückt’ offers a powerful taste of high-intensity, lyric-driven post-punk, created mainly with electric violin, guitar and drums.
Circolo Vizioso is made up of Tony Scafidi (guitar, bass, drum, hi-hat, vocals) and Paul Geigerzaehler (violin, snare drum, vocals). The band plays abrasive, groovy punk music that is influenced by the sound of 1990s New York, Chicago and Washington (i.e. Fugazi, Blonde Redhead and Sonic Youth), as well as the sound of early 80’s-90’s Eastern German and Eastern European punk bands like Dezerter, Sandow and Schleimkeim.
Earlier, the band presented the singles ‘Walls’, written in outrage over the Russian invasion in Ukraine, and ‘Choppy’, a high-octane song spawned from a bout of depression brought on by a failed love story. Standout tracks include ‘Verrückt’, ‘Häuser’, ‘Choppy’ and ‘Walls’. If bands like Sonic Youth, Fugazi and Nirvana don’t come to mind when you listen to this music, I wonder which artists do.
“This song asks the question of whether it might be possible to not lose one’s mind while watching the world become more and more dystopian. There is no answer in this song, just as there seems to be no answer for a lot of questions of our time,” says Paul Geigerzaehler.
“This song is about someone losing his mind to an even crazier world, which keeps on spinning around them with no apparent sense left to interpret it. The video concept is simple , another anonymous person lacking interactive skills, using people and the space and time around them almost as disposable objects at a whim, apparently not even taking any real satisfaction out of it, if only to prove to themselves that they are still alive. A prove of reality based not on connection with the others but based on disposing of the others embodying therefore social Dystopia and Alienation in flesh and blood,” says Tony Scafidi.
“In the end, by changing things around and involving the actors in decision-making regarding the script, we ultimately got an interesting and cooler video than we had in mind in the first place. It took Clement almost a year to get the video mounted and edited with me having to chase him by any possible mean of communication, including messenger pigeons and telepathic powers performed by Mexican sorcerers. But, in the end, he pulled it off, memorably giving us such a smooth and cool video! Thanks to our friends! Everyone was great”
Formed in March 2020 on a balcony in Friedrichshain, Berlin during the first Covid-19 lock-down, Circolo Vizioso was born as an attempt to keep art and music alive and to provide support to their neighbours during a time when no concerts were happening and no cinemas, museums or galleries were open. Circolo Vizioso is these artists’ attempt to resist the isolation and the lack of social and human contact, as well as the hunger for music and art during this unusual time.
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The full ‘Verrückt’ album is out now, available from fine music platforms, such as Apple Music,Spotify and Bandcamp. Circolo Vizioso’s Paul Geigerzaehler has also just released his solo album ‘KAPUTT’ as a Bandcamp exclusive.
CREDITS
Music and Lyrics by Paul Geigerzaehler and Tony Scafidi
Tony Scafidi – guitar, bass, drum, hi-hat, vocals
Paul Geigerzaehler – violin, snare drum, vocals
Audrey Quillons – backing vocals on ‘Walls’ and ‘Verrückt’
Produced by Paul Geigerzaehler and Tony Scafidi
Sound Engineer – Smail Shock Production at B Studio in Berlin
Mixed & mastered by Sacha Tilotta at TommyBoy’s Studio (Catania, Italy)
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
‘Verrückt’ video directed by Clement Thomann
Featuring Tony Scafidi (the bartender), Paul Geigerzähler (the mad man), Audrey Houillon (the woman in the corner), and Anni, Camilla, Guido, Heinrich, Jenny, Katja, Peter and Sabrina as the bar customers.
Special thanks to the Baiz and to Kay for providing the location and taking care of us.
The exciting musical world of Circolo Vizioso
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