We sat down for Ten Questions with Fassionola Fanihi.
How would you describe Fassionola Fanihi?
Gothic, tropical acid house. Tiki goth.
What are your influences?
A kaleidoscope of 80s Italo, Giorgio Moroder, Alden Tyrell, vintage exotica, various gothic artists. Fassionola Fanihi is an expression of my interest in all these things, but ends up coming out as acid house, almost by accident. One of the biggest influences is the limitations of the gear I work with - particularly the 303.
How long have you been into acid house.
Some time in the 90s. I got into it backwards via early IDM, and hearing it on Coast to Coast AM.
You have four new albums coming up, correct? Plus "From Here to Thereternity," which you just released. Can you explain them? Why so many?
“From Here to Thereternity” is like gothic Giorgio Moroder; “96 MPH in the Shade” has more of a trance / live element; “Leveraged Buyout the Bar” is a live/party-type album, “Tropical Brutalism” is a heavy, gothic, tropical album, and “The John Frum Stimulus Act” is a like a tiki bar dance party in the dark.
I let the creative energy build up for a long time, and when it was time to go back and get recording again, it ended up being some intense sessions built around specific concepts, which manifested as five albums.
What was your process for recording?
Very much a live performance approach. I program-up drum machines and the 303 (or multiple 303s) in advance, but then perform the songs live. Most songs are simply live jams - me connecting to and interacting with the machinery. Probably every other song I have to restart and redo due to some sort of error I am not content to live with on the final recording.
Why the combination of the tropical and the gothic? Why with acid house?
I am strongly attracted to the gothic and the tropical. Visiting Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia caused me to realized how well they could go together. I am also into darker tiki imagery / themes.
“Why acid house?” is a good question. I am a big vintage drum machine fan, and am particularly enamored of the 303. My passion for the electronics manifests as acid house.
How do you imagine your audience enjoying your music?
Dark tiki bar party scene. Or tropical goth beach parties.
What type of gear do you use?
I am a classicist, and rely heavily on the 303. “96 MPH” and “Leveraged” use dual 303s set to octaves, with the higher 303 running through delay. “From Here to Thereternity,” “Tropical Brutalism,” and “The John Frum Stimulus Act” use a 303 controlling a Pro One. Drum machines are a mix of all different types of things. The Roland classics - 909, 606, 33 - get heavy use.
Overall, my set-up is extremely small, non-complex, and live-oriented. I like getting complexity of limited machines, and getting into the niches of their limitations/specialties.
To what extent do you rely on software / DAW stuff?
Only as a glorified tape machine, and for mastering. Everything is done via hardware, old school. I like the uniqueness of hardware, the hands-on dynamics, and the real time expression.
What’s next for Fassionola Fanihi?
Well, there are four albums coming out on Silvis Records - one per month - plus the one I just released. That seems like quite a lot, and like it should keep you from wondering "what's next." You can expect some IDM under other names, but Fassionola Fanihi will remain open as an outlet for tiki gothic acid house.
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