Interview Eddy Ramich/Yanna Valdevit (aka Eddy Meets Yannah)

Con il loro sound fresco, brillante e "internazionale" Yannah Valdevit e Eddy Ramich contribuiscono ad inserire nella mappa sonora del soul anche Zagabria, capitale croata che gli ha visti crescere artisticamente, accomunati dalla comune passione per le fusioni sonore. Il loro precedente lavoro su Compost ("Just Like...") li ha resi visibili a molti djs ben inseriti nel circuito dei club e in quelli radiofonici ed è valso a definirne il mood entusiasta e frizzante; in questo Once In A While, Eddy e Yannah operano una piacevole fusione tra beat urbani, future jazz, soul, R'n'B, avvalendosi anche di collaboratori d'eccezione quali il leggandrio Earl Zinger, l'MC Capitol A e la cantante soul canadese Amalia. I temi trattati si allineano con la ricrca stilistica dei duo musici croati: stando ai testi e all'alternarsi dei pensieri suscitati dall'ascolto delle sedici tracce, sembra che l'oggetto della ricerca sia la ricerca di un equilibrio, di una logica e di un ordine in un mondo in preda all'isteria e al disagio... Una ricerca urgente, ma condotta con entusiasmo e scioltezza stando al modo in cui Eddy e Yannah sguisciano tra i padiglioni dell'ascoltatore. Abbiamo voluto fare quattro chiacchiere con questi due simpatici ragazzi, che speriamo di vedere presto esibirsi in Italia. Eddy meets Yannah "Once In A While" (Compost, Distribuzione Family Affair) 01.Once In A While 02.Bad Fairy ft.Earl Zinger 03.Solid Ground 04.Losing Wings ft.Capitol A 05.Baby's Got It's Own Way 06.No One's Gonna Love You 07.Tik Tak 08.Who Is It? ft.Amalia 09.To Keep 10.Finding Right Tune 11.Preacher Song 12.Daylight 13.X-Pressure 14.Postman 15.Takin' Future Tenderly 16.U & I

V: Hi folks. How are you?
Y: Very well, thank you!
E: Yes, cool! Enjoying the sun and the sea!

V: I've still listened Once In A While, but -it could seem incredible- your first act still resonates in my head. Some big characters of music world acclaimed you as a great suroprise. How do you perceive yourself when you relisten your records?
Y: Part of our past work makes us happy that we done it, and there are some tracks that remind us what mistakes not to do ever again (though mistakes always happen)- but this is probably an emotion that all artists share. It would be great if you’d ask us this question in 10 years, we’re still to fresh as a project to be objective to our recent music.
E: I agree with Yannah,…anyway what we really love are the remixes that we done for other artists !

V: The first Croatian people I met was a female music lover (showing its wide culture) and a sort of cadet in Italian Naval Academy, which taught me some aspects of the importance of a peaceful nation, having lived the war in Croatia. How do you remember that period?
Y: I was in primary school at the beginning of 90s, so I remember it as a childe would. My father was at a battle field for a few months, and in one period we heard a lot of sirens, so we did spent some time in a basements, salaries were very low, so we felt the war, but in general in Zagreb we lived almost regular life, it wasn’t so terrifying as in other parts of Croatia.
E: I was travelling a lot, so I actually didn’t feel it a lot,..and in Zagreb there been only two attacks,..so actually nothing especially if compare it to the parts in Croatia where people really suffered !

V: What's your personal feedback on Croation music scene?
E: hmm,..we don’t think too much what’s going on at the Croatian music scene… but from a feedback we know that we have kind a respect, but also lack of understanding for what we are doing!

V: Just a "provocation". You play good "Western" modern music. Croatia is going to enter in European Union (next year?). In the cultural debate, some critics and politicians highligh the importance of preserving national tradition in a global contest. Do you feel you're contributing in a way or another to this intent???
Y: We live in Zagreb, and as in any European capitol, you don’t get that much in touch with folklore, or any other traditional aspects of some nation. We don’t use Croatian music elements, we don’t insist in eating Croatian food, etc.. so in this manner we don’t contribute to it. On the other hand, we do tell to all our foreign friends, or in interviews, about our beautiful coast, and other parts that are worth to see, so at least we do some marketing for Croatian tourism - is that a contribute?

V: You were launched on the legendary Compost records. What's the importance for you to produce for such a renowned label?
E: It’s really a great thing and big honor to on Compost... especialy as we grove up with the releases from Compost in last ten years, and also the compost crew is great and all the dj friends like Reinboth, Trüby, Beanfield, etc... it was and it will be always for me THE BIG FANTASTIC LABEL !

V: Your way of assembling music shows a good taste and high skills in choosing the right ingredients. What about the collaborations featuring this record (Earl Zinger, Capitol A, Amalia)? Did they influence the mix of music spices?
Y: Off course they did, all 3 of them have strong artistic character, and they refreshed this album, in a most wanted way; thanks to them album definitely has richer taste. We hope we’ll do some more collaborations with them soon.

V: Once In A While! Compliments for the title... It "anticipates" the music, in the sense it contains the idea of the movement driving this excellent record! Why did you choose such a title?
Y: Happy that you like it. The whole album is kind of elaborating every day life issues; Once in a while symbolizes that good moment that gives you strength to go through difficult times- so we gave this name as a nuance of good faith, though there are some dark moments in the album.

V: Eddy, you're graduated in Business Economics. I'm just taking a similar degree... What's the reason why economists love music in your viewpoint? :)
E: uups,…didn’t graduated,…I got too much into music, so at the end I could never find time to finish it... there was a period when I was playing 5 times a week and doing all radio shows... so in one moment I realised that I will not finish it!

V: Yannah, you seems to be an extraordinary woman. Writing, programming and arranging skills, a strong sense of indipendence, supposedly a great problem solving ability, you're studying Japanese, a Bach fan and so on. How many pretenders on average during day and nightime? :)
Y: I just get really nervous if I don’t do anything, so I’m not that great, I’m just hyperactive… by natureJ

V: Eddy met Yannah and viceversa. What about circumstances of this prolific meeting?
Y: If you mean about circumstances of our meeting, well, Zagreb is not that big, mutual interests in music connected us, and about present circumstances, it became a solid partnership- and solid doesn’t necessarily mean boring, we still disagree about everything, just in veeery civilized manner.
E: Starting to work with Yannah was definitely something fresh for me and still there always some fresh moments in all the process of making music or performing together or just chating about music in general!

V: Takin' Future Tenderly... How do you think about future?
Y: Looking forward to it; keep on working, try to avoid bad thoughts, eating good food, learn more stuff…
E: Future is good! There are always some suprises from which u can take good things... however always looking forward to tomorrow!

V: What's your favourite track?
Y: It’s just not possible to choose one, from day to day…
E: “finding right tune” and “bad fairy”... that are the tunes for me!

V: Any work in progress? What about forthcoming club performances? Any chance to see you in Italy?
E: Some remix work on the way and some side projects! Italy, yeah... hopefully soon we will come to perform and to drink valpolicello and eat some great pasta !!