July 1999 is marked by intricate, precise polyrhythms and inventive, angular guitar melodies. An expertly crafted math rock project. Read our discussion with Rico Fabello below!
Describe your sound in 3 words
Dynamic, energetic, ethereal.
Tell us a few things about your album July 1999. What is the main idea behind it?
I’ve been playing and writing music for a long time, but it had been 14 years since my last release. In that time, I refined and expanded my musical tastes. Despite (or maybe because of) not seriously writing music for the bulk of that intervening period, in recent years I felt like I had something building inside of me—a strange but beautiful amalgamation of my varied influences, from math rock and progressive rock to post-rock and post-metal. “July 1999” came about when this all finally boiled over and I just had to get it out. The driving creative influence behind the music manifests itself in the name of the album.
How did you come up with the name for the record?
I spent the first 9 years of my life in a densely urbanized part of Boston, Massachusetts. My family often spent summer weekends at a small family cottage on a tiny lake about 90 minutes north of the city, in the state of Maine. Many of my fondest childhood memories are from those long summer days swimming, laying in the hot sun, wandering through the woods, and watching thunderstorms pass from the safety of the screen porch. In June 1999 my family moved to Maine, just as my childhood imagination was peaking. July 1999 was my first full month living in Maine, a strange but wonderful liminal period between my old life and my new life. When I think back to that time, I see golden sunlight filtering through the trees, translucent blue water shimmering in the sun, and the vivid greens of rolling fields hazy with humid summer air. This album is my mourning of and longing for this kind of childhood innocence.
Which track on the album, if any, represents you the most and why?
I feel like more than any other track, “Behind Bill’s House” best brings to life what I felt inside and wanted to translate to music. That said, the outro of “Making Friends” might be the album’s single best representation of my spirit.
How do you approach balancing intricate time signatures and rhythmically challenging patterns while keeping your music accessible and enjoyable for listeners?
Groove and musical intention always come first for me. Sometimes I use odd time signatures and complex rhythms as a tool to add chaos or lilting energy to a song (like on “Mouthful of Lake Water”), but more often than not, the complex rhythms are just a consequence of the kinds of grooves that come naturally to me. This focus on groove and musicality first keeps the music accessible despite the technical complexity. For example, I hope the outro of “Water Lilies” feels more like a hip-shaking and head-bouncing groove than the technical 17-over-4 polyrhythm that underpins it.
Artists and people that have influenced you?
Musically, my writing on “July 1999” was most influenced by some of my favorite musical artists of all time—Piglet, Floral, Tera Melos, Bearded Youth Quest, Totorro, Pelican, Cleft, and Tigran Hamasyan. Beyond that, my wife Britt is a visual artist, and her creative drive and dedication to her craft is a major source of inspiration for me.
If the music of Rico Fabello was a film, which film would that be?
Admittedly, I’m not much of a film buff, but I think Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” probably captures it best.
What isn’t a crime but should be?
I’m American, so I’ll say bankrupt-inducing healthcare costs.
Thank you!
Follow our Spotify Playlist “Guitar Mayhem: Calculated Chaos” feat. Rico Fabello
Secret Eclectic 