Davide Rossi

Davide Rossi
Born 7 August 1970 (1970-08-07) (age 41)
Turin, Italy
Genres Alternative rock, classical
Occupations Violinist, string arranger, composer, record producer, musician
Instruments Violin, electric violin, guitar, keyboards, vocals
Years active 1985–present
Associated acts Goldfrapp, Coldplay, Röyksopp, The Verve, Moby
Notable instruments
Violectra[1]

Davide Francesco Rossi[2] (born 7 August 1970 in Turin, Italy), is a violinist, string arranger, composer and a record producer, perhaps best known for being the violinist, guitar and keytar-player for the British electronic music group Goldfrapp, and for his large contribution of electric violin parts and for all the string arrangements on Coldplay's albums Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends[3], Mylo Xyloto and The Verve's album Forth.

Contents

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Biography

Early career – Italy

Rossi began playing music at the age of four and, under the encouragement of his mother, started to study violin at the age of ten. He entered the Conservatory Giuseppe Verdi of Torino in 1981 and began studying under the guidance of Maestro Ivan Krivensky, who remained his violin teacher until today. Rossi achieved his Diploma in 1992 at the homonymous school in Milano.

Along with his formal classical studies, he started to work with bands since the age of fifteen, mainly in the Turin's area. After his Diploma in 1992 he fully joined Mau Mau,[4][5][6][7] a folk-rock Turin's band, with whom he recorded many albums and toured most of Europe and the Middle-East. Other Italian bands that featured his work are Casino Royale, Afterhours,[8][9][10] La Crus,[11] Cristina Donà,[12][13] Bluvertigo[14] and the singer song-writer Vinicio Capossela.

Robert Fripp – Guitar Craft

In 1990 he became a student of legendary guitarist Robert Fripp and followed intensively his Guitar Craft courses all over the world for a period of nearly four years. In 1995 moved to the UK and began a period of studying, where he also achieved a BA in Composition at Bath Spa University College, in Newton Park, Bath and a MSC in Digital Music Technology at Keele University. In 1999 he attended a music course by German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen in Kuerten, near Cologne, Germany. The two weeks period, however short in time, represented for Rossi one of the most important experiences, together with Guitar Craft, for his future musical career.

Goldfrapp

In 2000 Rossi was invited by musician Will Gregory, whom he met two years previously, to join his new band Goldfrapp. Since then Rossi has been part of all the live incarnations of the band, touring most of the world during the Felt Mountain Tour (2000–2002),[15][16] Black Cherry Tour (2003–2004),[17][18][19] Supernature Tour (2005–2006),[20][21] Seventh Tree Tour (2008) and Head First Tour (2010). Although before Head First he has never played on any Goldfrapp's studio albums, he has recorded several b-sides, acoustic and live recordings of the band and a live DVD.

Collaborations

Coldplay

From the autumn of 2006 until February 2008, Rossi's career focussed mainly on studio work and string arranging. He uses his acoustic violins, violas and electric violins (which range goes down to the cello and even to the double bass lowest note) to re-create a whole orchestra. His work is featured in six songs of the Coldplay's studio album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, produced by Brian Eno, Markus Dravs and Rik Simpson. "Violet Hill", first single released by the band on iTunes, features a soundscapes intro-like, which originally was an improvisation that Rossi and keyboard player Jon Hopkins did together during an early session with the band at their studio in London. Others songs where Rossi's electric violin can be heard are: Life In Technicolor, Lovers In Japan, Cemeteries Of London, 42, Yes and Strawberry Swing (the chunky bass groove, didgeridoo's like that comes a little while after the beginning of the song, is one of the many examples of the sound of his Violectra).[22] In Yes, the electric violin takes shape as a John Cale-ish riff almost monotonically throughout the verses, while full and sometimes Arabic string arrangements are heavily featured at the beginning and during the song's brakes. Viva La Vida however, is the tune where Rossi's work is featured in its fullest, his strings being the main driving force throughout the whole song, with a strong beginning loop which supports Martin's voice, until the choruses where the symphonic power of the orchestra takes its fullest shape.

In November 2008, Coldplay released an EP titled Prospekt's March, in which Rossi contributes to the songs: Life in Technicolor II, Rainy Day and Prospekt's March/Poppyfields.

From December 2010, Rossi was back in the studio with Coldplay, to start on a yet very long session for their latest album Mylo Xyloto, which was released in October 2011. His string arrangements are presents on 9 tracks of the album: Charlie Brown, Us Against the World, U.F.O., Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, Up in Flames, A Hopeful Transmission, Princess of China, Don't Let It Break Your Heart and Up with the Birds.

In July 2011, Coldplay released the Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall EP where Rossi is present in the title song and on a B side called Moving To Mars.

In December of 2010, Coldplay released Christmas Lights, a Christmas song also featuring Rossi's strings.

Although Coldplay has an unspoken rule of not allowing any extra musician on stage besides the 4 members of the band, they are using Rossi's strings live heavily by means of backing tape and for the many songs Rossi is featured on Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends and on Mylo Xyloto. In January 2011, Coldplay half-broke their 'stage rule' allowing Rossi to perform 'in shadow' and just behind them the song A Message 2010, at the Hope For Haiti benefit concert, which took place in the UK and US as a TV marathon gig. The song was later released on iTunes. Rossi did also some occasional appearances with Chris Martin during some charity events; in November 2006, for the Mencap Charity Concert at the Union Chapel in London and in October 2009 at the Bridge School Benefit in San Francisco, where Rossi performed also with Neil Young the song Comes a Time.

Siouxie

In late 2007, Rossi also contributed to the arranging and the performing of two songs from the album MantaRay by Siouxie Sioux,[23][24][25][26] produced by Steve Evans and Charlie Jones. Mantaray, the debut solo album from renowned British artist Siouxsie, is her first solo recording without Siouxie & The Banshees or The Creatures. Rossi's work is featured in the tracks If It Doesn't Kill You and Sea of Tranquillity. The album, which was released on October 2007, has received many great reviews worldwide.

The Verve

During the early part of 2008, Rossi met The Verve's guitarist Nick McCabe, who invited him to play on a session for what was going to be their new upcoming album called Forth, which was then released in the August of the same year. Rossi' s contribution to this album can be heard in six tracks. In Love Is Noise, he contributes, with the lower strings of his electric violin, to the daunting sound of the famous loop upon which the whole song is then developed. Sit And Wonder is a ground-breaking collaboration of 'noises' with Nick McCabe, where guitar and electric violin play a dance of interweaving acid sounds and harmonies. More classic string arrangements can be heard on songs like Valium Skies, Judas, I See Houses and Rather Be. Rossi has also performed with the Verve during several live and TV shows of their latest summer campaign. Some of them include Glastonbury and the V Festival.

Röyksopp

March 2009 sees the release of another important collaboration for Rossi. Norwegian band Röyksopp features his string arrangements in four of the eleven track of their new album Junior. These are: The Girl and the Robot, Röyksopp Forever, You Don't Have a Clue and Silver Cruiser.

Discography

Year Album Artist
1991 People Pie Africa Unite
1992 Soma La Macia Mau Mau
Sauta Rabel
1993 Tuira
1994 Bàss Paradis
1995 Germi Afterhours
1996 Viva Mamanera Mau Mau
1996 Adesso! Casino Royale
1998 Eldorado Mau Mau
1999 Zero – ovvero la famosa nevicata dell'85 Bluvertigo
2000 Safari Beach Mau Mau
Felt Mountain Goldfrapp
2002 Kodachrome – Compositions for Orchestra by Raymond Scott The Metropole Orchestra, Jan Stulen conductor
2003 Ogni cosa che vedo La Crus
Preghiere Vero
2004 Fox & Feldman Clarinet quintets Roger Heaton, Mieko Kanno, Bridget Carey and Sophie Harris
Wonderful Electric: Live In London Goldfrapp
2006 Bingo Bela B
Dea Mau Mau
Cake or Death Lee Hazlewood
Yndigt land Sterling
And He Just Pointed to the Sky... Peder
2007 Mantaray Siouxie Sioux
Mondovisione Righeira
Life with You The Proclaimers
Købmanden Blæs Bukki feat. Natasja
The Rainbow Express JaConfetti
2008 Biblen Blæs Bukki / Tue Track feat. Jonathan Spang
Io non credevo che questa sera La Crus
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends Coldplay
Echoes California Guitar Trio
Couple Therapy Trolle//Siebenhaar
Forth The Verve
Fauna Oh Land
Prospekt's March Coldplay
Seventh Tree Goldfrapp
2009 Jagten paa noget Balstyrko
Junior Röyksopp
Insides Jon Hopkins
Ali e radici Eros Ramazzotti
2010 Standing on Top of Utopia Kasper Bjørke
Head First Goldfrapp
Into the Great Wide Yonder Trentemøller
Senior Röyksopp
Music from the Film 'Monsters' Jon Hopkins

Awards

Grammy Awards

2009 "Viva la Vida" Record of the Year Nominated
Song of the Year Won
Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group Won
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends Album of the Year Nominated
Best Rock Album Won
"Violet Hill" Best Rock Song Nominated
Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group Nominated

References

  1. ^ "Electric Violins – Electric Strings Violas Cellos Double Bass Custom Made". Violectra. http://www.violectra.co.uk/. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  2. ^ "Davide Rossi – Wikipedia" (in (Italian)). It.wikipedia.org. 7 October 2011. http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davide_Rossi. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  3. ^ "The Q Daily / Hidden / Coldplay: Viva La Vida". News.q4music.com. http://news.q4music.com/2008/05/coldplay_viva_la_vida_3.html. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  4. ^ Mau Mau – e-mail, 29 July 2001
  5. ^ laScena :: recensioni ::
  6. ^ http://194.244.39.48/pub/p.php?f=%2Fcache%2Frecensioni%2F1319
  7. ^ "Mau Mau – Marasma general (live)". Rockit.it. http://www.rockit.it/pub/r.php?x=00001319. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  8. ^ "Dadauno – Articoli & Recensioni". Agonet.it. http://www.agonet.it/cafe/dada/dada1/recens1.htm. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  9. ^ "I testi di "Germi" degli Afterhours". Webcitation.org. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/evapiu/germi.htm&date=2009-10-25+21:56:29. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  10. ^ "Germi – Afterhours – Opinione – siete proprio dei pulcini". Ciao.it. http://www.ciao.it/Germi_Afterhours__Opinione_440068. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  11. ^ "Newsic.It". Newsic.It. 27 June 2011. http://www.newsic.it/php/body_newdiskrec.php?id=340&vistipo=2. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  12. ^ "SiNews". Siportal.it. http://www.siportal.it/NEWS/musica/sonica2001/dona_info.asp. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  13. ^ "Dove sei tu – Cultura Spettacolo Venezia". Culturaspettacolovenezia.it. http://www.culturaspettacolovenezia.it/eventi.asp?id=762. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  14. ^ "Lo Spazio Musica di Spaghetti Italiani – Biografia dei Bluvertigo". Spaghettitaliani.com. http://www.spaghettitaliani.com/Musica/Biografie/Bluvertigo.html. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  15. ^ Hermann, Andy. "Goldfrapp – PopMatters Concert Review". Popmatters.com. http://www.popmatters.com/music/concerts/g/goldfrapp.shtml. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  16. ^ "Montreux Sounds official website". Montreuxsounds.com. 12 July 2001. http://www.montreuxsounds.com/detail2006.php?fiche=2341. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  17. ^ Hermann, Andy. "Goldfrapp – PopMatters Concert Review". Popmatters.com. http://www.popmatters.com/music/concerts/g/goldfrapp-031008.shtml. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  18. ^ Carrie O'Grady. "Goldfrapp, ULU, London | | guardian.co.uk Arts". Arts.guardian.co.uk. http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,11712,910051,00.html#article_continue. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  19. ^ Mirkin, Steven (13 October 2003). "Concert Review: Goldfrapp – Concerts & Live Music Shows". Variety. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117922119.html?categoryid=34&cs=1. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  20. ^ The Big Takeover: Goldfrapp – Nokia Theatre (New York) – Monday, 5 December 2005 :
  21. ^ "Dark Romantic: Alison Goldfrapp". Dark Romance. http://www.darkromance.com/goths/dark-stars/dr-dr-mus-002-goldfrapp/dr-dr-mus-goldfrapp.html. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  22. ^ "The Q Daily / Hidden / Coldplay: Viva La Vida". News.q4music.com. http://news.q4music.com/2008/05/coldplay_viva_la_vida_4.html. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  23. ^ "Mantaray by Siouxsie Sioux on MSN Music". Music.msn.com. http://music.msn.com/album/?album=51845873&silentchk=1&. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  24. ^ POTQ.cl – http://www.potq.cl/: Siouxsie – Mantaray (2007)
  25. ^ "::Siouxsie : Mantaray : 2007 : AZ / Universal Chronique www.obskure.com:::". Obskure.com. http://www.obskure.com/fr/kro_model.php?n_kro=5025. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 
  26. ^ "Guts Of Darkness › Siouxsie › Mantaray". Gutsofdarkness.com. http://www.gutsofdarkness.com/god/objet.php?objet=10277. Retrieved 17 December 2011. 

External links