Dark Division - Tech Clubbers Podcast #093

Dark Division is the experimental sound project of Alfredo Somma, Fabiano Matrone, and Raffaele Scarpati. Since inception in 2013, the group has taken its shape through a blend of artistic traits in the individual careers as solo artists. Infusing a widely scoped pallet of immersive audio files that usher the listener into a vignette of illusionary installation art, the triad has adapted a system of play tactics blurring boundaries between sonic hallucination and what is surrealism. By unison of both analog machines and software, morphing sound of pristine weightless tones vanishing into prisms of drone and ambient low techno, harmony is created that is unique to the members variance. And after three years of careful crafting, “An Optimal Configurations Daily EP” comes to us emerging as the very first release from Dark Division’s own Hidden Tapes catalogue. Currently residing in Italy, the group has built experience along three very independent journeys. For Alfredo Somma born 1978 in Acireale, CT, rhythmic practice began early on drums. At age thirteen owning his first console, he became attached to the likings of analog machinery and was steady in search for creative aperture. Fortunately for Somma his iron-will pushed forward the need to appease his sensation for music, forcing a decision to move from the picturesque landscapes of Ischia to a more established scene that would support his passions. Much like his partner, Fabiano Matrone (b. 1988) had the impulse to relocate to London, England. Born in Pompei the journey for Matrone began when he found a broken down long-forgotten turntable at the bottom of a closet in his parents home. An obsession to take apart and repair the instrument sparked what would become his undying interest for mixing records and collecting rare vinyl; two qualities that have become crucial in the formation of Dark Division’s sound overall. While each member lends his contribution distinctively, the group shares one very submerged commonality: an incendiary desire for vinyl and collecting it. As the timeless nature of quality advances a stand-out feature in the Dark Division esthetic, for Raffaele Scarpati acquisition into art mirrors the classic work of his predecessors. Born 1982 in Scafati, Salerno over the fertile landscapes of Campania, his desire to “go deep” began with interest in several facets of visual arts; painting, sculpting, ceramics, furniture design, graphics. The premise to create lofty installations from inner sensitivity working outwards, continues to transcend as the central paradigm in the creation of his music. Today operating out of Milan, music continues to be the art form most fundamental to his endeavors. Endless hours of hardware machinery recordings from his home studio and an unwavering loyalty for analog vinyl is something that Scarpati pays tribute to in the growth and fruition of his maturity. Members of Dark Division share the principle to explore unknown, eclectic files through sonic experimentation, devoting time to continuous research for creation and development of new sounds and the avant-garde. Follow DARK DIVISION here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dark-Division-881408695282342/?ref=br_rs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hidden_tapes_/?hl=it Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/darkdivision Bandcamp: https://hiddentapes.bandcamp.com/