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´I got an electric guitar when I was fifteen. Then I started enjoying more extreme and political music, and started going to punk shows with my sister. There was quite a strong scene of underground counterculture in Brasília and I got involved with it.´
The next episode of /NCOUNTERS/ welcomes an artist form Brasília: Ianni Luna. Her musical journey starts from younger ages, influenced from different sounds, whether the politicalness of Punk or the ethnic currents in MPB. Now focusing on the experimental side of electronic music such as ambient and drone, Ianni’s music evokes the feelings of the listener and creates an atmosphere to be in. Before moving to Berlin, she was involved in the underground scene of Brasília, publishing zines and making music with different bands such as Xixi de Aranha, Dança da Vingança and Soror. Now residing in Berlin, Ianni continues to create performances and experiment with the world of sound.
NCOUNTERS: Where did you grow up? How did you form your early musical aesthetics?
Ianni Luna: I grew up Brasília, Brazil. At home we listened to music often, especially rock and MPB (Brazilian Pop Music). Whilst growing up, I started to listen to the radio and recorded some of it on cassette tapes. Then I started enjoying more extreme and political music, and started going to punk shows with my sister. I got an electric guitar when I was fifteen.
Taken by Erol Gorur for NCOUNTERS, 2019
´ I am meeting artists that are also away from their homes and that puts me into an exciting flux.´
How did you encounter with the music that you produce? Was there an alternative music culture? In which degree were you part of it? How did it affect your personal aesthetics?
There was quite a strong scene of underground counterculture in my town and I got involved with it, especially through zines and music. My first band was Xixi de Aranha, in which I played guitar. After that, Dança da Vingança and Soror *(check out the links below). In Soror, we started to use more electronical elements, because the sound had such a dark and dense quality. So I started slowly adding synths to my sound - at first I was very interested in drone and ambient, especially of lower frequencies. Parallel to this, I was studying the arts at university and started researching sound art. By then I had made some sound installations using field recordings, and my interests broadened - what I am doing now comes from all of that.
*https://dancadavinganca.bandcamp.com
When did you move to the new city? How is your experience with Berlin as a migrant backgrounded emerging artist?
Five months ago. I am finding my way while there’s so much stuff going on. I have seen many things that interest me. I am meeting artists that are also away from their homes and that puts me into an exciting flux, which is also challenging in the political sense. Finding a place to live here is quasi-traumatic, until now I’ve been staying at a housing project amongst long time Brazilian friends. I like to walk a lot and go out and just dance for hours, go to parks, and the city allows me those kinds of experiences. I am slowly getting in touch with stuff in sound that is very unique, which has been fantastic.
Taken by Erol Gorur for NCOUNTERS, 2019
´ I like to walk a lot and go out and just dance for hours, go to parks, and the city allows me those kinds of experiences.´
What are your plans and expectations for the future?
I would like to do more collaborative work, especially with people from here. I am interested in sound within film and so I want to try something also in that direction. Right now I am working on a sound performance that I will present soon in Lisbon.
Photos: Erol Gorur
Graphic Layout: Can Hatunoglu
Editor: Charlotte Collins / Ege Sanin
NCOUNTERS, Berlin (2019)