Who is Elena Alice Fossi?

One who would like the world to get joyful instead of continuously seen people slaughtering each other, one who would like justice to become a simple and clear concept for the whole humanity, not for the “intelligent” ones only... one who would like to uplift and build up rather than destroy, who likes making and singing songs more than anything else.

What did you want to become as a kid? 

When I was a babychild I already loved singing, but I was afraid that my big teeth would have made such a wish impossible, not that much due to a “technical” reason, but just because of sheer aesthetics… in fact, on television only perfect teeth are allowed. Anyway, as it often happens to children, I was used to falling in love with everything I saw all around, so… quick as a flash, I did range all over liking to become a dancer, an inspired farmer, a painter, a carpenter, and so on! But I already had clear ideas about the Barbies… yes, I wanted them all dead…

If you could organise a festival with any artists (living or deceased), who would play on it?

 Given that attending to monothematic festivals makes me often feel a bit bored, I’d like to see on the same stage composers such as Arvo Pärt (a fine and deeply inspired contemporary music composer) and Zbigniew Preisner (made well-known by means of his soundtracks for some Kieslowskij movies), followed by Laibach interpretating a Peaches song, then my favourite singer Jessye Norman singing on a Morricone track. Then it’d be the turn of Ultravox, Muse, Rammstein…

What do you prefer books or movies and what’s your favourite?

 I’m used to watching lots of movies rather than reading in general, but certain books could not be re-created on any other way and so they own a kind of a real power: not that seldom, in fact, a wonderful book happens to get turned in to a poor flick. My favourites?!? In spite of the fact many years have passed since I first did read Dostoewskij, I still feel hugely attached to his books. I have been reading several other things throughout time, but his writing left a unique mark in me. As for the movies, mentioning one title only is pretty hard, but I can say “Dogville”, as it touched me deep.

What’s your favourite quote that you use a lot?

 Well, I honestly must admit I’m not the rightest persons as far as stock phrases, proverbs and quotes in general are concerned, so I couldn’t say anyhthing regarding any in particular.
 

You replaced Barbara Boffelli in Kirlian Camera, was it hard to do?? How did you deal with this?
 
I feel a real and clean respect for Barbara and Emilia, who are both gifted singers deeply linked to the Kirlian Camera own history and I must say that in the beginning, once I joined the band, I had been feeling some kind of worry, because I perfectly realized that when the audience feel fond of a certain thing… then welcoming a new entity is quite a hard job for them, as such a novelty risks to change the whole attitude of a band. In spite of this, I did decide not to take any former singer as a singing model, because that wouldn’t have led me to anything really good, in fact one’s identity has no chance to come to light, if depending too much from any other “character”. On the other hand, it’s true that I’ve stuck to a certain line of action which Angelo Bergamini had been following on for quite a while, as being too exuberant and asserting myself at all costs is not in my habits, but, in the same time, I’ve been trying not to drive against myself. I must add that none of us had trouble in following such a line, as I always loved the “mood” of KC and they showed me true sympathy since the very beginning. Moreover, I have appreciated that big part of the audience which warmly welcomed me, not making me feel as an outsider. I’m deeply thankful to them all, sincerely. Today, my biggest gratification doesn’t come only from the fact that I am the Kirlian Camera singer, but also that I started communicating with the audience 
through composing music and lyrics, behind the scenes, along with Angelo. This means having a great “force”, running inside myself… feeling that the music you’re singing comes out from you too, that behind that voice there’s much more: feeling a deep belonging to this project’s own life and, after a while, realising that it is also yours for real, that you are really a very active part in it… that is just a priceless sensation going beyond everything! At this point, any possible comparison to other vocalists doesn’t mean anything to you any longer, as now you really are part of KC in the deepest way…

Singing in Kirlian Camera we wonder if you yourself have your aura taken on a picture? Are you spiritual and in what way?

Of corse, all of us Gladiators Of Light own this special aura. You know, during selections Angelo was used to pushing us all straight against the wall while staring at us, and as soon as he found such an aura around and into somebody…that was that!!! Joking apart, it isn’t so casual that the band has something to do with a certain kind of  a mysticism. I guess I can surely say that an evident “anti-materialism” is strongly present in KC and it comes out from the lyrics, as well as it’s possible to breath it all over into the music, and its aura is wrapping you around in a real way. I did feel it immediately, as soon as I had been listening to the KC sound for the very first time and, in my opinion, that “factor” is today a massive component of the band. I feel deeply at home in this atmosphere made of funereal beauty, so talking to and writing with Angelo gives me huge strength, as I can clearly feel that world I deeply belong to, which, alas, is placed completely out of this life, set in a space of huge, alien and imploded wrath. Such a sensation was clearly either findable in “Still Air” or into an invisible space, which dimension keeps on being 
unknown to those who aren’t managing to believe in anything, as told in “Invisible Front”, for instance. Again, I can feel such a world once I find myself sitting besides a “death specialist”, watching in silence the light while it’s fading away, as it happens in “Coroner’s Sun”. Throughout those moments… yes, my aura is comfortably moving around myself, looking for something which may be free from any ignorant “matter”, 
looking for something findable in this particular place, only…

Besides Kirlian Camera you started another band called Spectra Paris, why did you do this?
 
SPECTRA*Paris is just my brand new incarnation. And it makes me feel a little as a drag queen whom, after having worked with great care on a important architectural project, goes to enjoy her “big night” filled with crazy moments and extravagance… It’s a side of myself I started making some knowledge of pretty recently and, in the beginning, it’s been even surprising me a bit: a fusion between something looking 
sharply glamour, and a deep sense of mourning which I’m sure I have been feeling inside myself for long long time, but it kept on being held back. Today, such a nature is close to break out clearly, even through the debut album “DEAD MODELS SOCIETY (Young Ladies Homicide Club)”, which will tell about brief murder stories set in the fashion world and all around it. Its protagonists, mostly popular top-models, are split up
in victims and executioners, two different attitudes which will end with becoming the same exact identity, an identity which turns out to be deeply attracted by a cynical and fatal  (but actually clarifying) kind of cruel beauty. Everything is to be read in a glamourous and amusingly funny key…

Is there any difference between singing in both acts?
 
Yes, there are many differences, right in the way I’m using my voice. With S*P I’m setting my emission lighter and, here and there I’m going to set it a bit more “à la Rock”, whilst  with KC I’m getting more solemn and austere. This is what I’m going to feel and try to express as best as I can do.
 

On the myspace profile you are talking about the Electro Funeral Glam-tour, can you tell us a bit more about it?
 
A bit uneasy to be divulged now, but I’m told there might be an European tour, to be done on the occasion of the issue or a little later. It might come in summer or autumn, if everything will be following the right way. I’ll be officially introducing my new project to the audience with a help from my new “spectral” musicians, Cristina on guitars and electronics, Antonella on bass guitar and electronics and Cinzia taking care of keyboards, electronics and some additional backing vocals.
 

How does the ultimate Elena day looks like?
 
I’d like to spend my final day in a marvellous and gloomy restaurant looking like a church, with really elegant waiters and a disquieting music all around, enhancing its perfect lower frequencies… paintings hung everywhere and… an aura of death and joy in the air. I wish Angelo were sitting in front of me. And there, just there, we start talking about future projects – and suicide?!? -
 

If you could ask one question about your future, what would you ask a fortune-teller?
 
Much time to wait before that famous world’s greatest radical change ever?!? Is it the beginning of it all to come in 2009 or 2012? We’ve got differing infos, here…
 

What is the fun of doing fotoshoots for you?
 
Through photo shots you can become whatever you like, if you’re concentrated enough…!Once I hated doing pictures and posing for, but after a while, little by little, I started realizing I can have a lot of fun, as I can express myself in an amusing way, with no useless troubles at all!!! 
Now I really love doing that… 

Any last words for the readers?
 
Some times ago I was angry with humanity. Today I often feel the same,  but I’ve found out there are persons able to perceive me deep around myself, not just  “mere friends” only. This a wonderful relief. I like to tell such persons they’d better  keeping themselves far from the world’s vulgarity, trying to avoid either forgiving or hating anybody… trying to find place elsewhere, out of the zoo, towards a brand  new light appearing as ghostly and bright in the same time, whereas beauty and real sensuality have a chance to be seen, whereas the soul and the body are joining each other, into a deep and mystically erotic dance.

Websites:
www.kirliancamera.com
http://www.myspace.com/spectraparis