Rico – Alternative Medicines

by Darren Taylor

Glasgow’s basking in sunshine as we arrive at Rico’s parents’ house in the paisley suburbs. Hidden away in the backyard of their bungalow is the tiny garage-turned recording studio from which Rico, dressed in combats and t-shirt, emerges to greet us. A mass of musical gadgetry is strewn about the interior of the garage; a mixing desk and recording equipment are enclosed behind glass patio doors, which seal off the actual studio area. One of the walls in the studio is covered in a giant montage of press clippings; photos and magazine logos with a bottle of Jack Daniels suspended upside down in one corner – emergency medicine for periods of mental blocks. The whole wall looks like it should be hanging in some modern art gallery. This somehow fits because here is a young man making thoroughly modern music. Rico poses for a photo shoot and then we head off in a cab to the city center for a chat. During the 10 minute ride, the cabbie, insists on telling us about a relation of is who works as a session musician with Leo Sayer. Allegedly Leo Sayer is a compete git. Meanwhile Rico is running through new ideas in his head.

We Arrive at out destination, a back street pub with a beer garden so that we can enjoy this glorious, but brief, sunshine. Rico’s on the verge of releasing his ferocious debut album, Sanctuary Medicines, an awesome blend of millennial angst, Tricky-style gravelly vocals combined with the technological, dark, foreboding sounds of peers like Nine Inch Nails. Rico lights up a cigarette as our chat gets underway. Born and brought up in Paisley but of Italian descent, Rico got into music at an early age, “I was always into music, I started drumming when I was about 12. I played for ages and joined a couple of bands. My brother, who was four years older than me, got a band together, I joined them and started gigging when I was about 15. Then I got hold of a Porta-Studio and got really into it, just being able to record by myself, work away with guitars and sequencers. That kind of grew and then took over from drumming, the fact I could create something in its entirety.” He enthuses in his soft Glaswegian drawl, “From Porta-Studios I built up to eight-track and then 16 track and finally did a bit of soundproof work to the garage. Then I started working with bands.” A myriad of jobs came and went as he tried to earn the money to pay for the equipment – sandwich deliveries and bar jobs to name a few. After playing in, working with and producing various bands for several years, disillusionment eventually set in. “Ideas tend to get diluted and a lot of time people are chasing what they think a record company would want to hear and what a current sound is, like with grunge. The guys in the band were saying ‘We need to be more grungey’ and it’s like ‘Naaaaarr’. The point of this is to make your own spot, to let it come to you, don’t tug at it or you’ll destroy it.” Rico’s voice is full of passion as he continues, “eventually I started working on my own stuff which was more craering sounds for textures and using guitars to replace keyboards, but using them with technology and just trying to keep it vibey and alive.”

Rico’s musical influences are varied, “When I was young I was really into The Cure for years, Psychedelic Furs, The The. When I heard the Infected album by The The I really thought this was the start of technology and guitars and things that were a lot more song based. But I think Trent Reznor was a massive eye-opener for people working with technology, it’s like this can be powerful and that’s what The The didn’t have. I was also into David Bowie because of Fripp’s guitar work.” Rico lights up another cigarette. He’s a perfectionist only trusting his brother, who plays in the band, to design the sleeves for the records. Rico doesn’t like forcing his music on people though. “I hate aggressive marketing. Everything’s supported now, you’re constantly getting logos shoved in your face. I don’t really want to do that, I don’t want to try and force people to like this. I want people to get into it for what it is. That’s all I want from it.” The album hits the streets in August. I ask him about the title,

Sanctuary Medicines, “Well for me that’s what the music is. I think everybody’s got some kind of sanctuary medicine that they use to get them through and to have a sense of purpose. This is my own place and my own space. Generally I want this to be real, it’s not a creation and I don’t want it to turn into a cabaret show. I know the music is very dark in places but I’m not a fuckin’ Satan worshipper. As much as I love some of the music by Marilyn Manson, it’s like – maybe it’s just an American vibe, but it’s so cabaret. Basically with this it’s just got to be real, I don’t want to do anything that doesn’t feel right to me, there’s no need to do it, it just is what it is and I’m me.” The album covers a variety of experiences close to Rico’s heart; the state of music, suicide, commercialism and religion. With a Catholic upbringing and being a Celtic fan, Rico questions blind faith, “Religion to me is just a fuckin’ crock of shit. I believe it was set up as a method to control people. Surely, if people are Christian they should be trying to integrate as oppose to divide. religion is just division after division. I find it difficult to believe that we’ve been given certain capabilities of developing intelligence and working things out for ourselves and then to be given this big question mark of God. It’s like, give us some proof, give us some facts of what it’s all about.” Whether there’s a God or not, one thing is for certain Rico’s here to stay and he’s very real.

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