In this interview, Italian multi-instrumentalist and producer Gus Defelice opens up about the deeply personal inspirations behind "Luring Depths," blending childhood nightmares and complex emotions into a unique musical experience.
1. “Luring
Depths” seems deeply personal and intense. Could you tell us about the
childhood nightmare that inspired the track and how it shaped the emotions in
your music?
Luring
Depths draws from a
recurring nightmare I had as a child—a tormenting dream where I’d enter the
elevator of my family’s home, press the button for the ground floor, and
instead of stopping there, it would continue descending. It wasn’t a peaceful
descent but with a sinister sound, as though something dreadful was pulling me
down. Eventually, the elevator would come to a jarring stop, and when the doors
opened, I’d find myself in what I can only describe as my personal vision of
‘hell.’ But it wasn’t the classic flames and demons; it was an eerily silent,
metallic room, sealed off from time and place, filled with an overpowering
sense of danger and death. There was a large door ahead, and I felt sure that
the gateway to a more conventional vision of hell lay beyond it, but I never
dared to open it.
Writing Luring
Depths allowed me to revisit that nightmare and the complex feelings it
represented.
2. Your
music fuses elements of progressive, classical, and futuristic styles. How do
you approach blending these genres, especially when crafting a piece as dark as
“Luring Depths”?
The
progressive structure in Luring Depths allows me to build tension
through odd time signatures and unexpected shifts, mirroring the unpredictable
descent of my childhood nightmare. These elements tie me directly to that
chaotic, shifting nature of fear. Classical influences add a grounding force
amid the chaos, bringing weight and timelessness that shape the journey into
something structured and melodic, even as it dives into darker, turbulent
depths.
The
futuristic textures and synth layers are essential to capturing that eerie,
otherworldly atmosphere—like entering a sealed, metallic room where time seems
to dissolve, and a strange, unfamiliar presence lurks. The song’s fast,
repetitive pace mirrors the relentless rhythm of the dream. I remember feeling
trapped, pounding my fists against those metal walls in a claustrophobic panic,
desperate to escape.
The intro in 5/4 reflects that moment perfectly—it’s like the heartbeat
thudding when you realize you’re “stuck in the elevator.” I hope no one has to
experience that feeling first-hand!
By fusing
these elements, I aim to create an evolving, immersive soundscape, a space
where listeners can confront their own shadows and even find a sense of
release. Each genre brings a unique intensity, and together, they create
something truly haunting, almost as if the music itself has taken on a life of
its own.
3. You
mentioned that the guitar takes center stage in this track. What specific
techniques or tones did you explore to convey the feelings of confusion and
fear?
Absolutely,
the guitar takes centre stage in Luring Depths, as it's really the
vehicle for channelling the intensity of those emotions. I tend to gravitate
toward darker, heavier tunings like Drop D, C#, or C, which naturally produce a
thick, intense sound that aligns well with the feelings of confusion and dread
I wanted to capture. That lower tuning adds weight, giving the riffs a certain
gravity that feels immersive and foreboding.
For Luring Depths, I experimented with half and full-step intervals to create tension within the scales, leaning into diminished scales to give the sound an unsettling, off-balance feel. The diminished scale has this innate dissonance that almost physically conveys confusion; it’s as though you’re constantly descending or spiralling with no resolution. There’s a percussive quality to the way I play here as well, using palm muting and rapid shifts to add that “heartbeat” feel, a sense of pounding urgency that connects back to the nightmare.
4. The
song represents a complex relationship with a family member. How did that
experience influence your musical expression, and how does it feel to share
such a personal story through your art?
This song
does represent a complex, often difficult relationship, and bringing that into
my music has been a powerful, if sometimes challenging, process. This
experience, and many others, has definitely shaped my musical expression,
adding layers of intensity and vulnerability that might not have been there
otherwise.
Growing up with a family dynamic marked by isolation and unspoken emotions has
pushed me to explore darker, rawer sounds and structures that reflect that
emotional tension; it’s like I’m pouring those buried feelings into the music,
allowing them to exist in a form I can both shape and share.
Sharing
such a personal story through music is cathartic and, honestly, a little
intimidating. It feels like opening a door to a part of myself that I usually
keep private, but at the same time, there’s a sense of relief and even
connection.
By
expressing this side of myself, I hope others might find something meaningful,
maybe even familiar, in the music.
It’s a
reminder that art is one of the few places where we can confront our deepest,
often unresolved experiences and I invite others to do the same, in the end,
sharing it feels like a way of letting go, a chance to transform something
painful into something that resonates and, hopefully, heals.
5. Listeners
are taken on a journey through “a dense and heavy musical abyss.” How did you
achieve the raw, visceral sound that characterizes the track?
I initially
wrote Luring Depths in C# standard tuning, but after some testing, I
decided to switch to D. That shift brought a subtle lift in tone without losing
the heaviness, and it gave the track the exact edge it needed. The focus was
always on achieving a sharp, almost metallic distortion—cold and detached. This
isn’t a warm or inviting tone; it’s intentionally harsh, creating the sensation
of being in an eerie, isolated space. The combination of tuning, scale choices,
and tonal techniques produces a sound that’s haunting, aggressive, and charged
with the relentless energy I felt in that nightmare.
Bass and
drums work together to make everything feel deep and connected, grounding the
chaos and adding an essential intensity and drive. This foundation allows the
track to convey a dense, heavy atmosphere while keeping listeners anchored in
the journey through this musical abyss.
6. Doom
and Sludge elements are prominent in this track. What attracts you to these
darker, heavier sounds, and how did they help convey the message of “Luring
Depths”?
I’m drawn
to doom and sludge elements, but my music is primarily rooted in Progressive
Metal with a touch of Death Metal. The sheer intensity and raw, unapologetic
heaviness of these genres are what appeal to me most. Progressive and Death
Metal, with their odd time signatures and rapid changes, enhance the sensation
of instability or surprise—perfect for capturing the unpredictability and
tension in my music.
There’s
something incredibly powerful about blending dark, slow tempos with sudden
bursts of speed, thick distortion, and massive, crushing riffs. This
combination gives the sound a weight that mirrors the emotions behind it,
creating a visceral, almost physical experience for listeners. It’s music that
demands attention, and that’s exactly the effect I wanted for Luring Depths—a
sound that pulls you in and makes the message impossible to ignore.
7. Can
you walk us through the production process for “Luring Depths”? Was there a
particular moment when the track came together in the way you envisioned?
A couple of
months ago, I was literally sleeping on my sofa, listening to Gojira (I love
them). And in that hazy state, something clicked—strong enough to wake me up.
To be honest, I’d been “waiting for something” to spark ideas for my next
album. Have you ever had the sensation of walking into a shop and finding
exactly what you were looking for, almost like you could “feel the call”?
That
happens to me constantly with music.
However,
that was just the initial “click” in my mind. Over the next couple of days,
both in my studio and during long brisk walks, I worked to recapture and
channel that feeling, bringing the intensity and depth I felt on that sofa into
the sound of the track.
I’m not
ruling out the possibility that I was dreaming at that moment; perhaps, I was
back in that elevator after all those years, even though I don’t remember
it.
8. Instrumental
music relies on a different form of storytelling. How do you convey narrative
and emotion without lyrics, and what challenges does this present?
One of the
biggest challenges is striking the balance between giving the music enough
structure to guide the listener while leaving room for personal interpretation.
With
instrumental music, listeners bring their own experiences and emotions, and I
want the track to resonate with them in a way that feels personal. Whether
they’re finding meaning in a “crow’s chants” choir or in small but impactful,
singable phrases, these elements are crafted with great attention. The guitar,
in this case, takes on the role of a vocalist—building melodic phrases with a
pitch similar to a human voice and a natural rhythm, creating a “sung” feeling
even though no words are spoken.
Instrumental
music is a unique challenge because it relies entirely on sound to tell the
story, so every note, tone, and structure has to be intentional.
9. What
kind of emotional or physical journey do you hope listeners will experience
when they listen to “Luring Depths”?
I truly
believe that each listener’s journey with Luring Depths will be unique.
When I write music, it's primarily a personal process—a way for me to tell a
story, capture an experience, and make sense of it for myself. But once the
music is out there, it belongs to everyone who listens. I hope each person
finds their own story or connection within the track, whether it’s confronting
a dark memory, feeling a release, or simply getting lost in the intensity of
the sound.
Music has this incredible power to resonate differently with everyone. While my experience might set the foundation, the real magic happens when listeners bring their own emotions, memories, and interpretations into it. I want Luring Depths to be a space where people feel free to confront whatever it is they’re carrying and to let the music take them wherever they need to go.
10. You
described this track as an exploration of your “darkest corners.” Do you find
that music helps you to process and understand these intense emotions or
experiences?
Absolutely—it’s
what art is all about. Art, in any form, is a way to bring those hidden, often
uncomfortable parts of ourselves into the light, to confront and shape them
into something tangible. Whether it’s music, painting, writing, or another
medium, art becomes a bridge between our internal world and the outside, making
the intangible visible and shareable. It’s a way of processing, connecting, and
giving meaning to experiences that might otherwise remain isolated within us.
In this way, art becomes a release, a mirror, and sometimes even a refuge—a place where we can explore and transform our most intense emotions and experiences, connecting with others who may feel similarly and creating a sense of shared humanity.
11. As a
multi-instrumentalist, how do you decide which instruments will play a
prominent role in your compositions? What was it like handling both guitar and
production on this piece?
For me,
guitars and drums are often the pillars. The guitar is my main instrument—my
inner pencil, where I sketch the lines of the piece. It carries the weight of
the melody, atmosphere, and much of the storytelling, and it’s where I channel
the raw emotion, reflecting the chaos, tension, and heaviness of the experience
I’m expressing.
The drums,
on the other hand, establish the heartbeat of the piece. Together, they drive
the rhythm, intensity, and dynamics, creating a backbone that everything else
builds upon.
Handling
both the guitar work and the production on this track was an intense but
rewarding experience. Balancing these roles requires switching
mindsets—shifting from being deeply immersed as a musician to stepping back and
listening to the full composition as a producer. It’s a demanding process, but
it allows me to maintain a consistent vision throughout the song. Every detail,
every decision, feels intentional and personal because I’m involved in each
step of the creative journey.
12.Finally,
what’s next for you? Are there any other concepts or musical styles you’re
looking to explore in upcoming projects?
Luring
Depths is actually
the third single from my upcoming album, The Sound of Inevitability.
The album is a concept piece, exploring seven themes that represent the
inescapable forces in life:
Time, Death, Change, Entropy, Aging, Evolution, and Conflict.
Each track is inspired by someone significant in my life, making this a deeply
personal project.
The first single was Starlight, followed by Desert Dunes, with each song diving into a specific aspect of life’s inevitability. The response to them has been incredible! I’m deeply grateful to all the fans! With every track, I aim to capture the essence of these concepts through sound, channelling the raw, unavoidable forces that shape us all. I’m now working on the next single, which should be released on all platforms at the end of November 2024
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