Mogador

Mogador started in 2007 when Richard placed an advert on a Como rehearsal studio wall saying that he was looking for like-minded musicians to make music with. This put Stefano Lago (guitar) and Luca Briccola (keys and flute) in touch and the musical collaboration began. Luca pulled in a friend, Paolo Pigni on bass and the lineup was complete. Rehearsals took place in a tie and scarf factory and the group began throwing about some ideas. These jam sessions were taped in order to remember and elaborate anything that came out of exploring the riffs and small musical phrases offered by everyone.
The decision on what sort of music Mogador wanted to play fairly clearing understood from the outset. All members of Mogador have been through the prog finishing school and so the collective mindset was all very ‘Topographic’. The actual discussion is worth documenting;
LUCA: So, what the Dickens are we going to be ABOUT, musically speaking?
STEFANO: Dunno, but I’m NOT playing any political stuff, or corny love songs.
RICHARD: Well, at my age, I’m not going to sing about maidens with long golden hair who meet goblins and wizards. Come on… that’s embarrassing.
SILENCE…
LUCA: Well?
RICHARD: How about we start by writing some songs about the elements…water…fire…air?
STEFANO: Mmm…keep talking…
LUCA: Well, seeing as you’re the best English speaker…actually being English and all that…you’d better write some words.
RICHARD: Well, if I have to write the words, then I shall want to sing them too.
LUCA and STEFANO: Bravo!
And thus, the band and the idea for the first album came about.
The name Mogador comes from the fact that the band was rehearsing in the aforementioned tie factory. Mogador is the name given to a cotton and silk blended cloth used for tiemaking that takes it’s name from the Moroccan port of Essauira, from where the cloth originates. Mogador seemed a suitably ‘prog’ sort of name, everyone liked it, so it stuck.
MOGADOR I (2009)
The first album is a composed of four main songs that talk of four elements; earth, air, fire and water, with some additional free-standing tracks. The CD has a rather bucolic feeling on the whole and there is a clear signature sound in the making; melodies, odd time signatures, and a healthy dose of classically influenced composition. The album was recorded after a very short period of time of the band starting together. The structures of the songs were written in Guitar Pro and swapped between band members for fine tuning and then learning. Drums and vocals were recorded in the tie factory and the rest was laid down at Luca’s home studio. There is no denying the roughness of the finished album, but it is a very promising first outing.
Upon the release of Mogador, Stefano Lago announced his departure and Mogador became a three-piece.
ALL I AM IS OF MY OWN MAKING (2010)
Before the seal on the cellophane of the first CD had dried and cooled, the new streamlined Mogador set about writing the second album. Richard had read an article in a newspaper of a man who got trapped in a lift and it struck him as a viable basis for a narrative album. In order to keep things as fresh as possible Mogador like to apply different ‘rules’ to every musical project, thus giving a new starting point and hopefully an interesting finished result. ‘All I Am..’ was no exception and it was decided that the album would be recorded in rough form using midi instruments and real voices on top as a first step. This, it was hoped, would allow the chance to ‘live’ with the music before finally recording the real instruments. The idea paid dividends and AIAIOMOM was very well received and sold well beyond the band’s expectations.
ABSINTHE TALES OF ROMANTIC VISIONS (2012)
In the middle of 2011 Mogador parted company with Paolo Pigni. There was never a doubt that Luca and Richard would not have continued, but the idea of being a duo felt too small. As a result, a number of guest artists were invited to perform the pieces already written and ready to record. One such guest - Marco Terzaghi – has, on the strength of the mutual satisfaction of his excellent contributions, joined the band full time.
As for the story behind the music contained on ‘Romantic tales…’ it was Luca came up with the simple but cunningly limitless notion of writing music inspired by works of art and the setting of poetry to music. As often happens, the ideas changed course midstream; it occurred to the band that there was perhaps a more interesting theme to explore. Most, if not all of the artists that had been chosen to be re-interpreted could claim the use, abuse and/or appreciation of absinthe, the distilled wormwood spirit. The ‘green fairy’, as the drink is sometimes known, became the leitmotif for the whole album. And it was thus that Mogador arrived at ‘Absinthe Tales of Romantic Visions’.
http://www.mogadormusic.com/