Interview with Accatino & Rimonti (2003)
In 2003 Zeljko Vujkovic had chance for brief talk with
fantastic italian producer Federico Rimonti and Claudio Accatino about their work and
about Eurobeat and Para Para music. For those who doesn't know Accatino/Rimonti were «in»
music since the beginning of the 80's. They were working with the most important italo names
like Mauro Farina is or Giacomo Maiolini. Today they put all their energy in Eurobeat and Para
Para music. Below you can read some of their answers and i know it's not enough to find
out more in only few answers but guys have promissed me the longer interview will
follow...
Zeljko: First of all, thank you very much for this opportunity. Welcome to my «World of Italo Disco Interviews»! Who is Federico Rimonti and Claudio Accatino?
A&R: We are Accatino & Rimonti began in 1987. Already working together before (since 1982) in the music field, we put our heads together in order to create something special: this label. We were lucky since the beginning: first record first hit. Later, Nick 'TURBO' Festari and Andrea Girbaudo joined our team with a good dose of talent in the composing field.
Zeljko: «Boom Boom Dollars» almost blowed up our mind? At least mine! In your opinion what is the success of this song, what is the secret?
A&R: Boom boom dollars written by Accatino was one of the most popular hi-energy songs in Japan of all times. And it still is nowadays. The secret? Maybe because of precise features which can be found in every production still today.
Zeljko: How you carrers began in Japan?
A&R: Good tracks meet the best partners by themselves. And viceversa. This drives us working with optimism and enthusiasm. However such success, in our opinion, must be directly attributed to the strong leadership of the Japanese Record Company.
Zeljko: Many japanses artists were and still making remakes of your songs?
A&R: Japanese artists are clever and talented, this provides us the needed inputs to try to do always better and with proud. So that they may choose further titles for their repertoire from out songs.
Zeljko: I cannot to mention names of yours Eurobeat artists. Sounds pretty funny and sweet! Franz Tornado, Joe Banana, Billy The Butcher etc. Who is deciding about artists names? Also the «funny» situation is with songs titles - Suck a bazooka, Bandolero comanchero, Dum dum pistol…
A&R: and ...... the royal eurobeat orchestra of bazookistan that lately joined our roster. Do you like it? There's a sort of magnetism that attracts artists names to «funny» situation, reciprocally.
Zeljko: What is Para Para?
A&R: Parapara music is typical italian made music that is reminiscent of the '80 italo dance style and represents its logical continuation. If you today compare the 2000's eurobeat with the 80's eurobeat, you wouldn't believe they become from the same roots. However, those who are following parapara music since the beginning well know how smooth such progression it was. I'd say this development is due to the Japanese listener's change of taste and therefore demand, rather than just other japanese music influence. In turn, the Japanese listener's change of taste, is probably due to the progressive change of the offered parapara music, fruit of development of the ideas, the production tools and new ways to put ideas into practice and the heart to propose new themes and schemes.There's a lot of research, work and soul behind what you listen. Japanese dance parapara in a fantastic way, they are very clever. However everybody could become a good parapara dancer, with the time, the training and the experience.
Zeljko: How many times you were been in Japan?
A&R: Usually we go in summer when there's an eurobeat event that call an audience of thousand and thousands young people to dance all together during the live show. You have to see it to believe it. In late winter we usually attend the Velfarre birthday party with a live show. Also there are some special events in Japan, like the international car fair or else, that attract thousand and thousands of visitors. Well, most of the time it also includes a parapara italian artist show.
Zeljko: OK, thank you very much for this fantastic chat! Ciao.
A&R: Thank you for your time and consideration in this interview with you.
We appreciate having had the opportunity to talk with you about Parapara/Eurobeat. Ciao.
