Cristiano Godano and Be Forest on Art and Music

Cristiano Godano, frontman of the Italian alternative rock band Marlene Kuntz, and the shoegaze trio Be Forest discuss their definitions of art and music in an interview. Godano, born in Fossano in 1966, founded Marlene Kuntz in 1989, drawing influence from Sonic Youth and naming the band after Marlene Dietrich and a Butthole Surfers track. He performed with Patti Smith at the 2012 Sanremo Festival, winning the Press Room Award. In 2019, he published a book on the band's first three albums. His solo debut album, with folk alternative influences, was released in 2020 and presented at GAMeC in Bergamo. Be Forest, formed in Pesaro in 2009, blends post-punk and shoegaze, citing Cure, Slowdive, and Blonde Redhead. They have performed at SXSW in Austin twice. Their latest album was mixed by Josh Bonati, who worked with David Lynch and Zola Jesus. The band includes Costanza Delle Rose (vocals/bass), Nicola Lampredi (guitar), and Erica Terenzi (drums/keyboards/vocals). Both artists share their favorite visual artworks: Godano cites Turner's "Snow Storm" (1842, Tate Britain), while Delle Rose names Dürer's "Knight, Death and the Devil" (1513, Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe).