Dari

Extremely colorful but lacking real musical profundity, Dari were one of the most striking novelty acts to come out of Italy in 2008, a typical case of looks and hype being as important as the actual songs — maybe even more so. Formed in Aosta in 2004, the original lineup of Dari comprised singer and guitarist Dario "Dari" Pirovano, bassist Fabio "Fab" Cuffari, Andrea "Cadio" Cadioli on keyboards, and drummer Willy. In the following year, the band took part to many Italian rock contests such as Arezzo Wave, Rock Targato Italia and Tavagnasco Rock. In the same period they met manager and producer Massimo Gabutti, responsible for the international success of dance act Eiffel 65, who signed them for his production house Bliss Corporation. In 2007 Dari started recording the songs that would later be included in their debut album along with producers Domenico Capuano and Federico Malandrino, who helped mold the typical sound of the band, so-called "emotronik," a catchy blend of '80s-tinted electro-pop and lightweight emocore, strongly influenced by both new bands such as Tokyo Hotel and the '80s Alberto Camerini records. Dari's first single, "Wale (Tanto Wale)," was released in March 2008, and thanks to its poppy tune, a colorful video and bizarre look, it was a huge success, especially among teenagers, who appreciated the relatively provocative visual side of their otherwise innocuous pop/rock. September 2008 saw the release of their first album, Sottovuoto Generazionale. In the meantime, drummer Daniel "Fasa" Fasano had replaced Willy.