Community Picks is a weekly series where artists submit a release to be voted on by members of the Nina community. Once a week, the release with the most votes will receive editorial coverage. This week’s winner is “Capelli” by Lupo Mangiafrutta. We sent over some questions to Lupo Mangiafrutta, read the interview and listen to the track below.

Where are you from?

We are from south Italy (Mafalda from Napoli and Ormeye from Bari) but we live in Milan.

How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it?

Alternative Electronic Trip-Hop Synth-Pop. We worked hard to find a definition for what we do, which is basically a union of different approaches to music: we try to combine the 'singer-songwriter' one with attention to lyrics and melodies with the 'electronic-dance' attitude that takes deep care of the rhythmic parts, the sound design and frequencies research.

Tell us about your release on Nina.

The song was born on a dizzy night while playing with various instruments, synthesizers and effects pedals. The foundations were laid in a single 20-minute session, Mafalda had written an intimate and personal lyric a few days earlier that during that nighttime jam was literally taken apart and rebuilt as Ormeye created the beat. There is an important part of the lo-fi spirit in 'Capelli'-as there is a bit in the whole album, which will be released on March 25- for example,  the percussions were all played live recording them with a Shure Sm58 through an effects chain. It is a delicate down-tempo track that does not betray its acid-electronic nature.

What kind of tools do you use to make music?

We love to use a lot of different instruments when we make music, bringing back the same spirit as when we jam without any specific direction. For all the tracks of the upcoming album we have used a bass guitar, a Mam MB33 Synth Bass, a Microbrute, a ukulele and an electric guitar + some borrowed synths here and there like a Minilogue and a Novation Peak + fx pedals + Ableton.

In this track in particular we have also used some analog drum sounds kindly provided by Om Unit (thank you Jim!) filtered with AC Noises Urla pedal.  

Who are 3-5 independent artists you think people should check out?

glitterboy from the depths of the Milanese underground scene, the controversial rapper friend of the proletariat. We know he is finally releasing a lot of new music soon, so keep an eye out.

suorcristona is an incredible producer, and an impeccable musician that we suggest to all the promoters around the globe. His live set is pure stamina, a masterclass in bass music spanning from 130 to 170bpm.

anitacaneviolins is a singer-songwriter from Como (Milan), a super cute friend of us as well as a nu-soul and hip hop lover with a great talent for writing and passion for production.  We have consumed her 'Intro-versi’ EP. 

Nvst - We are super fans of Nvst as a DJ, producer, and singer. We love all her projects and the OG attitude

Dregs - the list of music we love coming out of Naarm/Melbourne would be too long to fit here, so we've chosen the latest and most mysterious we've come across.