Massimo Pupillo - Composer & Multi-instrumentalist

About

Massimo Pupillo is a composer and multi-instrumentalist, mostly known for being a founding members of Zu, with whom he released 18 albums and played more than 2000 shows around the world.

He has also kept a very open and multidisciplinary approach that led him to work with some of the most acclaimed figures in today's world of arts: Romeo Castellucci, Chiara Guidi (both of avantgarde theatre group Societas Raffaello Sanzio), american choreographer Meg Stuart, french opera star Marie-Agnes Gillot, contemporary dance group Dewey Dell, world reknown dancer Yaman Okur, etc.

He has collaborated live and on record with avant-garde musicians and composers such as Alvin Curran ( founder of Musica Elettronica Viva in 1966) , with world-famous piano duo of Katia & Marielle Labeque , with classical music virtuosos such as Viktoria Mullova and Giovanni Sollima. He has also worked in studio with Canadian soprano and orchestra conductor, Barbara Hannigan. Working with Katia Labeque he has had the huge honour of an album artwork designed by Storm Thorgerson, founder of Hipgnosis , probably one of the most important designers in music.

With Katia Labeque, he has played and arranged tracks of an album of Moondog music that was released on the most important classical label ever, Deutsche Grammophon.

Also with Katia Labeque he presented a special project at Paris' Philharmonie in 2016, working, between others, with Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Bryce and Aaron Dessner (The National).

In the world of electric/ rock music he has collaborated with some of the most important names in the international scene, such as Mike Patton ( Faith No More), Stephen O' Malley ( Sunn O)) ,Thurston Moore, Jim O' Rourke (Sonic Youth), Guy Picciotto & Joe Lally (Fugazi), FM Einheit ( Einstürzende Neubauten) , Buzz Osbourne (Melvins) Damo Suzuki (CAN), etc.

In free-improvised music he worked with Peter Brotzmann, Toshinori Kondo,Tony Buck ( The Necks) etc..In the experimental music scene he has collaborated with Oren Ambarchi, David Tibet (Current 93), Thighpaulsandra (Coil) , Christina Vantzou, Daniel O'Sullivan, Andrea Belfi, Abul Mogard,, Mick Harris (Scorn), Gordon Sharp (This Mortal Coil & Cindytalk) etc...Between Zu, solo work and collaborations, he released more than 80 albums and played more than 3000 shows all over the world.

As in 2022 he just recorded a collaboration with world famous iconic actor Malcolm McDowell called "Songs Of Stone" that will be released in september on italian label Subsound Records, and is currently working on a sound installation with Roger Ballen, one of the most influential and important photographic artists of the 21st century.