THE SOUND OF AMORE

It’s clear that 2021 has been the year of Italian dominance, whether it comes to camp music competitions or massive football tournaments. That’s why there was no better time for Aaron Altaras, an actor known for his roles in Netflix’s hit show ‘Unorthodox’ or queer love story ‘Mario’, and his younger brother Leo to explore their Italian roots through their new musical project ‘Alcatraz’. Although the brothers were born and brought up in Berlin, they were always fascinated with their heritage (their mother is Italian) and decided to celebrate it by taking inspiration from the country’s iconic Italo Disco genre. A few days before the release of their first single ‘Amore Unlimited’, we spoke to Alcatraz about what’s the best part of collaborating as brothers and their dream set location.

How did this project come about?

 Aaron Altaras: My brother and I have been thinking about it for a very long time. He started to produce music when he was very young and we have a very similar music taste, so we knew that we wanted to do something together. I was always quite busy with shooting, but then Corona happened, and we finally got a lot of time to work together on producing and recording.

 Leo Altaras: Yeah, I started producing about six years ago. Aaron and I always had a dream of starting a bit kitschy duo boy band. And we thought that this would be also a nice way of mixing our Italian heritage with our home, Berlin, and the music scene there.

Why did you choose to name your band ‘Alcatraz’?

 Aaron Altaras: There’s a couple of reasons. Firstly, the whole album is about longing and desire and unattainable things, and that’s why the concept of the Alcatraz prison island really resonated with us. But also, ‘Alcatraz’ was my nickname at school – a lot of people couldn’t get Altaras right, so they would call me that. So we took it back and fucking own it now! [laughs]

The whole album is about longing and desire and unattainable things, and that’s why the concept of the Alcatraz prison island really resonated with us.

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What’s the inspiration behind the sound that you created?

Aaron Altaras: Our first single, ‘Amore Unlimited’ has been very inspired by the Italo Disco genre. But more generally, our sound is quite eclectic – there are some 2000-era disco, French electro or trance music influences. We also have a rap feature on one of the tracks.

 There’s a strong sense of Italian pride in the project. How important was it for you to explore your Italian heritage?

 Aaron Altaras: Well, it’s funny for us because we’ve always lived in this dichotomy of cultures – we were born in Berlin to a German father and an Italian mother, so we always ask ourselves whether we are allowed to own our Italian side or not. It’s that classic thing that I would assume most people with parents from different backgrounds have of questioning which side they are drawn to and which not, and for most families, those discussions never end. For us, the project has been a chance to negotiate and explore that exact struggle.

What’s the best part about working with on this project as brothers?

Aaron Altaras: I can recommend it to everyone who has a sibling, it’s the most beautiful thing to collaborate on something together. We understand each other very quickly and we have different strengths. We also fight a lot because we’re both very stubborn. But the great thing is, even if we scream at each other and someone leaves the room, we don’t have to worry that it will jeopardize our relationship because we have been fighting for 20 years now and we know how it goes. [laughs]

What is your dream club or place to play your music at?

 Leo Altaras: Panorama Bar!

 Aaron Altaras: Or on a little lido, somewhere between Napoli and Rome.

You launched an Alcatraz OnlyFans account. What can we expect to see on it?

 Aaron Altaras: You should go subscribe and see! 

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 ‘Amore Unlimited’ is out now.

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Interview by Martin Onufrowicz

Pictures by Noah Kleist