Three bands, three identities
Shanghai · 2009
British-inflected rock
with a Shanghai pulse
Nathan, Andres and I met while studying at the same university in Shanghai. We started as DNA, playing rock covers for fellow students and in bars around the city.
Then Nicky arrived with catchy riffs, a talent for lyrics and the desire to create something original. That meeting became Monroe Stahr.
We developed the songs together and recorded them at Dashijie in 2009. The album captures the energy, friendship and strange momentum of those Shanghai years.
Shanghai · 2010
Raw rock
made for the stage
Andres had been shaping Picasso Smiling for years. I joined in 2010 after his ideas caught my attention, and the chemistry clicked instantly.
With Carlos later joining on bass, the trio found its edge. We blended a raw rock sound with deeply felt lyrics and released the first demo CD, Eternal, at the end of 2010.
Shanghai · 2010
Two voices
one restless rhythm
Rob’s contagious obsession with music brought Scary Magic together. Emma arrived from Sweden, Pheel brought a powerful rock voice, and Carlos and I locked into the rhythm section.
The contrast between male and female vocals gave the band its yin-yang identity. When Minoi joined on djembe, the sound opened up again — recorded here in demos, rehearsals and live performances.
Archive recordings
About Davide
Davide was born near Venice, Italy, and began playing drums at thirteen. The explosion of ’90s rock — from Nirvana and Pearl Jam to Deftones, Radiohead and Rage Against the Machine — changed the direction of his life.
He later explored the music of the ’70s and ’80s, progressive metal, funk and disco. Genre mattered less than one thing: a great beat.
After moving to Shanghai in 2007, he co-founded the three bands featured here. Beyond drumming, he contributed to arrangements, studio sound and lyrics.
Three lifelong influencesMike Portnoy · Matt Cameron · Abe Cunningham
Follow the rhythm
