Interview With Mal Di Luna…By Tzina Dovve (DJ Lady Davinia)…
Mal Di Luna… Dancing shadows in the moonlight… A new band comes to life and rises from the grave on the Italian goth scene… Founded by Chris Glenn, a talented musician and DJ, this band has quickly taken the goth/dark scene by storm with its alluring and vampiric tunes, atmospheric videos and international shows… Success is imminent for these gothsters… Frontman Chris Genn tells his tale on his early beginnings creating the band, new album and recent U.K. tour and future plans… Dancing shadows in the moonlight… Mal Di Luna… By Tzina Dovve (DJ Lady Davinia)…
Tzina: Welcome to Absolution… Mal Di Luna is a new band to emerge on the dark/goth scene in Italy… When and how exactly did this band come to life and what prompted you to form such a dark band to begin with? Where exactly is Mal Di Luna based and who are the members of the band?
Mal Di Luna: Thank you, it’s a pleasure to be here.
The seeds of what eventually became the band were sown during lockdown. I was fortunate enough to be able to wander through the woods near my home during that time and amidst that isolation, I felt a deep need to create Mal Di Luna. The darkness in the music is simply a natural extension of who I am. It mirrors my personality and my tastes perfectly. Honestly, our music couldn’t have sounded any other way.
We are from Trieste and the surrounding area, in the northeast of Italy. It is a seaside city, but quite distinct from the rest of the country due to a strong Austrian influence, especially in its architecture. Alongside myself, the band features Giovanni Bertossi on guitar and Michael Bonanno on drums.
Tzina: Your name ‘Mal Di Luna’ ( moon sickness in Italian ) has a rather sinister and morbid feel to it one might say… What is the story behind this name and why did you choose this title in particular for your band? Does it have some sort of symbolic meaning to you? Can you elaborate…
Mal Di Luna: I find the band’s name very evocative, which is why I chose it. I am fascinated by the influence the moon can have on the human psyche, as well as on other elements of our daily lives.
Also, in literature, ‘Mal di Luna’ is a term often associated with lycanthropy.
Tzina: One could describe your music as quintessentially dark and atmospheric with some very vampiric vibes and lyrics… Something like dark poetry… Who is the main songwriter in the band? How is a Mal Di Luna creation brought to life? Where do you mostly get your inspiration from to write such dark melodies and what are your main musical influences?
Mal Di Luna: Thank you. We really appreciate that our music is perceived exactly as you described it. That atmosphere is what we strive for.
I write all the lyrics, while the music is collaborative compositions involving not just the other band members, but also our producer, Lorenzo Visintin. He is brilliant at bringing together the explosion of ideas that come from us.
Our songs are born from a concept, a central metaphor or an intention. From there I develop the lyrics and then the music is stitched into them. As for the sound, we love to experiment, creating veritable sonic mosaics by incorporating different techniques and styles.
Our influences encompass everything that has surrounded us from our childhood to the present day. There is certainly Gothic Rock and Post-Punk evident, but also Industrial and Alternative Rock of past decades.
Film scores play a huge role to us too. Danny Elfman (I think it’s impossible not to adore him) and Goblin, famous for the soundtracks of Dario Argento’s movies are a few of our favourites.
Plus, my father used to listen to 70s and 80s rock, like Queen and Bowie. Without a doubt, all these influences seep into our creative process, often unconsciously.
Tzina: As I understand after a few digital singles releases you finally released your debut album ‘The Postmodern Gothic’ early October last year (2025)… An album with some extra remixes in a limited digipack edition… How happy are you with the outcome of this album and how has it been received by your fans and the alternative/goth press so far?
Mal Di Luna:We are absolutely thrilled with ‘The Postmodern Gothic’ album. It features brand new tracks alongside all our previously released singles and bonus tracks. Everything has been remastered and the sound is incredibly powerful and punchy now.
The packaging is flawless too. The artwork, the booklet and the material make it truly a beautiful collector’s item. On a personal level, finally holding the physical result of years of hard work, dedication and creativity feels like a trophy to be cherished. This was only possible thanks to the amazing professionals who worked with us.
The album has been received with warmth and enthusiasm by both the public and the press. We’ve been extensively featured in major German gothic magazines like ‘Sonic Seducer’ and ‘Orkus’, as well as various webzines. To present the album we played in a Neo-Gothic church for the first time in our city, Trieste. It was a very successful event that sold out very quickly and even the local newspapers wrote about it.
However, the greatest satisfaction comes from the fans. It means the world to us when they want to take our CD home as a memento after enjoying a live show, or when they decide to have a physical form of the music they’ve already streamed. That desire to support the band and own a tangible object is incredibly rewarding.
Tzina: Mal Di Luna signed with the German music label ‘Dark Dimensions’ late in 2024… How did that come about for you and how content are you as a band being part of the ‘Dark Dimensions’ family… Can you elaborate…
Mal Di Luna: It is a true honour for us to be part of the ‘Dark Dimensions’ family.
The collaboration came about after they listened to the singles we had released independently, as well as the demos of tracks that were still unreleased at the time. They admired our sound and what we were proposing and that is how our collaboration began.
After so much hard work, dedication and sacrifice it is incredibly rewarding to have a historic label of such caliber within the Goth scene recognize our potential.
We are proud and grateful to be working with such outstanding professionals.
Tzina: Your band has released a few of captivating music videos on YouTube so far… Do you have more in the pipeline planned in the near future? How important are music videos to you as a band? Do you think the visual side is as fundamental as the musical side for a band? Does Mal Di Luna enjoy making videos?
Mal Di Luna: We are glad the visual aspect caught your eye. For us videos are complementary to the music. They have always been a ground for experimentation, much like our sound itself.
We have released three so far and looking back, you could say we have worked with People, Animals and Machines.
In ‘Moonlight’ we worked with people (models and sexy vampires) creating a short-film narrative filled with citations.
In ‘Moth’ we worked with real living moths.
In ‘Selina’ we alternated between live footage of the band and AI-generated sequences, created by the videomaker Chiara Fornale (who has also worked on the post-production and editing of ‘Moth’).
Regarding ‘Selina’, I love the idea that in the future this video will stand as a testament to both the strengths and the limitations of AI technology at the specific time of its release, early 2025.
So yes, we enjoy making videos, experimenting and creating the unusual. We shall see what we conjure up next, but our priority will certainly remain the music. That is our true vocation. I have many ideas and lyrical drafts waiting to be developed… stay tuned!
Tzina: Mal Di Luna is an active live band with a number of performances under its belt so far… Some live shows in your homeland, two participations at the ‘Dark Malta Festival’ (2023 & 2025) and most recently finished a mini U.K. tour and headlined ‘Revenant’ during the Whitby Goth Weekend in October 2025… How did that arise for you and how was the experience of playing in the U.K for the first time for you? Can you elaborate…
Mal Di Luna: Our live performances have been met with growing admiration, show after show. This created a sort of domino effect leading to invitations to play in various cities and festivals, and along the way we also secured a booking agency.
Playing in the UK for the first time was simply a dream come true and a dream with a happy ending as the tour was a genuine success. It was an experience we will never forget. We visited amazing places and met wonderful people.
We had the honour of sharing the stage with exceptional bands like ‘Chaos Bleak’ from the UK, ‘Under The Skin’ from Poland, ‘Skeletal Family’, ‘Gothzilla’, ‘Cold in Berlin’ and many others.
The Whitby Goth Weekend is an experience that anyone fascinated by a Gothic atmosphere should visit at least once in their lifetime.
It was surreal gazing out from our hotel window. We saw the exact landscape (the Abbey ruins surrounded by the ancient cemetery on the cliff overlooking the sea) that inspired Bram Stoker to write his most famous novel…
Tzina: Do you have any more shows planned for 2026? Are there any particular cities or festivals that you would like to visit and be a part of? What do you enjoy the most about playing live as musicians?
Mal Di Luna: We are currently working on booking dates for this year. For now I can reveal that in February we will be performing at a new event called ‘Sine Lumine’, not far from Venice.
Looking ahead, we would love to return to the UK. We definitely aim to play the major festivals in Germany and perhaps, down the line reach the United States… We shall see what the future holds.
We love everything about playing live from the adrenaline to the way we present our songs. On stage they have a different impact compared to the studio versions, something I have intentionally sought since my very first compositions.
Witnessing the crowd’s response, which has been consistently enthusiastic so far, is amazing. There is a powerful energy exchange and when people sing our songs with us it is a truly unique emotion.
Tzina: What are your ambitions for Mal Di Luna? What would you like to achieve and where do you see the band in the next decade or so? Can you elaborate…
Mal Di Luna: Our dream and primary ambition is to leave a lasting mark on the scene. We want to craft albums, not necessarily many, as we prioritize quality over quantity.
In Italy there is a saying “Il buon vino sta nella botte piccol” (Good wine comes in small barrels).
Therefore, our goal is to keep creating music, to experiment without repeating ourselves, while remaining faithful to our identity. We aim to grow and spread our music further and further.
Tzina: As a new and contemporary band how do you view the goth/dark scene of today? Do you believe there is some sort of goth revival happening with so many bands emerging on the scene from around the globe over the past few years? Do you follow the scene? Are there any particular new bands that you admire?
Mal Di Luna: Honestly, yes. There is truly an abundance of high-quality bands emerging nowadays. They all operate within the dark genres, yet each possess their own distinct nuances and characteristics.
Apart from the bands I mentioned earlier whom we toured with, others come to mind immediately. ‘Varg I Veum’ was a delightful recent discovery I made after seeing them live. Then there is ‘Ductape’ and ‘The Saint Paul’ (a German group who actually crafted an incredible remix of our song ‘Moonlight’).
I must also mention ‘Motel Transylvania’, ‘Sun’s Spectrum’, ‘Der Himmel’, ‘Instant Lake’ and the renowned ‘Ash Code’. These last few are all Italian bands and are exceptionally great.
So yes, the scene is definitely alive, thriving and rich with talent.
Tzina: What is ‘Goth’ to ‘Mal Di Luna’? Can you elaborate…
Mal Di Luna: It is a ‘dimension’ in which we love to be immersed.
It is a state of mind that consists of seeking out specific elements and atmospheres that are tuned into our frequency and surrounding ourselves around them.
Tzina: Thank you for your time… Anything else you would like to share with your fans from around the globe? What can they expect from Mal Di Luna in the near future?
Mal Di Luna: Thank you for this wonderful interview!
I would like to share this message with our fans. Please do not limit yourselves to passively listening to random playlists on Spotify. Follow the bands you admire, find them on social media and support them directly. That is the only way to help the alternative scene grow. Talk to promoters, event organizers and festivals and let them know which bands you want to see live. Your voice truly makes a difference.
And of course, keep following Mal Di Luna because we will never cease to surprise you.
Keep on dancing with us.. Shadows in the moonlight..
Mal Di Luna on Facebook
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Mal Di Luna on Bandcamp
Mal Di Luna on YouTube
