Solar Flare Alert: "That contrast between the ancient land and the modern sound creates our balance"
- Mar 24
- 3 min read
Solar Flare Alert is a contemporary nu-disco duo composed of Davide Ungaro and Erika Neri. After debuting alongside Italo-disco icon Maurice McGee, they have established a unique creative partnership where both members are songwriters and lead vocalists. Their sound is a sophisticated hybrid of organic musicianship—featuring live bass, piano, and guitars—and modern electronic precision, all produced and mixed in-house by Ungaro. Based on Italy’s Cilento Coast, the duo blends Mediterranean soul with an international vision, often performing in both Italian and English to create a living, evolving disco language.
"The Way You Move" marks a new chapter in your journey. How did you arrive at this sound, and what were you hoping to convey with the track?
We arrived at this sound by simply having fun. We first approached this genre two years ago while producing Maurice McGee’s latest EP, and we really developed a taste for it. The entire LP, which this single is taken from, was born in a very lighthearted summer atmosphere. From the beginning, our goal was to convey a bit of that "dolce vita" feeling: that sensation you get at sunset, looking out at a beautiful view with a gin and tonic in hand and a vinyl record spinning on the turntable.
Your music blends live instruments with electronic precision. How do you balance the "organic" side with the digital in your creative process?
It was all about interplay, even on the production side. Our workflow started with a phase dedicated purely to creativity: we laid down about 15-20 tracks using digital instruments and samples, then selected the ones we found most convincing to finalize the songwriting. After that, we brought in Salvo Palermo (a multi-instrumentalist and co-producer of the record) and his brother Christian on percussion. We gave them reference parts but gave them the freedom to express themselves through their instruments, sometimes integrating new parts into the arrangements that emerged during the recording sessions. Finally, we completed the production and mix by tailoring everything specifically to fit our style.
Collaborating as a duo where both of you are songwriters and lead vocalists must have its challenges. What’s the key to maintaining such a balanced and creative partnership?
Luck! We’ve been living and working together for ten years, and it could have only ended two ways: very badly or very well. We practically read each other’s minds—we don’t need to talk much. In the studio, our roles are so well-established (Davide as the producer and Erika as the lead vocalist) that everything flows with absolute naturalness. The lyrics are written almost entirely during rehearsals, though we leave room for final touches during the production phase. It’s true that we are both lead singers, but that’s where luck comes in again: our vocal timbres don’t mask one another! Plus, we support each other with harmonies and call-and-response parts aimed at enhancing the song rather than highlighting one of us specifically. We focus on what’s best for the music and move in that direction, putting our egos aside.
Being based on Italy’s Cilento Coast, how much does the Mediterranean environment influence your sound and the mood of your songs?
The Mediterranean environment is fundamental; it’s not just a backdrop, but a true member of the band. We lived in Milan for seven years, and living and working on the Cilento Coast now imposes a different rhythm on us: here, time seems to expand, allowing us to take care of every detail with the necessary calmness. Our studio, Katekatashe Records, looks directly out over the sea—we can see the Amalfi Coast across the gulf. That blue inevitably seeps into our synthesizers and basslines... even Capri waves to us from the horizon! There’s a special magic, especially in spring, when the fireflies (katekatashe in the local Cilento dialect) light up the vineyards surrounding the studio. That contrast between the ancient land and the modern sound we produce creates our balance. We hope listeners feel exactly that: the warmth of the sun and that sense of freedom typical of those who live with the horizon always in sight.
You often sing in both Italian and English. How do you decide which language fits a song, and how does it shape the story you want to tell musically?
There are parts that just sound right in Italian and parts that sound better in English; in another track on the LP, we even sang in Neapolitan. This aspect of the story we’re telling is all about freedom. These songs are coming out naturally, not through a calculated process. One of the first labels we negotiated with pointed out that very few bilingual songs have ever reached the mainstream... we took note of that and simply kept going our own way.
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