Dystosyum is much more than an other-worldly ambient Album and much more than a metaphorical Novel. From first sight, one can perceive the more significant meanings behind the scenes. Dystosyum is motion towards a meaning: a movement, a unidirectional flow guided by thoughtful decisions and a willingness to share one’s experience. Brugnera voluntarily built Dystosyum as a thoroughly detailed immersion.
After reading the book and listening to the Album, the connection between the two appears evident: each detail is relevant to understanding the connotation and the artist’s vision of the creation, where each feature – may it be a sound or a quote, softly links the afterward with the backward, generating a rather grounded philosophy. Without further introduction, let’s dive into an interview with the artist behind Dystosyum: Fabrizio Brugnera.
1. Which was the spark that led you to the creation of Dystosyum? Did you start from the Album, the Novel, or was it all interconnected since the beginning?
Dystosyum began as a secret music project, releasing two singles under a pseudonym, disconnected from my name, and using mystery marketing to create intrigue. Ghost of a Lost World was released in early July 2024, followed by Gloom’s Serenade at the end of the same month. From the start, the project carried a strong narrative element—Dystosyum wasn’t just music; it was a character, a world. This was evident in the biography, where Dystosyum introduced himself as a persona, setting the foundation for a broader, interconnected story.
It’s difficult to say whether the music inspired the novel or vice versa. They were both organically intertwined, feeding off each other. The project was never just an album or just a novel—it was always meant to be an immersive experience, blurring the lines between storytelling and sound.
2. Dystosyum is the kind of experience that shakes our souls. Which feelings did you expect listeners and readers to perceive from it?
My goal was to create an imaginary portal where the listeners are fully immersed in Dystosyum’s world. I wanted them to feel the thick, dusty air of the abandoned facility, hear the crackling warmth of the old wire recorder where he documented his compositions, and wonder about his daily existence in solitude.
Beyond the atmosphere, there’s a psychological element. I aimed to evoke unease, a slow-building tension that leads the audience to confront their own fears. By the story’s climax, they’re not just observing Dystosyum’s journey—they’re experiencing their own introspection. I also left space for personal interpretation. Rather than presenting a single “true” meaning, I wanted listeners and readers to find their own, shaping the story through their perspective.
3. The tracks from the Album all represent a specific situation or core point described in the Novel. Is there a particular track that you feel closer to you, and if so, why?
Choosing a favorite track is always challenging since each piece is essential to the whole. However, I intentionally left track titles unconnected to chapter titles, encouraging listeners and readers to form their own connections.
Veins of Light, Threads of Sorrow stands out because it embodies the balance I wanted to express—the interplay between resilience and despair. The title itself is a metaphor for life:
- Veins of Light represent hope, love, and purpose, much like veins carrying life through the body. Light symbolizes clarity and inspiration, the moments that sustain us.
- Threads of Sorrow suggest that pain is woven into existence, an inevitable part of our journey.
Together, they capture the contrast between joy and struggle, showing that one cannot exist without the other. The imagery of veins and threads reinforces this idea of connection—life is an intricate balance of light and darkness.
4. All of your creations are characterized by a veil of somberness – serious music, touching delicate and fragile topics, with an educational-like purpose. I perceive that not only in Dytosyum but also in Komorebi, for instance – your previous Album. Are there any connections between the two?
While there isn’t a direct, intended connection, a recurring theme runs through both—an exploration of impermanence and the beauty hidden within fleeting moments.
My compositions often exist in a space between light and darkness, optimism and melancholy. Sometimes, the music represents light breaking through the shadows; at other times, it reflects darkness creeping in. This mirrors life itself—a constant dance between struggle and growth, imperfection and beauty.
Even though each project is distinct, this theme naturally manifests in my work. It wasn’t something I consciously set out to do but rather a reflection of how I perceive the world—acknowledging both sorrow and hope as essential parts of existence.
5. Dystosyum is not only the title of the Album and the Novel but also the personification of the protagonist. Do you feel like it can be seen as a mirror of the self?
Absolutely. Dystosyum’s journey is one of introspection, self-discovery, and the struggle between truth and illusion. Throughout the story, he wrestles with his mind, trying to distinguish between reality and the distortions born from trauma.
But the novel carries a deeper meaning (SPOILER ALERT): the doors, the symbols, the horrors—they’re all metaphors for trauma and how the mind suppresses painful memories. When something too unbearable happens, we don’t always process it immediately. Instead, we lock it away, pushing it deep into the subconscious, like shutting a door and throwing away the key.
But trauma never truly disappears. It lingers. It seeps through the cracks. It waits.
In Dystosyum, when the doors unlock and terrifying things emerge, that’s what happens when buried trauma resurfaces. We can try to suppress it, try to forget—but eventually, it forces its way back. It manifests through emotions, memories, and even distorted perceptions of reality.
That’s the real horror—not the shadows or the locked doors, but what happens when silence is finally broken. In that sense, Dystosyum is not just a character—he’s a mirror, reflecting a struggle many can relate to.
6. Your music is meant to share the big pictures of life, situations, and events. Is there any upcoming project you would like to let us know about?
Several projects are in the works, though I can’t say for sure what will be released first. Some follow the same pattern of mystery and surprise as Dystosyum, though they explore entirely different musical landscapes.
A few collaborative singles had to be paused, but I hope to return to them soon. I’m also planning a series of singles and eventually an album in the style of The Witching Tree, which I consider the true introduction to my next full-length project. As for Dystosyum, the album serves as a soundtrack to the novel but only covers a fraction of the experience. Since reading the entire book takes hours, I intend to release a series of albums that fully accompany the story, allowing listeners to immerse themselves in every stage of the journey. However, I’m currently on a forced hiatus, so I can’t predict when these projects will be completed—it may take months or longer. But when the time is right, I’ll return to them.
We at Modern Classical Music Magazine thank Fabrizio for his time and his inspirational work. With the hope that Dystosyum will hold a special place for all the readers of our Magazine, we invite you to dive deeper into Brugnera’s music and book!
Discover/Buy the Book on Amazon by following this link.