Offlaga Disco Pax

The Offlaga Disco Pax were an Italian musical group formed in Reggio Emilia in 2003 and active until 2014. The group was made up of Max Collini (vocals), Daniele Carretti (guitar, bass) and Enrico Fontanelli (bass, keyboards). The band's name came from an experience of singer Max Collini, who, during a thunderstorm in 2000, came across a road sign for Offlaga, in the province of Brescia. Three years later, he proposed the name to the other members of the band. Enrico and Daniele added "Disco Pax", the title of a song by Mumble, a situationalist group from the 1980s.

The group released three studio albums: "Socialismo tascabile" (2005), "Bachelite" (2008) and "Gioco di società" (2012). The Offlaga Disco Pax were known for their spoken lyrics, their musical bases inspired by the new wave of the 1980s and their politicized themes. Their songs often recounted life in the province of Emilia, with references to the Italian Communist Party, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the contradictions of capitalism.

The band won numerous awards, including the Rock Contest in Florence in 2004. In 2014, Enrico Fontanelli died due to an illness. Following his death, Collini and Carretti decided to disband the group. Collini continued to collaborate with Jukka Reverberi of Giardini di Mirò in the Spartiti project, while Carretti embarked on a solo career under the pseudonym Felpa.

In addition to their music, the Offlaga Disco Pax were also known for their unique live performances, during which they distributed to the public objects mentioned in their lyrics, such as cinnamon chewing gum or Tatranky wafers. The band has often been compared to Massimo Volume for their use of spoken word, but their style was distinguished by a more marked irony and a strong focus on Italian social and political reality. Their music, characterized by a mix of new wave, electronic and post-rock sounds, has influenced numerous artists on the Italian independent scene.