Immanuel Casto
Background information
Birth nameManuel Cuni
Born (1983-09-16) 16 September 1983
Alzano Lombardo, Italy
GenresPorn groove[1][2]
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
InstrumentsVocals
Years active2005–present
Labels
  • JLe Management
  • Freak & Chic

Manuel Cuni (born 16 September 1983),[2] known professionally as Immanuel Casto, is an Italian singer-songwriter and activist. Since 1 November 2019, Cuni is also the president of the organization Mensa Italia.[3]

Biography

1983–2008: Early works

Born in Alzano Lombardo,[2] Cuni moved to Bologna in 2002 to work as an art director. Between 2003 and 2004, with the stage name Immanuel, Cuni produced and released the EPs On the Road, Voyeur and Vento di erezioni.[4] The songs showed an ironic take on sex and pornography, in a dance/electronic style. According to Casto, his work belongs in the porn groove music genre.[1] In 2005, the song "Io la do" got to be broadcast nationally on Radio Deejay.[4]

The 2008 music video for "Anal Beat" was Casto's big break. He became a regular guest on MTV Italia's Loveline,[5] and got to be featured on El País.[6] In the same year, Casto signed with Jle Management. In June, Casto performed at the National Gay Pride and published his first greatest hits The Hits.[7]

2009–2014: Adult Music and Freak & Chic

In 2009, Casto went on his first national tour and released the single "Touché (Par l'amour)",[8] his first song available on digital stores and produced by his future main collaborator, Keen.[7] In 2010, he began his collaboration with singer-songwriter Romina Falconi, releasing "Crash", one of Casto's most successful singles, later included in his first studio album, Adult Music (Universal 2011).[9]

On 13 September 2013, Casto published his second studio album Freak & Chic, which included the singles "Tropicanal" and "Sexual Navigator" (featuring the drag queen Minerva Lowenthal). Romina Falconi is featured on the third single, "Sognando Cracovia", which became the title for Casto and Falconi's joint tour in 2014–2015. In turn, Casto appeared on the song "Eyeliner", included in Falconi's album Certi sogni si fanno attraverso un filo d'odio.[10]

2015–2018: The Pink Album and L'età del consenso

In 2015, Casto released "Deepthroat Revolution" and announced his third studio work, The Pink Album, published on September 25. With "Rosico" Casto begins his collaboration with Tying Tiffany, while "Rosso oro e nero" is a cover of Einstürzende Neubauten's "Sabrina", performed with Italian post punk band Soviet Soviet, and "Horror Vacui" features once again Romina Falconi. The video for "Alphabet of Love", featuring adult performer Franco Trentalance, has been officially released in September 2016 on Pornhub. According to a statement released by Casto's production company, it is the first time a European artist gets to release their video on the site.[11][12]

On 14 September 2018, Casto released the greatest hits L'età del consenso.[13][14] The lead single, "Piromane", featuring Romina Falconi, was released on 5 June 2018.[15][16]

2019–present: Malcostume

On 1 November 2019, Casto became president of the organization Mensa Italia.[17]

On 18 June, 2021, Casto released the single "Dick Pic", a ballad about the annoying habit, widespread in the gay community but not only, of sending unsolicited images of genitals, in chat or on social networks.[18][19] On 3 December 2021, Casto released the single "Piena" in collaboration with the group Karma B.[20]

In 2022, Casto edited the graphics of the book Rottocalco by Romina Falconi.[21] On 10 June 2022, Casto released his fourth studio album, Malcostume, preceded by the single "Wasabi Shock".[22][23]

Controversies

In 2012, Casto released Squillo (lit. "call girl"),[24] a collectible card game about prostitution, sex trafficking, and various criminal activities.[25] On 9 October 2012, senator Emanuela Baio Dossi urged for the game to be removed from stores due to its controversial and offensive content.[26][27]

The song "Da grande sarai fr**io" (lit. "When you grow up you'll be a f*ggot") from The Pink Album sparked some controversy upon its release, in spite of carrying an "it gets better" message aimed at LGBT youth. Due to Casto's trademark explicit and politically incorrect style and his use of slurs, it was deemed offensive by part of his LGBT audience, prompting Casto, himself an out gay man and LGBT activist,[28] to make a video addressing his fans and explaining the meaning of the song.[29] In 2016, Casto released a satirical board game called Witch & Bitch; the politician Mario Adinolfi threatened to report Casto and the co-creator of Witch & Bitch Marco Albiero because he recognized himself in the illustration of the card "Omofobo" (lit. "homophobic").[30]

Discography

Albums

  • 2011 – Adult Music
  • 2013 – Freak & Chic
  • 2015 – The Pink Album
  • 2022 – Malcostume

Compilations

  • 2011 – Porn Groove 2004/2009
  • 2018 – L'età del consenso

Singles

  • 2009 – "Touché (Par l'amour)"
  • 2010 – "Escort 25"
  • 2010 – "Crash" (feat. Romina Falconi)
  • 2011 – "Revival"
  • 2011 – "Killer Star"
  • 2012 – "Zero carboidrati"
  • 2012 – "Porn to Be Alive"
  • 2012 – "A pecorina nel presepe"
  • 2013 – "Tropicanal"
  • 2014 – "Sexual Navigator"
  • 2014 – "Sognando Cracovia" (feat. Romina Falconi)
  • 2015 – "Deepthroat Revolution"
  • 2015 – "Da grande sarai fr**io"
  • 2015 – "DiscoDildo"
  • 2016 – "Alphabet of Love"
  • 2018 – "Piromane" (feat. Romina Falconi)
  • 2021 – "Dick Pic"
  • 2021 – "Piena" (feat. Karma B)
  • 2022 – "Wasabi Shock"

Comics

  • Squillo – The Comic n. 0, Freak & Chic, Ariccia, Magic Press, 2014 (drawn by di Matt Core) ISBN 887-75-9790-9, 97-88-87759-7908
  • Squillo – The Comic Vol. 1, Freak & Chic, Ariccia, Magic Press, 2016 (drawn by Matt Core) ISBN 887-75-9876-X, 97-88-87759-8769
  • Morte Bianca (foreword), Verona, Poliniani, 2021 (story by Mortebianca, drawn by Marco Albiero) ISBN 978-88-3211-865-0, 88-32-1189-20,

Further reading

  • Max Ribaric, Tutti su di me. Immanuel Casto raccontato da Max Ribaric, Milan, Tsunami Edizioni, 2015 ISBN 889-61-3181-2, 97-88-89613-1817

References

  1. 1 2 "Immanuel Casto, voce del porn groove italiano" (in Italian). Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Immanuel Casto". Rockol (in Italian). 7 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2020. nello stesso periodo esce la raccolta FEEL THE PORN GROOVE, che dà origine al porn groove, sottogenere musicale in cui i testi sono esplicitamente riguardanti il sesso ... Si è definito il 'Principe del Porn Groove'
  3. ↑ "Mensa Italia - Storia". Mensa Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Mr Muzik Off: Immanuel Casto presenta il suo "Killer Star" - Cronaca - Gazzetta di Modena". 3 December 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "LOVELINE: IL SESSO TORNA PROTAGONISTA SU MTV. IMMANUEL CASTO TROVA IL SUO POSTO AL SOLE". DavideMaggio.it. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "¿A qué suena el porno pop?". EL PAÍS (in Spanish). 5 September 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Immanuel Casto - GayVillage" (in Italian). Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "Debaser: Touchè par l'amour".
  9. ↑ "Immanuel Casto, che hard disk! – Spettacolo". www.tgcom24.mediaset.it. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "Immanuel Casto: "Sono pronto per Sanremo" – L'intervista – Panorama". Panorama (in Italian). 25 November 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "Storica collaborazione tra IMMANUEL CASTO e PORNHUB | Freak & Chic". www.freaknchic.it. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "Immanuel Casto lancia il nuovo singolo su Pornhub". Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  13. ↑ "IMMANUEL CASTO il 14 settembre esce "L'Età del Consenso"". Newsic.it (in Italian). 4 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  14. ↑ "Immanuel Casto – L'Età Del Consenso". Discogs (in Italian). Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  15. ↑ Roberto Schinardi (2 May 2018). "Immanuel Casto: "La vera Età del Consenso è la propria consapevolezza"". Gay.it (in Italian). Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  16. ↑ "Immanuel Casto – Piromane". Discogs (in Italian). Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  17. ↑ "Mensa Italia - Storia". Mensa Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  18. ↑ Chiara Genovese (18 June 2021). "Dick Pic: il nuovo singolo di Immanuel Casto". Spettacolo Periodico Daily (in Italian). Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  19. ↑ Fabrizia Volponi (18 June 2021). "Immanuel Casto esce con un nuovo singolo: il testo di Dick pic". Style24 (in Italian). Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  20. ↑ ""Piena" è il nuovo singolo di Immanuel Casto feat. KARMA B". Gay.it (in Italian). 3 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  21. ↑ "Rottocalco, il meta libro di Romina Falconi". Poliniani (in Italian). 27 April 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  22. ↑ "Il nuovo dissacrante disco di Immanuel Casto". Il Giornale d'Italia (in Italian). 16 May 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  23. ↑ "È uscito "Wasabi Shock" il nuovo singolo di Immanuel Casto". S&H Magazine (in Italian). 24 May 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  24. ↑ "Squillo official site (explicit content)".
  25. ↑ "Il gioco di ruolo con le squillo fa scandalo | Giornalettismo | Giornalettismo" (in Italian). 31 October 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  26. ↑ ""Squillo", il gioco da tavolo per 'papponi' diventa un cult. Tra le polemiche". Il Fatto Quotidiano. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  27. ↑ "Squillo di Immanuel Casto: interrogazione in Senato per il gioco di carte sulla prostituzione [FOTO]". GAY.tv (in Italian). Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  28. ↑ "Immanuel Casto: "Mi manca l'amore". Ecco l'intervista. | Gay.it" (in Italian). 4 May 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  29. ↑ "Immanuel Casto risponde ai commenti su "Da grande sarai fr**io"", YouTube (in Italian), retrieved 20 October 2015
  30. ↑ "Adinolfi: "Io non sono omofobo, vi denuncio"". Adnkronos (in Italian). Retrieved 29 September 2020.
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