Boring Machines

Boring Machines is an Italian independent record label and publisher of music and images, run by Andrea Ongarato, known as Onga (born in Treviso in 1972). The label was founded in 2006, though the project had been gestating for several years beforehand in the form of DJ sets under the name Martini Bros. From its inception the label carried the subtitle "in defence of boring music" (in difesa della musica noiosa), and it set out to promote artists working on themes of melancholy and unease, favouring slow rhythms and altered reworkings of the song form. The label's output is deliberately broad within the independent sphere: its productions range from folk groups to ambient, from indie to noise. It has become one of the reference points for artists of the so-called "occult psychedelia" scene that emerged in the early 2000s. Boring Machines describes itself simply as "an independent publisher of music and images run by Onga", selling directly through Bandcamp and by email contact. Onga has stated that he does not listen to unsolicited demos, particularly not SoundCloud links or other streaming services, though downloadable files may — perhaps — be considered. Since 2006 Boring Machines has taken an active part, alongside Tagomago, Bar La Muerte, Disorder Drama, Fooltribe and Fratto9 Under the Sky, in the Tagofest, a festival of independent labels held at Marina di Massa, which brings together around a hundred Italian and international labels. The label's catalogue includes releases by Tristan da Cunha, whose album "Maris Stella" appeared in 2026, and photographic/musical works by Adriano Zanni such as "Sequenze di Fabbrica", a photobook on the ANIC petro-chemical plant in Ravenna. In 2026 the label marked its twentieth anniversary, giving an interview to Sodapop in which Onga discussed the label's past and future. The anniversary was also celebrated with new releases, including the Tristan da Cunha album "Maris Stella", whose first edition of 100 LPs sold out quickly, prompting a second edition. Boring Machines remains a small, personally run independent operation with an international mail-order and Bandcamp presence.

Boring Machines is an Italian record label whose productions range from folk groups to ambient, indie and noise. The label was founded in 2006 by Andrea Ongarato, known as Onga (born in Treviso in 1972). The project had been gestating for several years before its official birth, taking the form of DJ sets under the name Martini Bros. From its very beginning the label carried the subtitle 'in defence of boring music' (in difesa della musica noiosa), and it set out to promote artists working on themes linked to melancholy and unease, favouring slow rhythms and altered reworkings of the song form. Since 2006 Boring Machines has taken an active part, together with Tagomago, Bar La Muerte, Disorder Drama, Fooltribe and Fratto9 Under the Sky, in the Tagofest, a festival of independent labels held at Marina di Massa, which involves around a hundred Italian and international labels. Over the years the label has become one of the reference points for artists of the 'occult psychedelia' scene that emerged in the early 2000s. The label describes itself as 'an independent publisher of music and images run by Onga', selling directly through Bandcamp or by writing to onga@boringmachines.it. Onga has publicly stated that he does not listen to unsolicited demos, especially not SoundCloud links or other streaming services, though downloadable files may perhaps be considered. Among the label's releases are works by Tristan da Cunha, a duo formed in 2016 who have built a distinctive body of work; their album 'Maris Stella' was released on 10 July 2026 as part of the label's twentieth-anniversary announcements. The first edition of 100 LPs sold out very quickly, and a second LP edition was announced for early October, with a slightly different front cover. The label has also worked with the photographer and musician Adriano Zanni, releasing 'Sequenze di Fabbrica', a photobook on the ANIC petro-chemical plant in Ravenna, announced in January 2025. In July 2026, for the label's twentieth anniversary, Onga gave an interview to Vasco and Emiliano of Sodapop, discussing Boring Machines' past and future.

• 2026

  Twentieth anniversary of the label; interview with Sodapop and new releases including Tristan da Cunha's 'Maris Stella'.

• 2025

  Announcement of 'Sequenze di Fabbrica', a photobook by Adriano Zanni on the ANIC plant in Ravenna.

• 2006

  Boring Machines founded by Andrea Ongarato (Onga).

• 2006

  Label begins active participation in the Tagofest independent label festival at Marina di Massa.

Independent Italian label and publisher of music and images, self-described as being 'in defence of boring music', focused on melancholy, unease, slow rhythms and altered song forms.

• 2026

  Tristan da Cunha – Maris Stella

• 2025

  Adriano Zanni – Sequenze di Fabbrica

1. 1Boring Machines – official websiteboringmachines.it
2. 2About – Boring Machinesboringmachines.it
3. 3Boring Machines – Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Boring Machines – Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org