Ciaooo! And welcome back to Meat Free – we’re very happy for your return.
The last time we spoke was back in 2023 (!!) and you played for us at The White Hotel, we met again at our Closer Milano collab earlier this year and now you will be gracing the infamous DBA. How have things changed for you in the past 2 years in terms of your approach to DJing?
Thank you for inviting me to this interview. Glad to read these questions and tell my opinion about these topics. It means a lot to me, because I’ve always loved the way Meat Free adds value to the scene every time and the amazing vibes that I feel every time we’re together!
My approach to DJing, since the beginning of this year, has gone back to vinyl. That really helped me to reconnect with my roots and find excitement in the underground jams again. On a technical side, the physical approach to mixing keeps my brain always active and brings back the fun and unpredictability: every transition between two records, even if they are the same records, will never be the same transition. Every play is different and it brings this kind of irregularity that satisfies me. Also, not looking at a screen while playing helps me connect more deeply with the sound, mostly by ear, without relying on visuals and waveforms for guidance. In an aesthetic direction, playing vinyl keeps me focused on sticking to my sound and helps the productions that I’m making to have a more specific personality connected to the records that I play. Sometimes, discovering just one banging record can inspire me to create a ton of tracks inspired by that jam on vinyl. Long live vinyl!!!
The world has changed a lot in 2 years too! Do you think the industry has changed much in those times, and if so do you see positives and negatives?
In my experience, I don’t think that the scene has changed much in 2 years. At least I’d like to believe so. I feel like I belong to the sub-layer of the scene where things develop more slowly and there is more awareness of how to keep things sustainable in the long term. I have also been fortunate to start working with my agent Mike since last year, and I feel like he is really understanding the essence of what I do and he’s making the best out of it, so this gives me a lot of hope for the future and for a great scene for the future. This doesn’t mean that there is no change in the scene, but just that I have more awareness of what is a trend and what is not. And if I don’t focus on trends , but focus mostly on quality and sustainability, then there is a longer and wider perspective to discover. Of course, if we think in terms of what is trendy today and what is not, there have been huge changes, but I try to stay grounded and think about the scene on a a longer perspective. I believe that social media plays an important role in all of this, because somehow, at some point, someone decided that music artists should also be content creators, and this has changed the focus on some artists.
It’s a very good thing that nowadays we can reach everyone with our social media, but I still believe a healthy way to use them is to focus on your message and what you truly want to communicate and not on the “quantity” of content that someone has decided is necessary to make a career out of music. The initial reason why I started doing music was because I liked music and not to create content, otherwise I would have become a YouTuber haha. I find the “social” part very useful for creating and maintaining new connections, but the “media” part is very destructive for the soul, it’s like a yin and yang. I personally believe social media is not as important as it’s portrayed in the common scenario when it comes to the authenticity of art. Nowadays, a lot of people are prioritizing social media presence while somehow trading the depth and meaning of their artistic messages in exchange for visibility and social media interaction. This can be tricky in the long term, because if everyone accepts this as the norm, then the purpose of art will only be to serve a virtual reality , and this, by the way, can be easily replaced by AI.
When I initially discovered underground electronic music, it came across to me as a form of rebellion against the mainstream and standard sounds and norms, but with today’s social media, finding this rebel spirit is becoming more and more rare. But when it’s there, it’s a very special feeling that keeps me always going. On the good hand, I see that many people are becoming aware of this situation, and things are going to change for the better.
You’ve also been releasing some amazing records, notably with Steffi who you actually played with back at The White Hotel – how much credit can we take But with jokes aside, it feels like your production has been ramping up. Was that intentional, or has it been a natural journey?
Please take a lot of credit for introducing Steffi and me. I remember you booked us together because our sounds are very aligned, and what a prediction this was! Two years later we released “Memory Zero EP” together! I still remember that day when we had dinner, and it somehow already felt like such a natural connection. She already knew my name from some records I’d been releasing, but meeting in person is always the best way to get along with someone. So thank you a lot for that and for the amazing night!
Regarding my productions, my intention is to release 2 to 3 records a year. When there is a real message behind them, then it is a good time for me to release an EP. Every EP is a statement of sound that I’m associating with, so it’s very important to keep it meaningful & rare. I am releasing only the best of my work: what’s online is around 10% of my whole production. There is a strategy, and it is to follow the natural flow of creativity with dedication and discipline, but without forcing it too much.
You’ve also added playing live to your portfolio – can you talk us through your process and how this differs from a DJ set, but also how does it make you feel in the moment – is there a stronger connection with the crowd for example?
More connection with the crowd is a great way of seeing it! Initially, I saw live shows as a way to showcase the current state of releases and unreleased songs. Every show led me to create a new live project from zero, because new music was always piling up. Initially, I did a few shows like that. But in the last year specifically, I felt it was time to leave more room for improvisation and create a stronger connection with the moment I was experiencing together with the crowd. Because of that, I changed my live show into a new one where all the loops and sounds that I play are manipulated on the spot in real time to tell the story. The sounds I am using are reminiscent of the sound of my productions but are completely unarranged material (non-existing tracks) that need to be arranged and played within the moment.
By leaving this aspect in the moment, it’s easier to create a story that fits every kind of situation, both in terms of sound density, transition length, and sound selection. For example, if I play live at a festival, I take more time with the transitions and include longer breaks, while playing in a club would be the opposite with shorter breaks and faster transitions , to keep the vibe consistent during the set. Alongside the Ableton project, I use some drum machines, synthesizers and analog vintage desk that help me reach the sound I have in mind and assist in the transitions. I am keeping my live show for special occasions, especially festivals and big stages, because I think it fits best in that kind of scenario. With every live show, it takes a lot of effort to materialize all the ideas into a set, but the reward is even bigger, both for the crowd and for my enjoyment.
Could you also talk about the progression of your sound, last time you said you worked to emulate a studio like Marco Carola and Jeff Mills – now you’ve found yourself actually working closely with Steffi, another legend. What has that taught you?
Working with Steffi has been inspiring in many aspects. Artistically she taught me to focus only on quality and to trust your inner gut sense, not chasing trends and staying true to what you really like at first glance. I found that this advice came at the right time for me, because I met her during a period where I started getting more requests and playing more shows in different venues with different promoters, and that confused me a bit because I was losing touch with the essence of the initial reason why I was there in the first place. So that was one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever had so far. As an upcoming artist, it is not difficult to be influenced by external factors, unless we have a very specific idea of what we want to present. It is always very important to remember who we really are at our roots and stay true to that initial feeling. By doing this, she says, things will flow naturally in waves and will last long, based purely on quality.
In 2023 you were right on the money tipping us off on Isaiah and JSPRV35 as up and coming talents – who is exciting you right now in the booth and in the studio?
Some time ago I was listening to an EP from DJ Hockey called Push:Pull, and that one blew my mind because for me it felt so pure. I also went to check his DJ set on SoundCloud and they sounded very good. So DJ Hockey from Canada. Another DJ that I really admire is called Yamour and she is from Germany. I really like her record collection and the way she handles the dance floor. I like that she can play a lot of different styles of music without losing her touch on it. So she is one of my favorite DJs at the moment!
We must also talk about Global Pulse! The imprint you founded in 2024 – delivering ‘retrofuturistic techno’ Can you tell us what inspired you to found the label, what your vision for it is and what’s coming next?
The main idea behind Global Pulse is to curate a series of releases from artists from around the world that share the same vision, the vision metaphorically translates to the Pulse. And the Global is because it’s not a specific sound-taste rooted in a specific geographical area but mostly a global feeling connected to pure techno music. Each individual artist is welcome to present their EP and their vision, as raw and direct as possible, so the true essence of each EP can shine in the best way. As label curator, I try to give as little feedback as possible and to keep the initial message of the music in the purest form. Global Pulse is also a main outlet for my own productions. I am really focusing on driving the label to the next level and I am mostly releasing music there nowadays, because I believe this is a good direction to go.
Upcoming in October, we have a new record Transformation EP coming from the Lebanese-Australian DJ Ali, 5 tracks with his strong own signature sound. Melodic, trippy and highly catchy techno jams. I can’t wait for this record to come out and to share it with the world. DJ Ali is also a wicked live performer, he’s been playing live with machines for some years, and some days ago we had a studio session and his projects sounded fantastic.
As your schedule gets busier and busier, how do you keep grounded? Do you have any activities that you indulge in that might inspire others?
It’s insane how much mental space is taken up by preparation for a DJ set and traveling on the weekends, so it’s very important for me to do some kind of activities in the middle of the week that help me keep a biological rhythm and stay healthy. I try to go to the gym as much as possible and read books as much as possible, so the gym can energize my body and books can energize my brain. However, I know that it is not easy to keep this routine because touring life is very emotionally demanding, and it’s not easy to stay grounded and do all these tasks, and when it happens it’s important to take a break too.
Most people in the music industry are workaholics because we are driven by passion, and taking a break is more tiring than actually working, but I’ve seen some good results after a break of 1 or 2 days (maximum haha). At the end of the day, there’s a limited amount of energy that our body can supply, and it’s important to use that wisely and not overstress it too much in order to be able to do this for as long as possible.
Question from IG: who is your personal music hero?
I am sorry but I have multiple heroes, it’s impossible to name one, because everyone has such a unique feature that makes them not comparable with each other. It’s like saying what’s your favorite food? For me it’s impossible to say because sometimes I feel like pasta, sometimes like salad, sometimes like sushi, sometimes like pizza, and it goes on and on.
Ideally my personal hero would be me at the end of the day, after I’ve learned as much as possible from all of my idols in many different styles of music (electronic, rock, punk, reggae, classical heroes) and made my own take on it. I hope this doesn’t sound too pretentious haha!!
And as always our closing question! What can Salford expect from you in the pub on October 11th?
I am so much looking forward to October 11! I am preparing an extended selection of records that I usually don’t have the chance to play, but would fit the pub atmosphere well.
The concept will always be from house to techno and the other way around, but this time I have some rare jams that I will bring with me. I don’t want to spoil anything, but prepare for some real funky stuff <3
