Saturday 6pm - 8pm
Ambient - House - Deep Techno
My parents always told me how, when I was 4 or 5, I used to dance to old 45s played on a record player, and I had one record in particular that I loved: "Stasera mi butto" by Rocky Roberts.
At 14, I had a compact system, you know, those all-in-one systems, turntable, amplifier, and cassette recorder. I had it modified by taking the turntable's signal and running it through a homemade box with two potentiometers. I added an external turntable and started recording cassettes for friends.
At 17, I got my first system with three Technics 1200 mkIIs and a Galaktron Mk16P, a Yamaha M2a power amplifier, and Cerwin Vega speakers... obviously, my setup has been updated over the years, but I still have everything in perfect working order and serviced.
At 18, I went to my first nightclub, weekend afternoons with very young people, and evenings with an adult audience who occupied the tables and didn't dance much... Back then, records were purchased by the club, and that was the music they were supposed to play.
I bought my own music anyway, offering it in small doses to the weekend crowd.
One day, my record supplier told me there was a spot available at a club where the music I bought (Trax Records, Nervous, Strictly Rhythm, DJ International, etc., were starting to arrive) would be appreciated... needless to say, I jumped at the chance
Contact with the people.
Your people, those who followed you from club to club… “Where are you this weekend?”, “Always at the same place on Thursday night?”…
The people used to come for the music you played them, and the managers called you because on that night, it was your sound that set the tone for the venue or event: no one would dare ask you to play something different from what you were offering.
So: contact with the people who trusted what you played.
It's hard to choose without having the real situation in front of you, so as always I'll do my own thing... "Party Is The Solution" by Floyd Beck
There are so many.
Perhaps the last night of the event where I was resident, from midnight to noon... at 3:00 AM the line to get in was still incredibly long... that morning at noon, so many people came to greet me at the decks, a shower of affection I'll never forget... it was 2001...
Or that time they asked me if I could record a tape, and they gave me a tape of a very important club in Italy, recorded by a very famous and highly regarded Italian DJ. Well! I recorded a new tape for the guy and kept the one he gave me. I won't mention the DJ's name, but I'm sure a request like that would have made anyone proud.
I'd say everyone and no one, just the music that's suggested to me by the mood of the moment.
I love classic Garage House, I enjoy hypnotic Deep Techno, I'm nostalgic with Funk, I relax with Ambient...
Staying strictly away from the mainstream, I shun anything commercial.
Many names, but one above all the late Claudio Coccoluto: iconic DJ and producer, but above all a wonderful person.
I have to activate the time machine: “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, “Your Love” by Frankie Knuckles, “French Kiss” by Lil Louis, I'll stop… the list is too long… actually, I'll add an album that has never left my suitcase of records before, CD later, and today USB stick: “E2-E4” by Manuel Göttsching.
Build your own unique musical identity...
A musical identity, in my opinion, is worth much more than flawless technique...
You shouldn't be afraid of missing out on a gig at the expense of performing a set dictated by the organizers' or the venue's demands...
This is how I achieved my most important goal: I never regret the music I buy.