How have you been lately? Do you still reside in Tuscany, Italy?

Yes I live in the countryside in Tuscany. It's very natural place with a lot of nature. We have the sea about ten minutes away. We have the mountains in one hour. It's a chill place!

I'm good. I'm exporting all the videos about the album for the social sheet that I will post in one week as a countdown of the album.

Can you elaborate on the concept behind the videos accompanying your music? What role do you play in their creative direction and production?

In the videos, I'm in different suggestive places that reflect the concept behind the tracks. I'm standing still with all the waveforms and music visualizers going on, completing the absence of the human side on the artworks

Your upcoming album In The Midst Of Bias is the first to be released on NËU—congratulations! Could you walk us through the inspiration behind this project and the creative journey it represents?

Exactly. It's NËU’s first album. I was not aware that I was working on the album. The first time I met Florian/phace in person, I told him that I was working on so many tracks, and so he pushed me to make an album. At the beginning, I had random tracks, but then after working on them over and over, I realized that all these tracks are linked to each other. I'm trying to explain my point of view of life in general and who I am. And so this is the link between all the tracks. And it’s a natural and unconscious process. I'm trying to explain who I am with sounds in my new experiments. I'm a very atypical person. I have my way of doing things. So that's how all the album came to be.

It represents a profound exploration of sonic experimentation, showcasing a deliberate and innovative approach to pushing the boundaries of sound design and musical expression.

I'm also trying to explain some of my life experiences, very personal ones. I don't want to go too in-depth with this explanation because I want to leave the listener the freedom to decide what this music should be about.

What prompted your exploration into more experimental - deconstructed sounds, considering you have the ability to create tracks with instant dancefloor appeal no?

I can't. I can easily experiment. I'm so happy that I met Florian. He’s always believed in me since the beginning because for me it's very hard to do simple things. I don't like standard dance floor music. I like to do things in a more complex way. This is something that is tough because...I'm complex. I naturally like to complicate things. So no, I can't. Sometimes I would love to make Minimal Drum and Bass, but really, I can't. I always complicate things that could be easy. But for me complex is easy. I know that in general music has to be simple in order to be understood by the average people but the Neosignal guys, they don't want me to do this. That’s why I'm happy,because I can be myself without compromises

In your opinion, how receptive is the general audience to experimental bass music? Do you think this genre’s evolution could reshape mainstream perceptions?

I'm really not thinking about it because Drum and Bass is now a part of the mainstream. There are so many trends, standards, so many typical formulas that everyone is following. During my journey into music, sometimes I felt I should do something for the people but when I did that, I lost the focus and I stopped enjoying the process of creation. That’s why I'm really not thinking about the listener. I'm really not thinking about the average person, I'm trying to do things in a way that makes me satisfied in a certain way.

How would you describe the evolution of your sound since your last EP Origin Of Chaos?

That EP was crucial for my identity. Nëu trusted my vision and I became more confident about my musical choices. I really feel the direction I am taking as something mine. I'm trying to evolve what I did, but I really don't know if this is an evolution, improvement or just a different direction. But I don’t mind, at the end everything come out so naturally.

This new collection feels more experimental than much of your previous work. While it retains a club-oriented energy, some tracks are stripped back and refreshingly unique. Was this a deliberate shift?

What is your overarching philosophy when it comes to creating music? How does your art intersect with this philosophy?

Well I’m very influenced by other genres. So I try to inject elements of those genres into Drum and Bass, but not typical genres. I aim to find the weirdest music, get inspired by it, digest it and try to make it Drum and Bass, respecting but innovating the cultural aspect of the genre. It's not easy to make it happen, it’s pure research, it’s intriguing.

Are there any particular artists or movements that influenced the album or have been inspiring you recently?

We can talk about inspiration, I really love dBridges music as well as Autechre. They inspired the glitchy sounds with the track Sleep Bypass. I also love a lot of Samurai Music releases. I find them very interesting because they are making Drum and Bass, but with old-school sounds with atypical patterns. Very inspirational for me, I feel that I'm trying to do the same in a certain way, but I want to stay in a more bass-oriented scenario. I love Fiesta Soundsystems music as well. I like alot of Drum and Bass artists too obviously but Current Value stands out. I'm still discovering his older music and I find all his tracks are coming from the future. And I'm also trying to go more in-depth with Techno, but I’d like to explore similar styles of Richie Hawtins music because I was listening to his music music when I was very young, and I'm trying to listen to it again. I find it very interesting in the choices of his production.

A godfather of Techno

Exactly, I can listen to very specific techniques in his productions, the power of repetition and all the elements that are slowly coming in. It’s very interesting to me because lately, I tried to pack all the production as much as possible to make the tracks more flexible for this new era of music. The attention of people is a few seconds but this is different. It’s something that works if you listen to it for several minutes, it’s very hypnotizing. Well, I'm trying to do the same with the new productions, not the album. This is something very new that I'm trying to do.

Let’s discuss some specific tracks: Sharp Edges and Hold On Tight from your Origin of Chaos have been reimagined on this album. Could you share your thoughts on their transformation?

Yeah Sharp Edges-Edit is a bit different, the mastering is but I also changed some of the production choices. Florian told me some things that he, in his opinion, needed to be fixed. I changed the snare pattern, it was less Drum and Bass friendly because if you mix it with another track, it has the half-time feel, even if it's not half-time, but has the snare at half-speed. I really liked that choice, but Florian told me, I suggest you change it, so I did. And I agreed with this choice made for becoming more DJ friendly. That's one of the few things that I've changed. If I remember well, I added two different snares sounds, I made the vocal more audible and well mixed with the surrounding sonic scenario. I also introduced some of the basses that were in the second drop only. I put them in the first one as well. All these were just very little details, but still improvements.

Hold On Tight-Edit is completely the same, except for maybe a few DBs of sub in the master to make it sound a bit warmer.

Regarding Protoclusta my personal favorite from the release, was there a reason it was excluded?

At the beginning, I didn't want to include it into the album Sharp Edges, but Protoclusta and a more DnB oriented VIP version of Sharp Edges that I was working on but the label suggested to me to not use the VIP for that purpose. The tracks I submitted for the album were around sixteen but they chose eight only, plus the two that are already released. These were the most experimental ones, all the others were more typical and common. And the Sharp Edges VIP was something that was more Drum and Bass but they just preferred to keep the weirder original version. I just didn’t want to occupy three spots of the album with something already released. It is also a cool choice to leave Protoclusta as something separate (but linked) to the album.

That's why Neosignal Recordings is my favorite label. It's all the weird stuff.

I would say Florian/Phace was very supportive. He sent me so many feedbacks for the tracks. Once I woke up, opened WhatsApp and I had something like 70 messages of him telling me, I suggest you to do this, to do this, to fix this, blah, blah, blah. I am so grateful to him.

You collaborated with Syndel on Sharp Edges, and she was also featured on a previous track Waxx. What drew you to work with her again? How has your creative synergy evolved?

Yeah, she's the vocalist. I found her on Instagram, thanks to a common friend. She's an Italian girl. And yes Waxx was a self-release. Before I decided to make Drum and Bass, I was doing the self-releases and my experimentation was wider in terms of music genres . I mean, now I'm experimenting, but keeping the Drum and Bass BPM, and going deeper into the genre. Before I was trying to do as many things as possible to find my way. So I made this like... I can say it's... What's the genre? It's like something very Massive

Attack style. There is also this interference mix that I made of Waxx. That version of the track was a starting point for the direction of the music that I'm making today. It’s from that version that I made the track The Interference that was released on the Rockwells label Obsolete Medium. The Neosignal guys listened to that track and told me that they liked it. And so I made other new music following that direction. But before that, I sent them some more typical Drum and Bass tracks, and they didn't accept them. So that's how I started to work with them.

Your collaboration with RUINNA - Psyche Melt is intriguing, given your shared background in Dubstep. What was it like working with him, considering his previous projects as Killsonik and Chasing Shadows?

I had to ask him to make the collaboration because I think we have some very similar tastes. After listening to his first EP on NËU, the track Drill Power is still one of my favorite tracks. It's a crazy 1/16 bass. It was a very smooth process with him, honestly, because when you collaborate with someone, it could be hard to find the way to make the things work and to make everyone happy. And it may take a lot of time before arriving at a result, if there would be one.

A common ground.

Exactly but this time it was easy. I don’t recall, maybe he had the first idea. He sent me the first draft of the song, and it was so cool to work on. I took care of all the intro, all the melodic parts, the rest of the track, and it was so perfect. It's the collab that came out the quickest because we have a really similar mindset.

The track Hotta features the vocalist KG Man. How did this collaboration come to life? Was it a natural fit from the start?

Yes, I know him personally. He's from my area. He comes from a Reggae music background, he's sings with a band that is very famous here in Italy. I have so many collaborations with him over the years, so I really wanted to include him into this album too. Some of the vocals I didn't want to include in Drum and Bass because it would sound a bit like Jungle. I didn't want to make Jungle. I'm personally a bit tired of this mix of Jamaican music with Drum and Bass, it’s definitely something that is out of context for me. I tried to make a Garage track to create some differences into the album. Well, he's very talented and can really sing on everything.

The collaboration Chi Va Piano that was the most difficult to make, the one with LaMeduza.

How so?

She took care of all the vocals, but also gave me so many feedbacks about the production. There were so many different versions of this track. It's a very complex one.

When I first heard it on Overview Music Podcast, I was blown away in the best way possible because LaMeduza’s vocal delivery on the track felt like a departure from her usual style. How did you approach working with her?

She's very open to experiment. Anyway, we did it. This is the first track of the album that I started and the last that I've finished. It started on the third of April 2023 and I finished on the 14th of June 2024. So one year and two months of work. Now I'm finding difficulties in starting new music because it's been so long that I'm not starting something new. I worked on all these tracks for so long. Now I have to find my new way to start music because it's more than one year ago and I was different. I’ve changed since then.

Let’s touch on your final collaboration, Opposites Collide with IAN. How did this partnership come about, and what made it creatively significant for you?

I’ve worked with music for nearly a decade outside of the Erotic Cafe’ project. I'm making mix/master works, ghost productions, coproduction and whatever where it's audio-related. So this guy sent me a track to work on the mix and master, but the track was so cool so I asked him to do a collaboration. He found me to take care of the mixing and mastering so I brought the track to another level because he only has maybe one or two releases out, but are very different from... I mean, they are not Bass music. They are still in this mid-tempo realm, very well produced by the way, so I really wanted to make this track sound more oriented to the Bass music side, and to make it more dramatic and fluid

Interesting, where is this producer from?

He’s italian but I really don't have much information about him. I don't know nothing about him to be fair just his name.I don't even know what age he is because once we spoke and he told me he was way older than me. I guess he's maybe 45 or 50, I don't know!

I’m sure he’s absolutely honored!

You’ve previously mentioned using Ableton. How did you approach the initial creation of these tracks? Did the process vary significantly for each?

Every track had a different starting point. Sharp Edges was there already. Compulsion, the second track, it was very different at the beginning. It was more in line with Sharp Edges. It was more like a footwork track, but more complex and fast paced. At a certain point, I decided to make risky choices. I deleted all the drums and just left the flat sub bass. I did the opposite. It started with a lot of percussion and then it came with no percussion. Then Psyche Melt, it started from the RUINNA idea. Hotta, I wanted to make a Garage track so I guess it started with drums and bass. I mean, it's a very simple track compared to my standards. Sleep Bypass, I really have no idea, but the main concept behind it was to make glitchy Drum and Bass and to use many different kick drum sounds, something that’s uncommon for this and most of the music genres. I wanted to use glitchy, very short sounds and glitchy clicks to make Drum and Bass. This is something that I want to keep trying. I really will try to make Drum and Bass with glitchy short sounds to glitched out basses, and very short percussions. Its one of the tracks that satisfies me the most off the album.

Well, then Chi Va Piano started from this rhythmical bass that was doing a typical sound but this time I decided to keep the rhythm going, so without interruption, to make this rhythm longer instead of repeating the pattern I wanted to continue this rhythm. Later I decided to fill the gap between every bass shot with that airy reversed sound, that created a nice contrast. This is the concept. I hope that makes sense. Flesh Dance had so many different versions, I wanted to try to make a more unique Minimalistic Drum and Bass track.

Opposite Collides, the original track of IAN was conceptually similar but sonically so different. STFU stemmed from one of my previous releases, No Rights on Program, a division of RAM Records. I tried to make the VIP version of that track, but it came out so different and well so I decided to make an original one, to give it the space it deserved. There is no exact formula for me to start making music, the way to realise it changes depending on what I am trying to tell.

Starting with a blank canvas can be both daunting and refreshing. Were there any specific plugins or tools that became pivotal in shaping the sound of this album?

I'm trying to use the Ableton stock plugins as much as possible now because in the past, I used so many different plugins. At the end, what really matters is that you are aware of what the plugin does. Anyways, there are ones that I can't really get rid of, for sure Serum is one of these. Then the mastering plugins, I'm using the FabFilter bundle, Pro-L I really love and the Melda Productions plugin, the MWaveShaper.

What tools or techniques do you typically rely on for crafting your drum sounds?

Well, good question. Honestly, I don't I don't design my own drum sounds from synthesis. I use samples for drums. I'm also using Addictive Drums. I'm really working with audio editing and layers to make a drum sound more complex and complete. And processing too obviously, that I mostly do using stock plugins. I think you can really get any sounds, even with just an EQ8 and saturator to do crazy things and take crazy decisions. At the end, all these external and complex plugins are just racks of those basic tools mixed together. You can combine all the simple tools to get complex results .

Exactly

I'm also using the Valhalla DSP for reverbs and the Kilohearts plugins, but also soothe for controlling the frequencies. Shaperbox is also one of my favorite plugins for everything, for sidechaining, for filters, for distortions, noise layering, reverb..Really incredible. I'm using it a lot. Different kinds of distortions like Saturn. I'm also using Diva for sounds as well.

As technology evolves rapidly, are there any emerging tools or trends you’ve been exploring recently to push your creative boundaries?

I'm exploring myself. I really love innovation, but I think that there is very cool and interesting music that is coming from the past when the technology was so limited. We already have everything to really innovate. So no, I'm not using new technologies. I'm trying to set my mind in the right way to think about new directions. Sometimes I think that when you have limits, you can do something cool.

You can push yourself into that.

If you can work within those limits, you can really follow a concrete direction and do your thing. I'm updated about plugins, etc.. but I try to stay far from them when possible. Skrillex for example, made one of the most complex sound designs in Bass music.Same plugins that we have now, even less. There were very few plugins compared to now, and he's still sounding so good. What can really make a difference is not what you use but how. I think the technology is important and we have to be updated, but it is also true that we already have everything to innovate with sound.

The photography for the album with Matacito, is striking. How did you connect with him, and what was the vision for these visuals?

Well I met Matacito in at the Link club, in Bologna and he was taking pictures around. When I saw his works for the first time I was immediately captured by his way to represent the music environment. I always wanted to involve him into a work together so when I decided to make an album I had the perfect occasion to make it happen. He took a picture for each track of the album. I explained to him the concept behind the tracks, but I also left him the freedom to choose the object of the picture and the subject. They are very incredible pictures, he did an amazing job.

What lies ahead for you creatively? Are there new projects, collaborations, or directions you’re currently working toward? Any plans?

I have nothing planned yet. I'm just working on the new music. I'm still experimenting. I'm still trying to make weird things, but I'm trying to make weird but understandable things. It's like trying to do complex things, but in a simple way. That's challenging. Anyways, I also have some collaborations in the works but as I told you, collaborations can be very tough to finalize. I have one big collaboration, but I'm still waiting to see if this is going to the right direction. I need to focus. I need to find the method again of working because it's been a long time since I’ve started the music of the album.

The methods of experimentation.

Exactly. I'm trying to evolve the sound, but I don't know what the final result will be at the end.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat, hope to see you next year!

Yeah, definitely. Let's chat soon.

Perfect. Take care!

Ciao!