Italian young gun Luigi Madonna steps out of the studio to have a chat with us about all things techno.
Thank you for joining us Luigi. You’ve been involved in the house and techno scene for a number of years with the last few years seeing you reap the rewards of years of hard work. You’ve achieved great success with your productions and are touring constantly. Can you tell us some of your personal highlights from the last few years?
One of the best moments of my career was when after say thank you to for supporting my tracks to Richie Hawtin on twitter, I received a personal message from him asking me to make release for his label, one day… from then, many things have changed! 🙂
For those who haven’t been lucky enough to hear your music or witness your sets, can you describe the Luigi Madonna sound? What type of music inspires you and makes you excited to play it for a crowd?
Dark and groovy. I often like to add some melodic elements in to my sets just to mix things up a bit.
You were a house DJ for a number of years before you tried your hand at producing and headed towards techno. Is this relationship between the music and the dancefloor at the front of your mind when making your music?
It inspires me a lot when I’m in the studio, you know when you are playing in a set, we can understand better what can work best in a track such as a kick, bass etc.. often before defining a my track finished, first try in a DJ set to see the ‘effect it has!
For the tech junkies, what are some of your favourite pieces of equipment/software to create music with?
I use ableton live and I think that is as fast and intuitive as software even after using logic and cubase. I work a lot in digital.
Can you give us some insight into your workflow and the creative process in your studio?
Lately i’m working less in the studio and often i’m travelling on weekends. I have more free time these days compared to the past few years where I was 24 hours in the studio every day :tounge:
I now try to better manage my work!
There have consistently been a large number of quality techno artists coming from Italy. Do you think the Italian scene itself contributes to this or do you think this is due to the close proximity to the rest of the electronic music scene in Europe?
it is true in Italy there are so many great artists, is now a reality and I’m proud!
Is there a good support network between Italian artists within the local scene?
Here in Napoli? Yes! We are like a family!
You have collaborated with some amazing artists like Sasha Carassi, Mihalis Safras, Sian and many more. Do you enjoy working with other artists to create new sounds?
It was nice to meet and exchange ideas, I believe it helps you to grow as an artist and open your mind. I always enjoy collaborations!
Are there any artists you would love to work with?
Many 😆 for example Alan Fitzpatrick which for me is one of the best producers currently! Or Adam Beyer, Joseph Capriati, Markantonio, Gary Beck .. I could say a lot more 😀
Your tour schedule has seen you travelling all around Europe and across the globe. How do you see the state of the current scene?
I noticed that the scene is really growing and “techno” is becoming main room! It makes me very happy.
Are there any hot spots for techno or is the scene strong across the globe? Do you have favourite places to play?
There are many places where I had so much fun! .. but Naples is always in my heart! the people here are fantastic!!
You seem to be extremely busy with shows and releases. What do you like to do in your spare time to relax and unwind?
My start of the week is always so, I start from Tuesday with studio work and spending time with friends.
Are there other types of music you listen to when you’re chilling out?
Not techno! 😯 …always prefer to listen to music, funk, downtempo then depends on periods, change often.
Finally, what’s coming up for you over the next few months in terms of releases and tours? What can your fans look forward to?
I have some plans for this summer, I’ll play sonar and other events. Will be out some remixes for Spektre, The Advent & Jason Fernandes, TIMMO, Picotto and will release in a short my collaboration with Alberto Pascual on Analytictrail, my single on Drumcode compilation and a new collaboration with Sian! 🙂
I am also planning to launch my website soon…
Thank you Luigi for answering a few questions and we wish you continued success for the future.
Thank you guys!
