Two of dance music’s biggest producers return to the limelight with a special Robbie Rivera Remix of their 2020 smash ‘Don’t Stop Now’ via Italy’s brilliant Total Freedom label. DMCWORLD check in with Milk Bar duo Silvio Carrano and Marcello Lepore as they follow up their Beatport No.1 ‘Manhattan’ with this house music beauty…
Silvio, Marcello – a huge welcome to DMCWORLD! Where in the world are you both today?
Hi Dan, thanks! We are in Italy right now, but in two different cities. Silvio is based in Taranto and Marcello is in Alessandria.
Even though your Milk Bar production duo is only 1 year old, you are music industry veterans with incredible solo careers and have been friends for a long time. So why now, why did you decide to launch Milk Bar at this time?
It has been a natural evolution of our long-time friendship. We were looking for a trademark to identify a new sound out of our solo careers. To launch a new sound is not easy, we didn’t want that people were influenced by our past success. At the beginning, it was an experiment, that’s the reason why we decided to be anonymous: no photos, no social networks. Just like before the internet era: close your eyes and let your mind be captured by the music.
Your latest track ‘Don’t Stop Now’ was originally out earlier this year via your Total Freedom label – and is now back in the news thanks to a cool Robbie Rivera remix. Tell us about the track…
Our tracks are based on two main elements: a catchy vocal phrase and a main lead melody that enter in the heads at the very first listen. It’s not easy doing that, the risk to be cheesy is just around the corner. On “Don’t Stop Now” the riff was born in few minutes, the rhythm is based on the drums sequence, for the vocals we did some cuts from a hip-hop verse to combine the words and have the phrase “Don’t Stop Now, Just Bring It Down”.
And yes, we’re are honoured that the track was liked so much by our friend Robbie Rivera that he has done his own remix.
Okay let’s rewind for a moment for some dancefloor history…
What is your earliest memory of music as a child?
Marcello : My aunt used to bring me vinyl that I listened to on a portable turntable.
Silvio : Cartoon soundtracks!
How did dance music first cross your paths?
Marcello: I felt a great emotion hearing for the first time Felix – Don’t You Want Me.
Silvio : Snap – Rhythm Is Dancer played by a DJ at the wedding party of my cousin.
A club that is no longer with is which you will always miss…
Marcello : Cocorico (Riccione, Italy).
Silvio : 100% Club, it was my first important residency (Taranto, Italy).
The best house music record ever made?
Marcello : Ultra Nate – Free.
Silvio : Loleatta Halloway – Dreamin (Satoshi Tomie Remix).
It’s your birthday – who are the 3 DJs dead or alive you invite to play?
No doubts : Erick Morillo, Sven Vath, Roger Sanchez
2020 has obviously been dominated by the Covid 19 pandemic, it has changed EVERYTHING for us all. How has the year been for you two, how have you been keeping busy and do you think we will every reunite on a dancefloor again?
Live performances are one of the key points in the music promotion chain, it helps the DJs to test new sounds by having a direct contact with the crowd in a continue flow of emotions and adrenaline. This forced stop is giving us the right time to fix our sound. We’re very busy in the studio, we’re developing a lot of new ideas every day. The world can’t finish this damned year, we’ll be back all together in the clubs and it will be beautiful!
House music obviously runs through your veins, what producers around the world are doing great things at the moment?
We are looking with so much interest at Eli Brown, Martin Ikin, Adelphi Music Factory and Who, the guys that have remixed our hit “Manhattan”.
Silvio, a great quote from you last year…
“Today it is hard for everyone to get attention. The market is fast and thousands of tracks invade the music stores every hour, but we believe in the talent.”
So, what is your strategy at Total Freedom Recordings to stand out from the competition, and what exciting releases are coming our way next?
The strategy is always the same : find unique talents and helping them with my experience to create memorable tracks. Sometimes it happens, sometimes no, but it’s part of the game. Never give up, we always must have in our hand’s quality productions. After the pre-release DJ’s promotion is very important to get seen on Beatport (the principal store of electronic music), have a banner or a featured spot helps to have the first sales. If the track enters in the top100 and is bought by many people, they will start to play it and spread the word. Then, if the track “has the legs” to go in the top spots of the chart, it will be seen by many radio programmers and Spotify playlisters. This is the process that usually brings under the spotlight one of thousands tracks released every week.
This week we’ve released the new single by the house music mastermind DJ Dove together with Roger Guevara, the track is called “Foreign Language” and it’s a real banger.
On November 16th, we’ll release the authorized cover of the 2000’s hit “Point of View” produced by Darren Regan and, of course, a new Milk Bar track on November 30th.
Please can you both share with us 5 huge tunes that are rocking your worlds right now…
Adelphi Music Factory – My People (Love Can Live Forever)
Maur – Set You Free feat. Faber
Back N Fourth, Disclaimer – Free
Green Velvet, Technasia – Suga (David Penn Extended Mix)
Cloonee – Let’s Rave
What would you say are each other’s best qualities as a producer?!
Marcello is a very experienced technician, he knows how to find the right elements in order to make sound a track. Silvio has great skills to find combinations on the structure of the songs.
What is next for Milk Bar?
We don’t want to change our sound, but trying to improve it. We don’t dream to become mainstream, our dimension is the club. The new single “House Is A Feeling” will be released on Total Freedom+ on November 30th and then we have a busy schedule of new releases and remixes.
And finally, Christmas is around the corner. What is the 1 gift you would like Santa to bring you this year…
We hope that will arrive the vaccine against the Covid, so we’ll can be free. Stay safe and going back to enjoy life as soon as possible is what we wish for the entire world.
www.facebook.com/milkbardj
Photos by : Vincenzo Orlando & Salvatore Calabrese
