Alessandro Diga

The stars are aligning perfectly to indicate that this will be a very exciting year for rising Dutch DJ/Producer Alessandro Diga. His debut artist album has been patiently waiting in the wings; its exquisitely dynamic, deeply melodic, stylistically diverse tracks set to deliver an incredible listening experience. As an artist, Alessandro’s music is all about emotions, and his prime creative challenge is to capture emotions from a moment in time and embed them forever within his musical creations – no compromises, no obligations – just pure heartfelt honesty. So, DMC thought it was about time we find out some more…

 

Alessandro, a big welcome to DMCWORLD and congratulations on the release of your debut LP ‘Figments Of My Imagination’ on Paul Hazendonk’s Manual Music label. So, the first thing we’ve got to ask is what makes this Dutch label so special?

Thank you and thanks for having me. The thing that makes Manual Music so special is that it focusses on releasing quality melodic music. It’s not about quantity but about quality. I’ve known Paul for many years now and he has always been a really nice guy. He is willing to think things through with an artist and his label is all about giving new talent a platform to shine. That is also what he did with my ‘Fingers Crossed’ track, which came out in 2010, and it felt only natural to release my debut album on Manual Music.

Your album tracks are receiving great support from the likes of Robert Babicz, Alex Preda, Stas Drive, Gai Barone, Sonic Union, Cid Inc, Hernan Cattaneo, Marc Poppcke and Colin Dale, to name some of many… What does it take to create music that appeals to a diverse range of premiere league players?

I think it is very important to stay true to your self. Do not be something you are not, because it will sound forced and people will hear that. My music is very honest – what I feel – you will hear this in the track and I believe people really like that. Music is emotion, so I put a lot of them in there and try to immerse people in what I am experiencing.

For anyone not familiar with your music, how would you describe your style? Can you put your finger on the elements of your music that makes it so distinctive?

I think my music is best described as the things I like to say translated into music. Therefore it is really melodic and really has its own character. What I think makes it so distinctive is an ability to take you on a journey into my mind. You hear what I feel, what I have experienced and you can identify yourself with it. Besides that, I think the album has so many different angles of incidence but still feels like a whole. That makes it an experience on it is own. I hope it’s like hearing a documentary about my life

The first EP release taken from your album featured remixes of ‘Grace’s Secret’ and ‘Skies Are Crying’ by THe WHite SHadow (FR) and Emiel van den Dungen… How do you feel about these interpretations and people remixing your work in general? Are you excited or nervous to hear other people’s versions? Will there be more remixes to come?

If I’m honest, I am always really nervous but also really excited. I have a really strong opinion about music and especially my own productions. So to hand over your creation to someone else can feel a bit strange and uncomfortable. But I always pick remixers very carefully – if I do not believe in it, it will not happen. On the other hand, it’s really cool to see how different someone else’s opinion is about music than yours – how they experience it in a whole different way and create things in a way you never would have done. It leads to very interesting results and gives an EP a whole new edge. So big up for Anthony and Emiel for making a whole new interpretation of ‘Grace’s Secret’ and ‘Skies Are Crying’. I’m really pleased with the result. There will be definitely more remixes of the album tracks. You can expect to hear interpretations by Teho, Davino & Athina and my buddy Bjorn Wolf.

Talk us through some of your favourite album tracks… Are there any intriguing stories going on here?

Every track has a story of it is own, but some more in depth than others. ‘Najarro’, for example, is a made up word – when I was on holiday in Spain I tried to say “orange” in Spanish, which is “naranja”, but since my Spanish is really terrible, I came up with “najarro”! But, the track ‘Standing On My Feet’ is about the fact that I could walk after suffering from an infection. It took over half a year and in that time period a lot of emotions passed through my head and I’m convinced you can hear that in the track. Overall, the ‘Figments Of My Imagination’ album is a translation of the things I have experienced over the past 3 years. The highs, the lows and everything in between

Do you find it easy to express your deepest emotions in your music, or is this something that finds an outlet only in certain, special tracks?

As I said – easier – I find it hard to express myself in words. So, I find it less difficult to express my emotions through music. But it is not like every track has a deep emotional meaning – sometimes it is what it is – and that is fine. It does not always have to have a deeper meaning, but the tracks that do are, most of the time, more intense.

Tell us something about the psychological effects of music that totally blows your mind?

The fact that you can make a grown man cry by playing the right track at the right moment… I sometimes get totally amazed by the power music can have over us. So beautiful!

Which of all your tracks do you consider to be your most accomplished creation to date? Why?

Mmmm… I think that has to be ‘Over You’. Every time I play that track I have to smile – it has a catchy vocal, is very melodic, but still very danceable. It is emotional and happy at the same time. I think it has everything.

Let’s rewind for a moment, what is your earliest musical memory?

Playing the trumpet, which I honestly did not really like. I was also not very good at it, but my parents insisted on it. I was like 5 years old at that time, so what do you do? Now, I’m really grateful they did! I think it is really important to make children involved with music.

You moved on to mastering the guitar and joining a punk band and then, finally, being sucked into the electronic music scene. That’s a diverse journey! In what ways do you think your particular journey has influenced the electronic music you make now?

I never took any guitar lessons and figured out most of the things on my own or with some help from friends. That showed me that if you want something really bad, you can definitely make it happen. With that attitude I started making electronic music – figured everything out on my own. I also think that really helps with developing your own style. Also, I really like to use my guitar in my tracks, creating the best of both worlds.

A piece of studio equipment you couldn’t live without?

My guitar, I really have to play it at least once a week – preferably every day – but unfortunately that is not always possible.

So far, you’ve released tracks of a very impressive list of labels: Manual, Sudbeat, Outside The Box, Perspectives Digital and Particles – where do things go from here?

I have a pretty impressive collection of unreleased tracks, so I hope to expand this list in the near future. At the moment, I’m preparing several EPs which I hope will see daylight maybe in late 2017, early 2018.

Who are your current 5 favourite producers and why?

Frank Wiedemann – does not need any explanation, this guy is a god!

D-Nox – almost everything this guy makes ends up in my bag – an awesome producer.

Chicola – his track ‘Childhood’ is still one of my favourites.

Mohn – this guy has a bright future ahead of him, his recent release on SOSO are definitely worth checking out.

Bjorn Wolf – I cannot leave my buddy out of this list. I think he’s one of the most underrated producers in the Netherlands. Check out his stuff and be your own judge…

Best piece of advice you have ever been given?

Pfoeee…So much to choose from…No, lets be serious…It is very much a cliché but very true – if you have a dream, go for it! There are no guarantees that you will succeed, but at least you can say to yourself: I have tried! And that’s better than saying 20 years from now: What if…?

What are your plans for the rest of 2017?

There will be a short documentary about the making of my ‘Figments Of My Imagination’ album coming very soon, and also a new EP featuring some remixes from the album. Besides that, I’m playing at some festivals this summer, which will be fun. As I said before, I hope to be releasing some new EPs starting later this year, and also we’re working on starting up a label. So exciting times ahead!

Out Now: Alessandro Diga – Figments Of My Imagination LP (Manual Music)

Download/Stream: https://manual-music.lnk.to/MANCD015  

Ltd Edition CD: https://manualmusic.bandcamp.com/album/figments-of-my-imagination

Alessandro Diga Info:

https://soundcloud.com/alessandro-diga

https://www.facebook.com/Alessandro-Diga-127634997270455/