Antillas

DMC World Magazine·
Features

When the dancefloor loves someone

Welcome to DMCWORLD Luca. You wanted to try and live a lot more healthier in 2013. Step up the swimming and running…how’s it going?

“Hello, and thanks for having me here today! It’s going…well, let’s say I’ll blame it on the snowy and rainy weather Milan has been blessed with over the winter. I’ve been very, very bad with the swimming but a tad more consistent with the running. I hope I can get to my first 5k by May, I’ll keep you posted!”

A nice quote from you…”I really love traveling, tasting different tastes, talking to people, taking in different sights and life habits…”. Where is the most interesting place in the world you have discovered?

“This is such a difficult question, there are so many places with amazing, unexpected things to offer and it’s hard for me to only pick up one. But if I really have to choose, I would say Memphis really struck me – not only for the quite obvious music connection, but also for the feeling of total harmony in diversity, which was lingering in the air.”

 We hear you have collaborated with artists from all over the world on your new album which must cumulate to bring a wide spectrum of music. Who have you been working with?

“The rumors are true, I was lucky enough to work with outstanding writers and vocalists such as Fiora, Christian Burns, Jenson Vaughan, Amba Shepherd, Lady V, Emma Lock and more. It’s been a deeply enriching experience as all of them have something unique to bring to the table that perfectly matches my style. The final result is an eclectic album with many different flavors and contaminations and I can hardly wait till it’s released!”

Talk us through some of the tracks…

“Paris is Calling”, with Christian Burns on vocals, is a progressive house track with a twist of Brit pop. “Disonnected” was sung by Fiora and co-produced with my friend Vitodito, an Italian living in Spain. This one is a breaks/electro track which pops out in the album as the odd one; its drums, bass drive and Fiora’s voice are so intense you can almost physically feel them. “If I run”, with vocals by Amba Shepherd, is the perfect combination between a soft and catchy melody and an electro/trance wall of sound. I produced other tracks such as “Evolution”, “Lost in Space” and “Synapse” together with Dankann; these totally embody our mood in this particular moment – it’s dirty electro/trance tracks with an almost punk attitude and I found them to be astoundingly impactful when played live. I am actually extremely proud of every single track from my album, but it would take so long to describe them all.”

You have had a very busy year already release wise, today is the day ‘When You Love Someone’ – talk us through the track…

“When you Love Someone” is originally an instrumental track called “Unika” by Dankann which I had co-produced. Upon its release “Unika” was instantly supported by DJs and charts alike, and we had such an overwhelming response that we decided to take the track to the next level. Mike James, a fantastic Canadian songwriter (and I suddenly realize Canada seems to be a pretty vibrant scene more than ever!) sent over a vocal line which fit the track like a glove. Laurell’s soft voice was the icing on the cake and really tied the song together. We will shortly shoot a video for this, so keep an eye out for it!”

Loved the video of ‘Evolution’ – who was behind that?

We teamed up with Provoke Films, an extremely creative and innovative Asian company who has been producing top notch quality videos for Armada and others lately; the video of “Evolution” was conceived and directed by Ciro Ayala, who had fallen in love with the track and was eager to do it. It is set in a sort of dystopia and pays tribute to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. I am 100% satisfied with the outcome as it accurately mirrors Evolution’s mood, and it was one of the few times a video turned out exactly as we had imagined it while creating the track.”

What makes collaborating with Dankann work so well?

“The best thing about working with Dankann is that we perfectly understand each other. In spite of our different age, background and lifestyle we share the same taste and vision when it comes to music. I started collaborating with Dankann about three years ago and in only a few weeks we were already working like a well-oiled music making machine.”

 Tell us about your 5000 mile road trip after getting married in Las Vegas…what were the highlights?

“My wife and mine road trip was one of the most intense personal experiences so far – we saw and did so many things that our two weeks on the road felt like months! The experience also enriched me music-wise. I absolutely loved the Painted Desert in Arizona, it was just stunning and inspiring, and the night prior to that we slept in a wigwam, which was also quite the experience. Santa Fe and San Antonio were also both impressive. I will never forget the scrumptious hamburger I had at a small shack somewhere close to Kingsland, Arkansas (the birthplace of Johnny Cash!), doing my laundry in the middle of Tennessee, the out-of-this-world Louisiana swamps, and talking about Louisiana I can’t not mention New Orleans, that city is thriving with art (and great food)!”

Who are some of the producers from around the world you are giving high fives to at the moment?

“I am currently fascinated by productions from Mikkas, W&W, Porter Robinson, Audien, Zed and Dada Life. At the same time I can’t stop giving high fives to solid, historic producers such as Cosmic Gate, Armin Van Buuren, Gareth Emery and Dash Berlin – there’s always one of their tracks in my playlists.”

What is the current top 10 you are spinning?

Solarstone – Seven Cities (Antillas & Dankann Club Edit)

Armin van Buuren feat. Trevor Guthrie – This Is What It Fells Like (Antillas & Dankann Remix)

Emma Hewitt – Rewind (Mikkas Remix)

Antillas & Dankann – Synapse (Club Mix)

Cosmic Gate vs Gareth Emery feat. Christina Novelli – Be Your Angel (Antillas Mashup)

Feenixpalw ft. Quilla – Universe (David Tort Remix)

Antillas & Dankann – Evolution (Club Mix)

Carnage & Borgore – Incredible (Original Mix)

W&W and Ummet Ozcan – The Code (Original Mix

Ashley Wallbridge – Ibiza (Antillas & Dankann Remix)



March 9th was a massive event for you – A State of Trance in Beirut with Armin Van Buuren, Dash Berlin and co. How did it go?

“ASOT 600 in Beirut was such a mind-blowing experience! The crowd was insane, the mood was just incredible, I had a blast and of course it was an honor to share the stage with so many talented artists! I kind of pushed the envelope with my sounds and mostly played my own tracks and remixes/mashups. I realize this may not be the typical event you want to try and experiment at, but I just felt that was the way to go. All in all it was one of the best nights ever and I hope I get to play in Lebanon again sometime soon!”

How was the Ultra Festival in Buenos Aries a couple of weeks ago?

“That was another incredible event, again with an outstanding line-up and a killer crowd, incredibly warm and supportive. I love playing open-air events, plus I had never been to Argentina before so that was definitely an added bonus.”




Tell us about your number 1 fan Simona…that’s some serious tattooing going on there?

“That was so good to see – the lyrics to one of my tracks becoming such a huge tattoo, it was a first timer for me! Jenson Vaughan (who wrote and sang Top Of The World’s lyrics), Blinders and myself were just amazed when we saw Simona’s picture, I felt I just had to reach out to her and share. Seeing this picture actually made me realize the track was quite successful even in Italy, where the EDM scene is alas still kind of in the background.”

Where are some of the other gigs coming up you’re looking forward to…?

“Armada is working on upcoming gigs/tour through some of the territories I’ve been receiving more support from – however, we are still in the planning stage and I don’t want to jinx it! I can tell you I am already excited for this summer’s Electronic Family in Amsterdam, I played there last year already and downright loved it.”

Not many people know this, but Luca Moretti is really good at…

“Back in my teenage years I used to be quite the decent soccer player and even played in a Pro team for a while. But that is ancient history! So now I excel at playing FIFA 13 and drawing (and creating my own artworks). I also started trying my hand at cooking – my wife is quite creative in the kitchen and has inspired me to give it a shot as well.”

Has a record ever made you cry?

“Not yet, but as I tell everyone, Moonman – Galaxia has always struck my chords in a special way.”

It might not be good for my image. But I really love…

“Honestly, I feel like everything I like is consistent with my image and nothing I should be anyhow “ashamed” of.”

And finally – what is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

“Do what you feel in your heart and never be afraid to show your true colors”.