‘Brassaholics’ a monster new album with some incredible contributors…
Sant “The Turin of 1970 the year when I was born was monopolized by the Fiat. My father worked for Fiat, while my mother was a homemaker. My brother Dario played the piano and I started studying classical guitar at the time, however, I preferred to play football. As a kid I dreamed of making music professionally… life then took me to become a musician.”
Matteo “I’m actually from Rome but currently living on Lake Maggiore in Piedmont, 150 km from Turin after moving here from Sicily where I spent the past 3 years with my girlfriend. I still travel to Turin quite a lot to do our APDW thing tho’ and must say I love the city! I’m not from a musical family but was obsessed with music so much so I spendt my very first money saved on turntables and mixer. It’s funny to remember that I wanted to be a pilot and now I’m not a big fan of flying!? LOL.”
What is the best and worst thing abou Turin?
Matteo “The best – Turin is one of Italy’s most vibrant cities and one of the most dynamic centers of contemporary art in Europe. Lifestyle is good and it’s well connected to all of the Northern Italy main cities from Milan to Venice. Worst: The weather is too cold in the winter and too hot in the Summer and there is no sea, I love the sea!”
Sant “I cannot stand the long winters in Turin. I like the way the city has been able to change in recent years, especially after the 2006 Winter Olympics. It’s a modern city whilst yet able to preserve its history.”
What was the first record you both bought?
Matteo “Lucio Battisti ‘Anima Latina’ – that’s still one of my favourite all time Italian artists and albums. I remember we were listening to it on repeat on our family travels. Dance record was Underworld ‘Born Slippy’, I remember how happy I was when getting my hands on the 12” and that’s still in my box!”
Sant “The first 7” was Patrick Hernandez ‘Born To Be Alive’ and the 12” was Bee Gees ‘Saturday Night Fever’.”
So a huge success with a former Buzz Chart No. 1 with ‘Liar’ – “I got your number, I caught you in the act you can’t deny” – who are the lyrics about?
Matteo “We should call in Sam Obernik as she is the author of the ‘Liar’ lyrics actually…
Sam Obernik “Ha…it’s actually rare for me to write about one person in particular in a song, but I wrote this one about a complete charlatan I dated last year…he was clever, handsome and way too cool – irresistible. But very quickly it became obvious that he was a compulsive liar. But his ego was so solid he believed he was just getting away with it, until I caught him in the act, in a very compromising ‘position’ in public. Unlucky for him I had a nice fresh Margarita in my hand, I just don’t know how but it ended up all over him..oops!”
The next installment in world dominance comes in the form of the new album ‘Brassaholics’ – and what a crew of collaborations you have on board! I won’t spoil your party, please talk us through this amazing album track by track and who’s involved.
Sant “Our debut album ‘Brassaholics’ is due for release this Autumn on Ego. We have been working on it since ‘Rose Rouge’ came out. It took quite some time to got together with all the artists, recording the music, all the paperwork. We got the help from some brilliant collaborators such as the voice of ’Liar’ and ‘Just Won’t Do’ – Sam Obernik, Balkan Beat Box singer Vlada Tomova, Gramophonedzie, Italian Electronica Popstar Meg, the living legend that is Candi Staton, Tim Deluxe, X-Press 2, DJ Sneak, Smoke City’s songstress Nina Miranda, Ian Pooley and Thomas Gandey aka Cagedbaby. We are very happy with it, in fact we can’t wait for this to see the light of the day!”
Have you a favourite track (s) on the album
Matteo “I’d say the next singles ‘Izlela Neda’, ‘Dazzled’, ‘Tattoo Girl’ and ‘Brassaholics’ for a bit of shameless self-promotion as those are actually some of my favourite tracks on the album. But to be honest with you, ‘Circus’ has got that Midas touch for me too. Also I’m very proud of our remake of the St. Germain classic ‘Rose Rouge’ as well.”
Sant ‘Circus’, ‘Tattoo Girl’, ‘Dazzled’ and ‘Playmates @ The Supermarket’ represent our current sound best for me.”
Did anyone turn you down that you asked to get involved?
Sant “Let’s say we’d love to work together with Bebel Gilberto, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roisin Murphy, Laurent Garnier and Luciano…maybe on the next album?
How would you describe your sound?
Sant “Technically, old skool house and techno meets new school jazz and latin, with a touch of Balkan and Flamenco. We just prefer to call it Analog Meets Digital tho’, but the answer was obvious! LOL.”
What are you both obsessed with?
Matteo “All things pistachio (cream, ice cream, pesto sauce).”
Sant “There are many things I like, I do not like to be obsessed with any one thing.”
Which record do you wish you’d made?
Matteo “Past: The Beatles ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. Present: Anna Calvi ‘Anna Calvi’. Future: Analog People In A Digital World ‘Brassaholics’. LOL.”
Sant “The Beatles ‘Abbey Road’ and The Police ‘Synchronicity’.”
What are the best qualities of each member of the band?
Matteo “I’m the Dance half of the band, the DJ and the one who share inputs on collaborations and sounds. Sandro is the music master, such a talented musician! Perfect combo, ain’t it?”
Sant “Our best quality is to trust each other, know our expertise and let each one of us express his talent. Matteo is the strategist, the great expert in electronic music. Sandro is the musician.”
What has been the best club you have rocked in 2011?
Matteo “The one and only spot we have rocked in 2011 is actually our studio! We haven’t played any gig in 2011 yet as we have been locked firmly in the studio to finally get the album there. The best club for us is Guendalina in Italy tho’ and we’ll hit the streets again soon. Watch this space!”
What are your vices?
Matteo “Artisan beer, red wine from Piedmont or Sicily and white wine from Trentino Alto Adige, Italian espresso, Francois Peyrot Poire Williams au Cognac and fine tobaccoes…hmmm!”
Sant “No vices, just vitues…maybe !?”
What, if anything would you change about each other?
Matteo “He is vegetarian that means I can’t eat homemade meatballs and fried or stuffed squid in the studio! LOL.”
Sant “His new sunglasses.”
Non dance music, what are the big records on your iPods at the moment?
Matteo “Anna Calvi’s debut album ‘Anna Calvi’ and Caribou ‘Swim’, even if the latter isn’t really non dance!?”
Sant “Rufus Weinwright ‘Release The Stars’, Antica Officina Dei Miracoli ‘Sotto Il Tramonto Del Mare’, Madeleine Peyroux ‘Careless Love’, Rage Against The Machine, Peter Gabriel ‘So’, Billy Joel ‘The Nylon Curtain’, The Beatles ‘White Album’, Beck ‘Sea Change’ and Tom Baxter ‘Skybound’.”
What are the leading clubs in Italy right now?
Matteo “North: Magazzini Generali in Milan and Il Muretto in Jesolo in Venice. Central: Tenax in Florence and Brancaleone in Rome. South: Guendalina in Santa Cesarea Terme and Mercati Generali in Catania.”
Your music has had so much support from the likes of Tong, Morillo, Guetta and Angello. But who are your favourite DJs/Producers from around the world?
Sant DJs: Fatboy Slim when we want to party hard, Laurent Garnier when we need some inspiration, and Luciano when we are in Ibiza. Producers: too many to mention but the producers and remixers we got involved in ‘Brassaholics’ are definitely some of our favourite artists at the moment.”
Who are your celebrity crushes?
Matteo “Living: Woody Allen. Nonliving: John Lennon.”
Sant “Paul McCartney.”
What are the current top 10 tunes you are spinning?
In no particular order:
Analog People In A Digital World – Dazzled
2 Guys In Venice feat. Tarantolati Di Tricarico – Moon
Azari & III – Manic (DJ Sneak Maniatico Remix)
Kraak & Smaak feat. Romanthony – Let’s Go Back (Solomun Remix)
Motor City Drum Ensemble – L.O.V.E.
Osunlade – Envision (Ame Remix)
Ray Foxx feat. Lovelle – La Musica (The Trumpeter)
The 2 Bears – Bear Hug
Tim Deluxe – Transformations
X-Press 2 feat. Doll – This Is War (KiNK Remix)
And what are the 10 Back To Mine records you’d play us if we came back to yours?
Matteo “In no particular order:
The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Chemical Brothers – Surrender
Daft Punk – Homework
St. Germain – Tourist
Groove Armada – Lovebox
Massive Attack – Mezzanine
Moby – Play
Moloko – Things To Make And Do
Portishead – Dummy
Royksopp – Melody A.M.”
Sant “These are the first that come to mind, there are surely many others who have influenced me tho’…
The Beatles ‘Magical Mistery Tour’
The Beatles ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’
Billy Joel ‘The Nylon Curtain’
U2 ‘The Joshua Tree’
The Police ‘Synchronicity’
David Sylvian ‘Secrets Of Beehive’
Bee Gees ‘Saturday Night Fever’
Burt Bacharach & Elvis Costello ‘Painted From Memory’
Michael Jackson ‘Thriller’
Rage Against The Machine ‘Rage Against The Machine’.”
And finally, what do you want to achieved this time next year?
Matteo “More #1 Buzz Chart and Essential New Tunes, the Mercury Prize 2011 Album of the Year, headlining Glastonbury and playing back 2 back with Luciano @ Ushuaia in Ibiza plus record an Essential Mix for Pete Tong of course…Have we asked for too much!? LOL.”
Sant “Personally, I would like to have some good material for our second album, but we are still focused on ‘Brassaholics’!”
Liar
http://soundcloud.com/apdw/liar-feat-sam-obernik-as-heard/s-GGZ9sPlaymates @ The Supermarket
http://soundcloud.com/apdw/playmates-the-supermarket-feat/s-38DmZJust Won’t Do
http://soundcloud.com/apdw/just-wont-do-feat-tim-deluxe/s-CP3ZgWalking In Harlem
http://soundcloud.com/apdw/walking-in-harlem-feat-dj/s-T0QqICircus
http://soundcloud.com/apdw/circus-feat-cagedbaby-as-heard/s-gPi7ZRose Rouge
http://soundcloud.com/apdw/rose-rouge-as-heard-on-pete/s-3cae5
