I love that! I mean, music is definitely something that everyone loves and has a connection to. So we all have our own individual experiences with it, as well. Which leads me to another question, you have something quite exciting coming up — a live audiovisual show called ‘Partenope’. Can you tell us more about how it came to life and what can we expect? 

 I’ve always been drawn to the story of my city. The name of my label NSDA comes from the name of an island Nisida, located near Naples. It inspired me to make my music, to create my label. I was looking for new inspirations and I discovered this story that came from Greek myths. ‘Partenope’ is a myth of a mermaid that came and died on the coast of Naples, becoming the symbol of the city. The most important thing that attracted me about this myth is Partenope being a woman and a symbol of something big like Naples. I was so fascinated and felt a strong connection to this story, so I thought I was meant to do something with it, to make it part of my artist journey. It was the perfect match. 

 I needed a partner to turn my imagination into reality, and that’s when I met Giusy Amoroso – a visual artist originally from Naples, but based in Berlin. When I saw her creations, I just knew she was the perfect artist to work with. As one of the phases of the creative process, I went to Berlin to make a 3D scan of my face and body to create this character, where she basically managed to transform my whole body into real life visuals. Executing an audio visual experience is an ambitious project I strongly wanted to bring to life so that people could completely immerse themselves in my world. 

 I feel very excited about it! The first presentation is going to be this summer at Red Valley Festival, and I am really looking forward to getting to do this experience live. I also worked very hard on the sound design of this show and I am very curious to see people’s reaction. 

Awesome. I cannot wait to see that. Where is this festival taking place?

 In Olbia (Sardinia), on 15th August. So you already know it’s going to be really good!

As you’ve mentioned, your label NSDA provides a platform for unconventional sounds. What was the driving force behind starting your own label, and what do you hope to bring to the music industry with it?

 I’ve been playing since 2009 before I started to produce music. After many years of experience in the DJ booth, I felt it was the moment to take a step further and approach music production. Nothing came suddenly, I dedicated a lot of my time to producing music and started releasing my first tracks. Slowly I managed to release my music on labels like Intec Digital, Rekids, Kompakt and many others. This experience shaped me as an artist and as a producer.

 After a while, working in the studio and diving deeper into production I learned new tricks and techniques and I felt more independent by discovering new artistic sensations. This led me to do something more intimate and more conceptual, and maybe unconventional for others and I decided to create my own label. NSDA gives me the psychological freedom of affection in the studio and it’s a total expression of myself. And that’s what I’m looking for in the other artists I release on NSDA.

Do you get a lot of people submitting their music, or how do you look for the upcoming DJs to work with for your label? 

 Of course, I get a lot of demos, and with my vision I can identify the artists who want to cross the line and go out there to do something different. I just feel it. When I listen to their music, I know immediately when a track is perfect for my label. The most exciting thing about electronic music is that it has a lot of shades and I love discovering artists who strive to explore all the possible nuances, without fear of not fitting the standards of the market.

When you were growing up and getting to know music in Naples, what kind of music attracted you to electronic music in the first place? 

 My first experiences with electronic music started as a teenager. I remember I went to a rave on the beach to listen to a Neapolitan DJ who was playing proper techno and I was really blown away. I was so fascinated by the role of the DJ and by the vibes created through the sound system, this experience resonated with me and pushed me to become a clubber.

 My first experience as a DJ was in a very, very small underground club in the old centre of Naples called Le Garçon. Upstairs, it was a very stylish, cool bar and downstairs it was like a cave. It was only for 150 people, with a very dark but vibey environment which made me feel comfortable to play there. It had totally different vibes compared to today, it was 2009 and nobody was using their phones, social media wasn’t as prevalent as it is today, people going to clubs wanted to live a music experience at its fullest. I ended up having a residency there. That was an amazing experience and I will always remember it.