It is 4 o'clock in the morning. The smell of cigarettes and weed wafted through the camp, lanterns lit up the dance floor, and people cheered to the music blaring from the subwoofer. It's the perfect setting for a techno rave. It was an ideal place for Enrico Sangiuliano's performance.
The artist's sound can be described as detailed, layered, deep and ready to travel, proving that he is one of the most respected producers of modern techno. His camp-ready sound is at its best on his latest EP , Physical Change , out today, May 5.
The two-track piece captivates with bass lines, floating and tangled synths, catchy lyrics, movie tunes and melodic sounds. Physical change refers to the inevitable transformation, Sangiuliano says. Be it the dynamics of the voice, the emotions or the pronunciation of the language, it is unstoppable. He added that the note played on the instrument is also different from the notes played before and after, which makes each sound unique due to the pressure of the fingers and touching the instrument.
"Change is there, and it's happening all the time, whether we want it to or not," says the sound designer.
The title track begins as a cinematic setting before slowly morphing into a more electronic sound that's psychedelic, hypnotic and progressive, Sangiuliano says. The same synthesizer played in the same key throughout the song, but was different each time, further evidence of the tasteful producer's intention to emphasize the idea of change on the EP. Additionally, the top line reads "physical change" and "chemical change" repeated to indicate that a mutation is in progress.
Another track, "Pulse of Progression" is the B-side of the vinyl release Physical Change . The song is an "evolving techno track, very colorful and melodic," said its producers. The momentum of progress is dynamic and changes over time, starting to close before it blooms. Then comes the central breakdown, where each element begins to hum softly before building to a crescendo explosion. It's clear that "Physical Change" proves that it's dance floor ready and will definitely get people going for their stripped down, aggressive, functional techno beats.
Sangiuliano's philosophy in music is storytelling, which led him to create a temporary record label, NINETOZERO. The short run will consist of 10 issues that count from nine to zero, and when it hits zero, the label will shut down. NINETOZERO aims to control the history of music and have a space to express it. He added that with his platform he is completely free to shape the dialogue from his point of view. In addition to the story, his approach to music production includes reflecting on his shortcomings as a DJ on stage.
“What's the next secret weapon,” he says, “that I can create for my next club gig, festival or rave? The same thing happened when I hung up. In the studio, when I play music that inspires me and gives me an idea of how it will affect the audience, I think about what I can create next. DJing and producing are two very symbiotic systems in my life that are important to my balance.”
Associated with NINETOZERO is his series of SOLO events, where each show focuses on a release from the label, bringing the audience closer to the ideology of 90s club culture through Sangiuliano's immersive recordings. When the Italian producer started playing open-close sets, meaning when the DJ played throughout the show, he found that he was more dynamic and could control the situation better than if he only did short segments in the set. . He added that DJing for an hour and a half to two hours was a challenge because "you have to play in a short amount of time and be as loud as possible." Performing sets throughout the night, he was able to take attendees on journeys through different genres and pace, such as starting with beatless music before building to deeper, heavier tunes.
"It's an entire journey into sound that takes the listener down a path rarely attempted," Sangiuliano says. “[It] also allows me as a DJ to play a lot of material that I would never be able to play with shorter standard DJ slots. You could feel it, the atmosphere and energy between me and the audience was incredible. We seem to be one. It's a very interesting experience."
Born and raised in Emilia Romagna, the artist recently worked with his wife, techno queen Charlotte de Witt, on the production of Reflections. The single's pounding bass, catchy lyrics, angst and creepy synths bring their diverse sounds together. While Sangiuliano said the process was fun, it was also challenging because they took different approaches in the studio; Sangiuliano explored the endless melodic possibilities, while de Witte knew exactly what he wanted and settled on that rhythm immediately.
"The result is a little rougher and a little more subtle in [de Witt's] style than mine," he says. "But you also feel that there are some more crescendo moments that are specific to my style [and] some other sound designs that are specific to my style."
"What's your reflection?" The lyrics to "Find your direction" are about self-discovery and engaging in sonic reflection. Beatport's No. 1 single and every song on NINETOZERO has had similar success.
Although Sangiuliano's release options change frequently, his favorite song at the time of this interview (April 26, 2023) is NINETOZERO. He said he fell in love with the different titles because each one represented a period where he entered a creative dimension. He added that he never made an "additional note".
The tastemaker first entered the world of dance music at the age of seven, recording songs from the radio. At that time he was living in Northern Italy and there was a famous local station that broadcast live from the number one famous club in Brescia. He recorded this set and separated the CDs by genre: techno, trance, hardcore and drum bass.
"These four genres were the first major inspirations that shaped my future," says the sound designer.
The style of music he was interested in this music was a sticking point for the producer. Since his early interest in dance music, Sangiuliano has dominated dance floors around the world. Indeed, he turned out to be one of the best modern techno producers of his time.
