Interview: Alex Gaudino

February 1, 2012 By 674 Comments

Italian Producer and DJ Alex Gaudino found acclaimed European success with his all time hits ‘Destination Calabria’ and ‘Watch Out’. Alex rapidly built up a reputation as ‘One of the most prolific producers in Italy’ and he has continued his success through the years. We had the opportunity to get a brief interview the man himself before his event this Thursday in San Francisco.

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in electronic music? Who would you say influences your music the most, both in the beginning and today?

I always liked dance music so it’s always been natural for me to work in this area.

What do you like to do in your free time when your not touring or producing music? Why?

Play soccer … I’m Italian, you know.

What artists are currently standing out to you right now? Who do you see getting big in 2012?

It would be a long list, there’s some great young talent out there

Being  from Italy, how do you compare/contrast playing shows in different countries? What country do you enjoy playing in most? Why?

It’s not easy to find so many differences. When you are in a club and you’re playing, you’re not really aware of what country you’re in, the club is full of people having fun …I love playing in Brazil  and  USA especialy though, because the crowds are really warm and there just for the music.

The timeless classic “Destination Calabria” has become immortalized as one of the most familiar pieces of electronic music renowned across the globe, being incorporated into countless DJ sets, and spawning countless remakes and remixes. In what ways has this piece of music defined you as a performer and producer?

It was my first big worldwide hit and it gave me the chance to have an international career, so I’ll always be grateful to that track.

What parts of music production do you enjoy the most and what parts do you find to be more tedious and time consuming? What elements of your productions to you focus the most time on?

Everything starts from an idea , that then it comes to life or not in studio when you try to develop it…  then there’s the sweat of getting it right and filling in the details, trying it out and then going back into the studio to put on the final touches.

How do you usually begin and end a production? Drums, bass, melody, vocal sample, ect…?

No rules. All tracks begin from a basic idea which could be a groove or it could be a riff or a simple bass line. Sometimes it all starts from an idea of a lyric.

What advice would you give to producers who are just starting out? What would you tell them to avoid? What would you tell yourself when you first started producing? Why?

I think they need to put passion into what they’re doing , first. The rest comes naturally.

Having been around for awhile, how do you feel about where the electronic music scene is going in relation to where it was several years ago? Will it continue to build or fade away now that its become so mainstream? Why?

It’s defintiely changed, I’m not saying it’s necessarily better now  although there are more opportunities because it has such a big role in pop music too. It will continue to change, I cant say if it will be for the better, a lot depends on what technology will become available for making music, performing and consuming music.

Thank you for your time!



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