Luca Piermattei: Bubble Moon
Music is Energy
Luca's story with dance music started as early as his childhood years. In fact, his dad was a DJ spinning all sorts from the 80s and 90s. Following in his father's footsteps Luca too learned the craft - all the while set against the backdrop of Rimini’s dance scene. At 21 he moved to London, then it was on to Ibiza where he drew an inspiration from the magic therein before returning home. In the years to date he's taken a silent pleasure in producing music the labours of which are just coming to surface (apart from a digital EP released some years ago in London).
Having found a mentor in Alex Picone some years ago, who no doubt saw the potential, his journey has taken an upward trajectory. In 2017, ‘Parallel Life's Feeling' LP - a whopping double album (plus a 7 inch limited vinyl) was released on Seekers, the tracks “We Are Back” and “Frankie’s Resurrection” signalling the start of something (rather special). 2018 saw Luca start his own label Polarity with good friend Gabriele (aka Gäbrø), and then a sister imprint Fantasy Attitude followed shortly after... not to mention releases on labels Small Black Dots, EYA, HWSD, RKOD, Colt and RetroBeatsConspiracy under alias L.P.
He shares a podcast for the mag. Just like his productions it's a bubbly and mature sound. We're gliding through the dancefloor... the tracks somewhat reminiscent of his tracks "Surf With The Hang Glider", "Magic Carpet", "Fly with a bicycle" to name but a few.
Someone recently shared a quote attributed to Picasso: 'learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist'. Alexander McQueen went on to say 'you’ve got to know them to break them’. Luca breaks the rules, but in a subtle inviting way. He's not slamming the door, he's keeping it wide open.
So Luca, how did it start for you... to whom would you attribute your "schooling"?
I’ve been listening to music since I was a little boy… a lot of music from the 80s and 90s, from the likes of Prodigy, Goldfrapp to indie-rock. I was lucky enough to grow up in a house full of records. I’d say that I’ve drawn my inspiration from dance music, house and techno. Of course as you get older you ‘fine tune’ your style and your ears… but spending my teenage years in Echoes and Cocorico with the likes of Montanari, Flavio Vecchi and Alex Neri, I was drawn by these figures in the club scene - the concept of DJ. I was going out all the time… but it was Alex Neri that showed me something truly special - I still remember the emotion of his sets, the music completely absorbed me, all the right records in all the right moments – it was dance music executed with an air of elegance. I was listening to the late night radio shows of Coccoluto too… another point of inspiration for me, playing records that I had never heard before, cultivating a style of his own.
It seems like 2018 was a year of productivity and realisation for you…
Yes that’s the perfect way to describe. It was full of good moments and experiences. I got the chance to connect with some amazing people. I owe so much to Alex Picone - I’d always been more of a digger than a producer but at the end of 2016 I made a course in mastering and it was Alex that explained to me the setup in the studio. That’s how I started making music. He gave me my missing pieces...
Tell us about ‘Polarity’.
The label was always a concept that I had had in mind – I’d been working on it for a while. I'd say that our reference point is the output from the 90s. But it was only last year that I felt I was ready, musically.
You run the label with Gabrø. How would you describe the relationship between the two of you.
With Gabriele we connected the moment we met - we share the same perspectives on so many aspects of life. Even though we don’t live close by, we’re always in touch we’re always talking (we’re playing together too… CDV was a moment to remember, UAX too). And we each have our roles when it comes to the output of the label, when it comes to finding music we’re pretty much one of the same.
What was the reason for featuring Darren Nye and Andy Rantzen on the initial releases?
We listened to a lot of music from a lot of different artists before deciding on our first release. Both Darren and Andy have been producing for many years – their experience speaks for itself – and you hear this experience in their music... it's totally unique to them.
And the latest record is yours in fact – what’s the story behind “Natural Recordings”?
When I go into the studio I’m expressing how I feel in that moment, that’s at the very base of what I do. Those tracks came about very spontaneously.
Do you go into the studio with a ‘blank slate’?
When I go into the studio I’m entering a parallel world (to that of the DJ)… it’s all about the sound - the rhythms of the drum, the notes for the synth and so on… like I said – I want to express how I’m feeling. Whilst I can make upbeat tracks, there are some dark moments and there are also ambient moments. I like to experiment, find new rhythms linked to me and my state of mind but I'm always following a logic so that no matter the variance in my music you'll know that it's me.
So you grew up with dance music, your dad was a DJ right.
Ever since I can remember my father was always playing music, always full on – at first I was even a little afraid, these were unfamiliar sounds being injected into my childhood. But I got older and my interest was sparked, for sure. My father had the passion of a DJ, he was mixing vinyl from every genre from Barry White, AC/DC to Moroder, Kraftwerk too (one of my all-time favourites).
Can you share a track that reminds you of home?
Frankie Knuckles - Your Love
You also lived in London for a while - what would you say that you took away from your experience there?
London was so important for my musical development – I was just 21 when I went… it broadened my horizons completely, not just for the music but for the club culture alongside. I still have such a strong base of friends there. On the dancefloor everyone knew everyone – we were a community maybe just only two three hundred of us - going out became a reference point for us all. Back then there were so many warehouses and locations to explore… Lokhee, ToiToi, Undersound, HalfBaked, Ricardo at fabric. On a Sunday you were spoilt for choice. We were a community.
What is a track that will always remind you of that period?
Ah… so many tracks that I can associate with this time (because there are so many memories). Right now I’d say Smoke City - Mr Gorgeous (Mood II Swing Mix).
How about Ibiza?
Ibiza was altogether a different experience. I made my first season when I was twenty. I was working for Next Wave.
It's a beautiful place to be, not just for the party. And it made me want to experience life outside of Italy so when I got back it wasn’t long after that I left for London. But then I went back to the island for another three seasons. Each Summer was different from the last because I was growing – the energy of the island and my landscapes were giving me so much – each time I came back my musical direction had developed. Underground became my “hotspot”.
2019 will be a year of…
One of my projects is Volume 2 on Natural Recordings… let’s see what happens next :)
And last but not least you've recorded a podcast for us. Would you like to introduce it for us.
‘music is energy’. Music is a feeling – you can feel me and my emotions.
Luca Piermattei: Bubble Moon
Translated and edited by Kaajal Shah