5 Minutes With Davide Squillace
Born in Siena, raised in Naples, it took a trip to London for Davide to discover electronic music. Wooed by the mood and sound of the British scene, he returned to Naples flush with energy, excitement and a knowing that this new calling would consume him.
Having honed his craft at home, in 2004 Davide left Naples for Barcelona unwavering in his resolve. Now, while touring around the continent, he began to release in earnest what would become a massive body of work, and at a dizzying pace. His productions have graced the catalogs of some of the finest labels including Ovum, Sci+Tec, Morris Audio, Resopal Schallware, Supernature, CMYK, Adagio, Viva, Nervous, Saved, Shake, Rillis and many more.
In addition to his genre-defining works, Davide continues to inspire and ignite dancefloors worldwide. Whether it be at Circoloco, where he has been a resident since 2007, Womb, Berghain, D.Edge, or any other marquee venue, Davide plays with an unequalled funk and excitement. His signature sets, revered by the masses and peers alike, do a double duty in guarding our much-loved traditions while constantly pushing them forward.
Hi there, how are you and what are you up to today?
A “normal day”at the office with the guys and the studio…
To those not familiar with you, how would you describe your sound?
Funky / Sexy/ Groovy
What are the 5 albums and artists that have influenced you the most?
Jeff Mills / Data Transmission
Aphex Twin / Selected Ambient Works
Boards of Canada/ Music Has The Right To Children
Daft Punk/ Homework
Goldie/ Timeless
and many many more …
What other artists do you really like at the moment and why?
I’m a huge fan of James Blake, the voice and the beats sound makes the concept of the heaven real.
What are some of the key pieces of gear you use to write your tracks?
Soundtoys plug ins, very versatile and experimental.
Juno 106 never turns u down , u can come up with fat bass and harsh strings
And Komplete and Maschine from Native Instruments… A Must!
How do you go about composing your mixes? Do you follow a formula or let your mood and inspirations direct you?
Not really, it all starts by messing around with a synth or a drum machine with not much in my head and then it kinda takes shapes into something else… or sometimes it starts from an idea so you have to transfer something imaginary into a sound and a rhythm to make it take the shape you have in your head.
Bottom line I’d rather not have a formula.
You’ve described your sets as a ‘rollercoaster.’ Is that because you base them on the crowd at the time or is there some pre-planning involved?
It’s a metaphor I use. A roller coaster goes through different moments and speeds, goes uphill very slow and then down very fast, it twists on itself and goes right and left… this is the type of journey I’d like to take people on.. It doesn’t happen all the time though hahaha!
You’ve conjured quite an international following. Do you feel you have to adapt your sets to suit different cultural tastes or do you find music to be universal?
No, the difference is that i can share different music with different crowds, it’s not about pleasing them it’s about pleasing both of us it’s a journey that takes both of us somewhere, sometimes we go to the mountains, sometimes we go to the sea.
You played the very first Circoloco at The Greenwood with Jamie Jones and Robert Diez, are you proud to have been involved and witness it evolve and grow?
Oh man that was an unbelievable! We all had a great time and hell yeah i’m happy this has become something very interesting and relevant in the club scene.
Finally, if you weren’t a musician what would you be?
Industrial designer, in the specific , furniture …love it.
Davide is joined by Nic Fanciulli, &Me, Pirupa and more at Fire on Sat 31st January, for Saved London. More info and tickets HERE
