Giovanni Conti and Daniele Antezza, AKA Dadub, are the founders of Artefacts Mastering. I talked to Giovanni via e-mail for a recent feature on Stroboscopic Artefacts. Below is the full transcript of the interview.
Luca [Mortellaro] told me that you have a very special sound to your mastering. I was wondering if you could describe what you are trying to going for.
Obviously, every track has different needs, but there are some invariant points in our working procedures, always keeping in mind the context in which the tracks we master will be played: being specialized in techno music, we master songs that won’t be played on home hi-fi systems, but on huge and bass strong club soundsystems.
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“In the world of techno these days, there are a few dominant narratives. Any reader of Resident Advisor will have a general idea: Berghain, Birmingham, Prologue, dub techno. Stroboscopic doesn’t quite fit. Luca Mortellaro, AKA Lucy, agrees: ‘I feel complementary with labels such as Prologue or Sandwell District. [But] in the end I care about having a general identity, [not] a sound identity, I think it’s possible to have a strong cultural identity with a label so that when you say ‘Stroboscopic Artefacts? Ah, it’s this kind of thing,’ but if you ask them ‘What kind of thing?’ I’m happy for them to say they can’t explain.’” [link]
Photo: Duncan Nicholls
The full transcript of my interview with fabric resident Craig Richards.
You went to London in the late 80s. Was it strictly because of art school?
Yes.
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by Peter Van Hoesen, celebrating Prestige, 1988
“I always thought running soundsystems and owning sound and throwing parties was my only identity, even though I DJ’d a lot and DJing was my love and why I got into this. I ended up selling the soundsystem to pay off some of the debt, but it was a weird twist of fate because I then realized that all of this was a distraction from doing something for myself. When I’d get home after a party, I’d never want to do music. Losing the club, going into debt, getting rid of the sound, it allowed me to refocus my energy.” [link]
“It’s a problem of insularity. In talking to Dozzy, who lived for a short time in Berlin a few years ago, he reminds me of how important travel can be to creating scenes back home. ‘I learned as much about myself as I did about other people… There are so many things to learn and see outside of here. Italy is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. But it’s not enough. You need to go outside, so that you can appreciate better what your own country has to offer.’ When Obtane and other young Italian producers finally see Berghain, fabric and other clubs for the first time, it will be interesting to see if they ever want to go back.” [link]
“No one takes home a record, puts it on the stereo, looks over the artwork as it plays. That’s the only reason I bought Bowie’s “Young Americans.” Luther Vandross was on the back of the record, and he was one of my favorite singers. Marcus Miller, a bass player, I’d follow him around from record to record. I’m going to be a dinosaur, I know. But that’s just how I am.” [link]
“A friend of mine’s brother is a semi-famous ukulele comic. I’m working on a project with him. I’ve been asked to co-write songs for Kylie’s album and make beats for Flo Rida. It’s cool, but it’s not as interesting or as challenging as working with a ukulele comic. [laughs] That has a certain appeal to me. That’s a zag. I’m zigging, I’m zagging. I’m over here. I’m over there. That’s what I like.” [link]
“This field of work is quite intellectual. But I’m not an academic. I’m not really interested. I don’t have very much to say to the musicians that I meet because we come from different worlds a lot of the time. Both of my parents are working class, and I escaped this somehow. They were somehow able to provide a middle class upbringing for me. I’m quite lucky to be in this situation. I don’t think anyone in my family can believe what I’m doing. It’s very far removed from what they think music is.” [link]
