In the lead up to the release of his highly anticipated album, Tales of the Sun, via Los Angeles’ Evar Records on April 14th, Italian-born and London-based music producer, UVCORE shares his influences while growing up near Milano in the late 90s.
“Growing up near Milano was good for someone into techno, hardcore and dance music in the late 90s. You had a few specialised local radios, labels, clubs, clothing shops. But the scene extended well beyond, and Milano was within 3 hours’ reach of the Riviera and of many iconic locations in the east, west and north-centre of Italy. People, as well as DJs, used to travel to different locations in different parts of country from midnight till noon. The scene was both dreamy, child-like and crazy. In a world: s t r a v a g a n t e (excessive, exceeding the bounds). I picked five tracks that reflect these aspects, which are the foundation of my productions.”
1. Alex Castelli – Enjoy | (Ottomix) | Pasta Records
“Bold, Italian, techno anthem. I remember listening to this track blasted on cars’ stereos by simply hanging around on street corners. It has a fairly minimal essential production featuring a martial snare and clap pattern flying on top of a hypnotic reversed bass and thunderous kick drum. Its vinyl has a variety of pasta printed on it, referencing ecstasy. Eating pasta was an Italian synonym for taking E. People in clubs used to shout “La pasta” in a stadium chant fashion at the top of each track’s build-up. Listening to that tune as a kid, I realised a hard-hitting banger didn’t need a heavy production or melodramatic arrangements. It just needs to connect with people.”
2. The Stunned Guys – Io Sono Vivo | Traxtorm Records
“Audacious, energetic. This track sums up a paradox of those years. The clash between people willingness to belong to a tribe and self-affirmation. I particularly like the harsh essential production as well as the kick sound which is not fully distorted yet powerful and highly reverberated. This is the first Hardcore track I have ever listened to. I was 13 and invited to a small (I mean it) house party on Thursday afternoon. When I arrived at the location, the party was a strobe light in Rolando’s bedroom, a stereo and a bottle of vodka. But the music…what a blast! When this Stunned Guy’s track started playing, I suddenly asked if I could have a copy of the cassette. I still have it. In this video, the track begins with a playful introduction of Lady Elena who was a popular club vocalist in the techno-progressive – techno-trance Italian scene. The opening and the track are taken from the compilation “Collegamento Mentale 1″. It is the exact audio I heard that time at that party.”
3. Gigi D’Agostino – Wellfare | Media Records
“A dreamy track about the willingness to determine a better future and the importance of valuing nature. Its production enshrines Gigi’s romantic, extravagant, child-like take on music. Sometimes, some of his early lyrics don’t really make sense in English as they don’t have a literal translation from Italian. Still, they deliver romantic imagery that complements the musical counterpart in a flowing style, sometimes called Mediterranean Dance. This track highly impacted the way and motivation I make music. It led me to use the piano and value fairy sonic landscapes. Afaik, Gigi used to work on his tracks at Media Records’ Studio, just one hour’s car from where I used to live. If I weren’t a kid, I would have definitely taken a train and tried to meet him!”
4. Hixxy & Sharkey – Wanting To Get High (Smoogee’s Awake)
“Gipsy’s funfair used to settle in Legnano once a year, providing two weeks of fun, happy-hardcore, and hard techno music blasted on massive speakers during the day. The entrance was free, which was a big bonus for working-class guys. That’s when I listened to dutch and UK producers like Buzz Fuzz (author of XTC Love) or Hixxy for the first time. People used to gather around Tagadà and Bumpers Cars and Pirate Ship to learn dance steps, share cassettes and meet new mates. This track encapsulate everything I remember of that euphoric context.”
5. Franchino – 999 | Media Songs Srl
“Probably the trope for any techno-progressive track I will ever want to make. Deep, thunderous, melancholic. I remember perfectly the first time I heard this tune. I was listening to Disco Radio, a famous local station playing clubs’ directs and charts, and was looking outside the window at the distant lights of the Empyre club projecting against the clouds at night. I was struck by a sweet sadness.
I also love that this track resulted from a collaboration between DJs, musicians, arrangers and vocalists, as it usually happened at Media Records’ studios. It was written and produced by Alessandro Remondini, Francesco Principato (aka Franchino), Mario Piperno (aka Mario piu’), Mauro Picotto, and Riccardo Ferri. I think the quality of the track reflects the value of collective work and the importance of bringing together people with different skills. It also reminds me how important it is to get feedback from trusted friends while making music.
Franchino as a vocalist (as well as Roberto Francesconi, Mad Bob and a few others), accompanied many unforgettable Mediterranean and techno-progressive Italian nights. You could check the sound collage Poesie Progressive by Gabber Eleganza to glimpse their magic and poetry which will never die.”
UVCORE is the artistic project of Andrea Guidi. He grew up in the small post-industrial town near Milan, on a musical diet of ‘Mediterranean progressive’ icons like Gigi D’Agostino and Mauro Picotto. His previous single, “Tirrenia”, was featured on the 2020 compilation ‘SPF Infini’ by the Canadian electronic artist, TDJ, and another track, “Positive Messages”, was released on Tremors in 2021. Recent live shows include a set at London’s Electrowerkz, as well as a performance at Pitchfork Music Festival 2021 as part of a night curated by PC Music.
UVCORE’s album was produced by himself and mastered by Dan Shike at Tone and Volume. And look out for the mesmerizing video for lead single “White Fungus” soon – created by Pppanik.
Follow
@uvcore_
@evar_records
Pre-order Tales Of The Sun here: https://evar-records.com/album/tales-of-the-sun
