Interviews

It's always a good moment when like-minded souls meet and make beautiful music. New production duo Euro Netunno come together with label Polyamore and bring some fresh summer outernational vibrations that are sure to light up vibrant gatherings and dancefloors alike. Their new EP 'Apres Le Paradis' is full of musical goodness. Read on to learn a little more about Euro Nettuno.

Thanks for talking to us. Where are you this moment and how are you spending the day?

Frank: Thanks for having us in your space! Right now, I'm in my living room, packing my record bag to play at Riff, the listening bar in our town, while waiting for a delicious roast to finish cooking, which I'll bring to a lunch with friends.

Where are you living currently? What do you love most about where you are living?

We live in Reggio Emilia, a small town in the heart of the Po Valley and very close to Bologna: a city with a vibrant cultural scene that we often visit and that has been the backdrop for the writing of our EP. We often complain about our hometown for the scarcity of things to do compared to other larger cities, but personally, I can say that after traveling a lot, there's always a desire to return home. What keeps me in Reggio Emilia is precisely the fact that it's a quiet place, where everyone knows each other and where you can stay safe from the world's frenzy.

How long have you been making music? What was your first step in the world of music?

Frank: I've been playing records since 2006. I first got into the world of DJing through the minimal-techno scene of those years, then moved into the broader electro scene dominated by labels like DFA, Ed Banger, and Turbo, among others. Over the years, I've had various solo and collective projects, but I really reached maturity with Euro Nettuno project.

What came first for you, Djing or production?

Frank: It's hard to say which came first because DJing and production are completely different things. At heart, I probably feel more like a DJ. The thrill of emotionally engaging people during a night with a musical flow that represents me is priceless.

What kind of artists, DJs, genres were you into growing up?

Frank: Honestly, it's hard to remember them all. As a child, I absorbed a lot of Italian pop music thanks to my parents' taste—artists like Lucio Dalla, De Gregori, and Battisti among many. Once I became a teenager, I started listening to house music thanks to the DJs in my town, and later I delved deeper into more electronic sounds like Trentemoller, Tiga, LCD Soundsystem, and the whole scene from those years. I can say that I don't really have a favorite genre or artist. I've always listened to a wide variety of music

Pappo: In sixth grade, I listened only to Aerosmith; in seventh, it was all about Daft Punk and Justice. By eighth grade, I realized that focusing solely on certain artists or genres limited the discovery of other music. From that point, I understood that I would never limit myself to specific genres or artists again. I listen to everything I possibly can.

What were the first records you owned?

Frank: My first record was a remix by Pastaboys of "Gangsta Walk" by Coolio Ft Snoop Dogg. It's a great Hip House track with typical sounds of Italo house from that era.

Pappo: My first record was a compilation called "Temptations Greatest Hits," which I bought at the Planet Music record store in Reggio Emilia.

What was the first record that Euro Nettuno made?

Frank: Apart from the fact that "Après Le Paradis" is our first original EP, our first release was "Armando's Madsex," a re-edit of "Sesso Matto" by the maestro Armando Trovajoli, released on a compilation called "Italoexotica Vol 1". There's not much to say except that we wanted to make an edit that preserved as much as possible the original feel of the track.

What do you think has been your most important release to date and why?

Pappo: This is our first official EP, and I think it's the most important because it marks our entry into the music world as protagonists and gives us the opportunity to share our musical identity.

If you could choose a few words to describe the vibe of Euro Nettuno what would they be

Pappo: It might sound strange, but I would describe Euro Nettuno with these words: TUTTI FRUTTI, WORLD WIDE SOUND, SOUND VARIETY. You don't know the people around you on the dance floor, but you share the common feeling of traveling together through rhythms from all around the world. There's nothing better than that, right?

Frank: I would add the words PARTY, SHARING, JOY.

How did you connect with Polyamore?

Frank: It started with a call from Bruno saying, "I have this idea to create this label, and I'd love to have you guys in the project, what do you think?" We were thrilled!

Pappo: I've been a big fan of Bruno Belissimo (the creator of the Polyamore label) ever since one of his early releases, "Pastafari." We've had the chance to play with him on several occasions, and we combined our love for music to focus together on a release for his label.

Talk to us about the new EP and the initial idea.

Frank: The idea was to produce something that was asynthesis of our listening habits and our idea of the dancefloor. I'm satisfied with the work done, and this will definitely be the approach we'll always maintain for our future works.

Pappo: I feel that great work has been done. From the start, we thought to use our EP as a manifesto for Euro Nettuno, which means: Worldwide Music + Electronic Music, together, for a big party. I can happily say that we succeeded.

What was most important for you to convey through these tracks?

Pappo: The EP needed to convey to the listeners the love that Frank and I have for electronic music and for sounds from around the world. This message had to be transmitted through two tracks that could be enjoyed and appreciated both by DJs and music lovers.

What are you most proud of with this release?

Frank: I'm proud of the fact that we managed to create an EP that, while maintaining its coherence, is a true synthesis of the heterogeneity of our listening habits.

Pappo: The piece I am most satisfied with is "Si Fua." Even though the lyrics don't make logical sense, the singing and the cries are the pure expression of a feeling of love directed towards music.

What was the most challenging part of bringing the release together?

Frank: We had such clear ideas about the music that, paradoxically, the most complicated part was managing to give a visual form to the release. We needed artwork that could visually convey a preview of the sensations that one would experience when listening to the tracks. Emanuele Rigon created a masterpiece in this regard.

Pappo: The most difficult part was shaping the abstract concept behind "Après Le Paradis" in artistic and visual terms. As you can hear from the beginning of the EP, the sounds are characterized by this tropical soul that blends with straight, decisive percussion, worthy of representing electronic music within a club setting. This sound concept was very challenging to represent visually. Thanks to the graphic designer Emanuele Rigon, we successfully completed this operation.

Who are the other artists/musicians on this EP that you would like to shout out?

Pappo: Elado and Marvin & Guy did a magnificent job. I sincerely hope to meet these wonderful producers to embrace them. A simple spoken thank you will never be enough for what they have done. Bruno Belissimo was our Charon through the river of music production. He played a crucial role in giving a live and organic feel to the entire EP.

What drives you to create music? What keeps you going?

Pappo: Our curiosity about more exotic rhythms drives us to create music that blends the latest popular sounds with quirks from the past, crafting a contemporary yet refined sound designed to surprise and captivate listeners. This continuous exploration and the desire to stand out keep us motivated and passionate about our music.

What has been one of your favourite moments from the past year?

Frank: It's hard to pick a favorite moment in 2023. The days in the studio have been incredible, but the close collaboration with Benny Benassi in the artistic direction of his listening bar "The Riff" is definitely one of the best things that happened last year.

Pappo: Probably, having the opportunity to be in the studio with Bruno Belissimo and producing a record with him was the highlight of 2023. In general, all the people we partied with turned out to be great dance floor companions, sharing moments that were both absurd and magical at the same time.

Where do you find the most inspiration when it comes to discovering new music?

Pappo: Record stores, especially second-hand ones, always manage to evoke emotions. I believe the thrill of finding an item previously owned by someone else that can enter your record bag and become a star in one of your sets is irreplaceable.

Frank: Listening to other artists perform, record stores, and a lot of YouTube. These are my main sources of inspiration when discovering new music.

Who do you think is making great music right now?

Pappo: In the Italian scene, the guys at Periodica Records are doing incredible work. It's impossible not to mention the last two masterpieces by Whodamanny - Miranda and the surprising album from Bassolino – Città Futura.

Frank: Looking abroad, we highly regard the productions of bands like Khruangbin and Yin Yin, and the wonderful new album from Another Taste. Also, the extensive research and collection efforts by Mr Bongo Records, Analogue Africa, Habibi Funk, and Soundway Records are noteworthy. These labels are consistently putting out great music.

Is there anything that you would like to tell us about you?

Pappo: Lately, we've been feeling more and more positive energy in the various situations and dancefloors where we play. We are very confident that electronic music and various clubs are moving in the right direction to engage audiences of all kinds. This growing energy and engagement are very encouraging for us as artists.

What can we hope to see next from Euro Nettuno?

We are currently working on various edits and remixes for major Italian labels and are already planning a new studio EP. In general, we hope to find ourselves on dancefloors across Italy and Europe!

Check out the latest release from Euro Nettuno