Italian producer Giuliano Lomonte is certainly a man on the move. Ahead of his performance at Circoloco this Monday the main behind the wonderful La Musique EP (strong support from Villalobos for that one) and a brand new track – Reflections on Brouqade’s Past/Present/Future compilation took some time to tell us about his background and his life as an artist.
Hello and welcome to When We Dip, Giuliano. Your exceptional track, Reflections, has been released as part of Brouqade’s Past / Present / Future compilation. Can you talk us through how you produced the track and where the inspiration came from for it?
It depends on how I’m feeling when I’m in the studio. When I produced the track, I wanted to do something groovy and energetic, and this was the result! To be honest, I originally did another version of Reflections that was a bit more acid based, but the label chose this version, which I was still very happy about! It comes after a period of my life where I took a bit of a break from making music, so I’m delighted it came out on Brouqade.
How did your relationship with the label come about and can you tell us about producing that one?
It started almost 2 years ago. I’ve known Dana [Ruh] for a while and I’ve always really respected her and how she works and straight away knew she’d be cool to work with. She used to play some of my tracks, so I started to send her more stuff. So here we are now and there’s more to come too!
How do you find life on the road as a touring DJ, and what do you do to relax away from it?
Life on the road as a touring DJ can be quite hard, but at the same time I love it. From the outside, people think it’s an easy life, but that’s far from the case. When you’ve 3 or 4 gigs in one weekend it can be pretty exhausting. But it’s the life I’ve chosen and really I wouldn’t have it any other way.
To relax away from music, I go to the gym or ride my bike. Little things like that give you a routine and help you find your balance. That said, I still dedicate most of my time to music.
Which DJ’s/ Clubs first inspired you to do the same?
There are so many, but if I had to name one it would be Ricardo Villalobos. He was one of the first that really captivated me with his style and passion for music. He’s inspired a lot of people of course, and continues to inspire new generations. I’m very grateful to live in a music era where people like him exist – it’s priceless!
From a club perspective, it’s Robert Johnson in Offenbach. When I was still living in Italy I was flying to Frankfurt every other month to hear my favourite DJs there. It had a huge effect on me for sure: the intimate connection between the DJ and the dancefloor at the club is something only very few clubs in the world possess. Pure energy!
Do you think that politics and Dance Music mix? If so what do you feel is the current mood in Club Culture?
For me, politics and dance music don’t mix at all.
What inspires you from outside of the world of House and Techno?
I take a lot of inspiration ambient music. I also listen to a lot of Italian music, as well as hip-hop, rap etc. I take inspiration from many things: moments in my life, places I visit etc. It doesn’t always work but experimenting is half the fun.
And finally, what are plans for the rest of the year?
Naturally I’ll be focused on music and continue doing that with such passion. I’ve a few releases due out and recently released the La Musique EP on my own label, Point of View. I’m also working on an EP for Brouqade that’s almost ready to go, as well as some other bits. Exciting times!
Giuliano Lomonte’s ‘Reflections’ is out now as part of Brouqade’s Past / Present / Future compiliation