Generazioni Underground: Leo Anibaldi - Elements (1991)

Our new feature series explores direct recollection from legendary Italian house tracks to celebrate the release of the ‘Generazioni Underground’ compilation on Rebirth

On the 12th of June the label Rebirth will release a huge project: ‘Ciao Italia, Generazioni Underground’ is a special compilation in double vinyl, including a series of tracks produced in Italy in the early 90s. It’s a tribute to artists who wrote the history of an electronic music style which can be identified as Dream House, Italo House, Piano House, or simply ‘Underground’. It’s a sound that continues to live among DJs, clubbers and connoisseurs of the new generations. This movement wasn’t just a music style, but also an approach to reality characterised by enthusiasm, a sense of freedom and experimentation, a global vision and an eclectic creative spirit. DJs and producers Ralf, Alex Neri, Massimino, Andrea Gemolotto, Fabrice, MBG, Leo Mas, Don Carlos, Frame, Mr. Marvin, Massimo Berardi, Angelino, Key Tronic Ensemble, Ricky Montanari and more personally contributed to this project.



The project was born out of an idea of the head of Rebirth label Shield, with the contribution on the artistic direction of Stupefacente Studio. The compilation doesn’t want to be commemorative or nostalgic, but instead, it’s intended as a push for a possible evolution. It’s a positive signal for the new generations, trying to transmit the atmosphere and the sense of empathy and creativity that marked that period. To celebrate the release of this outstanding compilation, we got in touch with some of the pioneers whose tracks are included in the VA.

The result will be a series of features exploring direct recollection of certain tracks. For this first one, we explore the all-time classic 1991’s ‘Elements’, an iconic piano-house track by Leo Anibaldi, and one of the most famous and symbolic of the genre. Here, Leo Anibaldi reveals a few details regarding the tracks and the time and spaces it was produced in:

Scorrere in basso per la versione in Italiano.

“You know… I began creating grooves at a young age, and I am a perfectionist in everything I do. My dad introduced me to music and the art of composition, teaching me that I had to be unique in anything I recorded, and that I had to find a style without imitating anyone. The 90s were a flourishing period for music creativity, many were experimenting with new sounds which led to the creation of new music genres. As for me, I always wanted to take risks and avoid getting influenced by other artists. It was years where we experimented a lot.



I was lucky enough to have a great production team behind me which allowed me to express all my talent. This track was produced in my super studio just outside of Rome with instrumentation that not many could afford. I was and I still am a great collector of rare analogue synths and I had any kind of instrument needed to produce an excellent sound. My gear was and still is exclusively analogue.

I spent my days in complete solitude and I never had anyone helping me through the creative phase. I started working as a professional DJ since I was young and I can say I lived the nightlife of the time very intensively. It’s a kind of lifestyle that doesn’t exist anymore, mostly I remember the music culture that every club-goer had and their zest for life. People used to live waiting for the weekend, there was a certain type of culture around it and a craving to be together which now is not there anymore.

At first, the track had to be called ‘Orchestrazione’ (as in, ‘orchestration’), but I chose the name ‘Elements’ in the end because ‘Orchestrazione’ didn’t feel right. Elements is a word with a similar meaning but much more elegant as a term, and therefore more fitting to the track. This track became very very popular all around the world, I remember they always played it in Riccione’s Cocoricò (one of the most legendary Italian clubs) and many other Italian clubs. It’s one of the most popular all-time classics in this genre.”

Versione in Italiano:

“Sai ho iniziato a creare grooves in tenera età, e sono un perfezionista in tutto ciò che faccio. Mio padre mi ha fatto conoscere la musica e iniziato all’arte della composizione insegnandomi ad essere unico su tutto ciò che registravo, a trovare uno stile senza imitare nessuno. Gli anni 90 sono stati un periodo florido per la creatività musicale, in molti sperimentavano nuove sonorità che hanno portato alla nascita di nuovi generi musicali. Per quanto mi riguarda io ho sempre voluto rischiare e non farmi influenzare da altri artisti. Erano anni in cui si sperimentava molto.


Ho avuto la fortuna di avere un grande team di produzione alle spalle grazie al quale ho potuto esprimere tutto il mio talento. Questa traccia è stata prodotta nel mio super studio nei pressi di Roma con strumentazioni che pochi potevano permettersi. Sono stato e sono anche ora un grande collezionista di synth analogici rari ed ho avuto tutti i tipi di strumentazioni necessarie al produrre un suono eccellente. La mia attrezzatura era’ ed e’ esclusivamente analogica.



Passavo le mie giornate in completa solitudine non ho mai avuto un fonico o qualcuno che mi aiutasse durante la fase creativa. Ho iniziato a lavorare come DJ professionista fin dalla tenera età e posso affermare che ho vissuto la vita notturna molto intensamente. E’ una vita che ad oggi non esiste più, sopratutto ricordo la cultura musicale che avevano un po tutti i frequentatori di Club e la loro voglia di vivere. Le persone vivevano aspettando il fine settimana, c’era un certo tipo di cultura e una voglia di stare insieme che non c’è più.

All’inizio la traccia doveva chiamarsi ‘Orchestrazione’, ma ho scelto poi il nome’ Elements’ invece di orchestrazione perché questo mi sembrava poco consono. Elementi ha un significato simile ma è più elegante come termine. La traccia in questione divenne molto molto popolare un po’ in tutto il mondo, ricordo che la suonavano sempre al Cocorico’ di Riccione e molti altri locali italiani. E’ una delle tracce più popolari di sempre in questo genere.”

‘Ciao Italia, Generazioni Underground’ will be out on June 12th. Stay tuned on Rebirth’s channels for the release:

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