In Conversation With: Massimiliano Pagliara
We discover his creative process, his fascination with Manuel Göttsching, and how his dance education informs his djing
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Releases like last year’s “See You In Paradise” not only alternate between genres, but also between dancefloor tracks and tracks with lyrics and featured singers; “songs”, for short. When composing, how do you decide which material will become a dance track and which will become a song?
As I like different genres, this actually happens all the time. If you look at my previous albums, I am sure you can feel the same way :) When I start a new track, there is always a different approach. Sometimes it is a special mood/vibe that is guiding me, sometimes it’s my machines taking control and some other times it can be a melody or some chords that I play on one of my keyboards. That said, it can take a little while to shape a track and turn it into a song. I never really plan this beforehand. It’s something that comes while I am doing it, or after a first arrangement. If I start hearing some lyrics/vocals, I start singing along or maybe write down some notes, and eventually reach out to some singers and see if they feel the track and want to sing.
“All The VCOs You Can Eat” is your latest EP, but also the first self-released on your own label Funnuvojere, which was until now dedicated to other artists or collaborations. Can you tell us what made you wait until this moment to release your own music, and what is in sight for Funnuvojere?
I have been releasing lots of music on so many different labels since 2008. And at some points I just felt I wanted to use my own imprint to showcase my music as well. And this was when I started working on “All The VCOs You Can Eat”, I felt this is a very Massi thing and thought to myself, my label would be the best fit for it. I am actually planning to release more of my own stuff on Funnuvojere from now on, as well as other artists of course.
In this single, the title track comes in three versions: the progressive “Modulator Mix”, bass-heavy “Traveler Dub” and percussion-focused “The Lonely Drums”. What does each version aim to bring to the table?
It’s a single, also known as 12” or Maxi. And as every classic Maxi, it comes with different versions of the lead one (Modulator Mix). In this case the Traveler Dub is a more stripped-down mix (Dub version) and The Lonely Drums one is mostly like a Drums-Tool mix.
In the track you reference “E2-E4”, the classic techno / ambient album by krautrock composer Manuel Göttsching, whose influence on your productions is distinct. How do you handle influences so diverse in your music? Do they stack naturally or do you sometimes experience a bit of an internal clash, and then find a way to reconcile it?
I discovered M. Göttsching music, many years ago, through E2-E4. That was my first encounter with his work. And of course I fell in love immediately. And I have always wanted to try and do something similar: a long jam session, where I simply press record and play with all my machines. It was a sort of live set, which lasted about 1 hour. I had lots of material and I did lots of editing afterwards. Those chords from E2-E4 were somehow stuck in my head, during this session, that was the spirit behind this whole magical experience.
As I have always been into so many different types of music, I have lots of influences. And obviously, music is not the only main source of inspiration. Art, design, architecture, movies, books, fashion, literature are all very important things to me. Reading a book, going to a museum or listening to some music that I really like, can be a nice start for a new project. I really like this multi-disciplinary approach. I think as an artist it’s important to stay open to a lot of different experiences and use them as a creative input.
“For You” is a collaborative EP that came out this summer on Funnuvojere. It’s the first release by Couple Looking, which is formed by you with Chris Cruse. This one also has many different influences: there’s some electro, some Balearic, and you guys seem to be having a lot of fun! Can you tell us how the collaboration was born?
Chris and I have been friends for a very long time and shared lots of wonderful and magical moments together. We also have a very similar taste musicwise, and we have played or attended many parties together. The idea for this project came when we played our first b2b set at Is Burning, in Amsterdam.
While waiting for our flight, we took some selfies and Chris secretly uploaded one of them on his Grindr profile, and called it Couple Looking. We laughed so hard and thought this is a nice name for a new project :) Then he moved to Berlin, the pandemic hit and we spent some time together in the studio and started working on a few tracks. Each of them had a different flavour and vibe. We had so much fun and I am very happy and proud to have released this on my label.
How does your creative process change when collaborating with someone? Do you try to work with people you click with seamlessly, or do you sometimes have to compromise some of your vision for the benefit of the track?
I like both ways. Working alone as well as collaborating with a friend or an artist that I really admire. I did lots of collaborations during these past years and it’s always been an amazing learning experience. You learn so much from each other. Sometimes it can get a bit lonely in the studio and you can feel a bit lost. So, having someone right there next to you, can lead to a new solution and some surprising results.
Also, as I am into different styles of music, I find working with diverse musicians/producers is like a nice challenge for me: every time I try to explore a new side of me.
At the beginning of your career you graduated in theatre, dance and choreography in Milan, then you shifted into music and DJing. How has that experience in performative arts translated into your live sets or your selections?
I am still a dancer. Lots of people enjoy the fact that I dance so much when I am DJing and it makes me very happy when they say so .This really comes natural to me, once I get into the groove, I just can’t help it, I need to dance. If it’s really a good party, and I am having the best time of my life, you can see me playing guitars (mimicking), keyboards, drums and I also start kicking my famous ballerina legs :)
Exercising is still a very important thing for me, and actually every DJ set feels like a work-out somehow. My whole body is engaged. And this gives me a nice rush, it’s a lot of energy that goes throughout my body. I feel so alive. Sometimes I wonder if I didn’t have this dance education, if I would have had the same kind of body awareness. I honestly don’t think so. In this regard, I am very happy I did that in the past. Because this informs a lot of what I am doing now. And just like Feldenkrais said :”Life without movement is unthinkable”. Isn’t it?
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Interview by Alessandro Cebrian Cobos
