Where Cyberpunk And House Music Meet: Introducing Leo Rosi’s ‘Double Mix’
A Chat With Leo Over His Mysterious Artistic Path To Celebrate The Vinyl Re-press On Sleeve Records
Sleeve Records is one of those record hubs driven by pure love for records and underground dance music - a vinyl shop located in the center of Florence run by two brothers with an immense passion of music, in the last few years Sleeve also started to operate as a record label releasing some undiscovered house work from another era. For instance, you will probably be familiar with the beautiful track ‘Incentive - You (Queen Mix)’, which lived a great momentum a couple years ago after being played several times by Francesco Del Garda. This track by Maurizio Verbeni was re-released in vinyl print by Sleeve Records during the summer of 2019.
Now, Sleeve is back with another undiscovered gem from the deepest meanders of the early 90s Italian underground: ‘Double Mix’ represses five original tracks by Leo Rosi - this record has somewhat of a magic touch to it. While it can fit the sound of italo-house of the era, it’s also quite unique in the way it plays with short vocals that add a deeply sensual touch to it. Erotic, melodic, mind-altering; the five tracks follow each other forming a clear specific and masterful exercise in style that we feel young producers can only learn from. We found this music to be just so interesting, and we thought it would be an ideal moment to hear from Leo Rosi directly regarding his own, mysterious artistic path and this record.
It was not an easy task to reach out to Leo Rosi and hear from him - a character from a different, underground era, Leo shies away from screens and fast communication. Luckily, with the help from the team of Sleeve Records we managed to get a hold of him for a few questions. Throughout this interview his personality shines, showing his passion for music as well as the different sources of inspiration and conceptual ideas that were combined for this unique record. We hope you enjoy the read and that it will spark your curiosity to check out this amazing print.
Listen to the previews from the record as you read:
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE ITALIAN VERSION OF THE INTERVIEW
In basso trovi la versione In Italiano dell’intervista
Hi Leo! We are so happy to host you on GB and have the opportunity to ask you a few questions. We nearly couldn’t find any information about you online, so we would like to start the interview by asking a few basic information. Where are you from? Where’s the origin of your music career located?
I was born at Fivizzano, a little village in Lunigiana situated between the valleys of the Apuan Alps (Tuscany). When I was really young I started to get interested in music, following the bands that were playing folk music in the towns’ piazzas, and in the meantime I was commuting to Parma where I pursued academic music school studying harmony and trombone. I left my house early, when it was still dark, travelling with busses filled with workers of the construction sites of La Spezia until the station of Aulla, and then with the train until Parma. At that time I was also visiting Bologna occasionally, where Ciso, a dear friend, introduced me to the electronic music scene. And then it was in Milan that I met Mauro Pagani who was working with Teatro Dell’Elfo for the music of a representation of ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’. It was Mauro who introduced me to the first recording studios where I met Gabriele Salvatores, Maurizio Vandelli, The Stormy Six, and many others…
This release for Sleeve Records has something incredible to it. For the young generations it’s fascinating to discover this type of early 90s record and try to live that era through sounds. In which years were these tracks produced? What was your life like in that period?
The tracks you refer to were recorded between the end of 91 and beginning of 92. At the time I was collaborating as an arranger for Riccardo Zanetti (aka Savage) and Riccardo Cioni. The pop-dance scene was fading away, and the cyberpunk wave was taking over. Some cult clubs were born like Jaiss, Kama-kama, Insomnia, Imperiale, were the style was strictly techno and house. With Alex Neri we produced ‘Touch of Soul - We Got The Love’, a record which was 4th in the British charts and that started to give me some visibility in the international house environment.
“BDSM, Japanese Manga, Cyberpunk culture, happenings, all were centrifuged and re-presented in a glamour key. You could perceive a sort of widespread sexuality, an erotic subliminal kermesse… “
Tell us a bit more about your experience with the Imperiale.
At the Imperiale I collaborated with many, such as a DJ Francesco Farfa and Joy Kitikonti. I remember that a mix was born, ‘Mesopotamia’, which was very well received. The Imperiale was an exclusive club, which got full just around 2AM usually with a demanding audience full of expectation. In those years it was at the forefront of techno and house sounds, you could hear the best that was coming out of that world… A world that gave me a lot of inspiration and drove me to collaborate with important DJ and producers, to name a few: Ivan Iacobucci, Gianni Bini, Stefano d’Andrea, Gabri Fasano, Fathers of Sound, Culture in A Room… With them I created tracks that made history… ‘Discorosso - Android’ comes to mind…
Francesco from Sleeve Records told us that very often you participated in these events in the clubs as a ‘performer’ more than just a DJ. What did you mean with that?
Essentially, mine were sonic excursions on a DJ set, where I used percussions, synths, and electric guitars. I added up on techno-trance loops played by DJs on vinyl, forming gashes of disruption, remains of a sort of objective sonority.
Inside the Sleeve Record Store in Florence
Let’s talk a bit about this release in the specific… Where did you get the inspiration for these tracks?
I was fascinated by the contaminants that electronic music introduced when it met with venature pop, kitsch, trance, fluxus. The clubs turned into temples where the sound was a vehicle for transcendence. With Gianni Parrini, we also faced the problem of synthetic drugs which, at least at the time, people used a lot. The rhythms with tribal veins followed melodic openings, decompression suits, and the use of classic piano was introduced. All of this resulted in the birth of the so-called ‘Dream Music’, a happiness music, with no additives.
How was a track produced in those years? Could you tell us an anecdote of a studio situation from the time?
I mainly worked at night, very often I found myself handling tracks while the sunrise was taking over the sky and my studio. I recently bought the fantastic analogue counter ‘Saje’, that Jean-Michel Jarre used to record ‘Les Concerts en Chine’. I sampled sounds with the Akai samplers, I created arpeggios with analogue synths with a preference for Roland sounds, especially the MKS 80. For the rhythmic parts as well I used many Roland drum machine sounds, 909, 808. The result was a completely analogue, vibrating sound, which I then mixed on 1/4 inches tape of Revox pr99.
Apart from the music, your track titles also transmit a mix of sensuality and transcendence. Erotika, Hypnotika, Respiro Soave... Where is the inspiration coming from for these titles?
Surely the atmospheres of the clubs at the time were one of the major motives for those titles. You could already see the tendency of what Zygmunt Bauman later defined as liquid society. ‘Transgender’ was an unknown adjective but in the clubs that kind of fluidity was already present in nearly theatrical forms. BDSM, Japanese Manga, Cyberpunk culture, happenings, all were centrifuged and re-presented in a glamour key. You could perceive a sort of widespread sexuality, an erotic subliminal kermesse…
Thank you so much Leo for your time and this beautiful record.
I would like to thank Sleeve Records for planning this interview, giving me the input to create something new and perhaps to start new artistic collaborations in the future.
Buy the record here.
ITALIAN VERSION / VERSIONE IN ITALIANO
Dove Il Cyberpunk E La House Music Si Incontrano: ‘Double Mix’ Di Leo Rosi
Di dove sei? E quali sono le tue origine a livello di carriera musicale?
Sono nato a fivizzano, un piccolo paese della lunigiana incastonato fra le valli delle Alpi Apuane. Ho comiciato giovanissimo a interessami alla musica seguendo le bande che eseguivano musica folk nelle piazze dei paesi, nel frattempo facevo la spola con Parma dove per quattro anni ho frequentato il corso accademico di armonia e trombone al consevatorio. Partivo prestissimo, ancora a notte fonda, scendendo coi pulman pieni di operai che lavoravano ai cantieri di La Spezia fino alla stazione ferroviaria di Aulla e poi col treno su fino a Parma. A quei tempi facevo incursioni a Bologna dove Ciso, un caro amico, mi aveva introdotto sulla scena della musica elettronica. E poi su a Milano dove conobbi Mauro Pagani che lavorava col teatro dell'elfo per le musiche di sogno di una notte di mezza estate. Fu Mauro che mi introdusse dentro i primi studi di registrazione dove passavano Gabriele salvatores, Maurizio vandelli, gli stormy six, e tanti altri...
Questa release per Sleeve Records ha davvero dell'incredibile. Per le giovani generazione è affascinante scoprire questo tipo di dischi anni 90 e rivivere quegli anni attraverso il suono. In che anni sono state prodotte le tracce? Che vita facevi in quel periodo?
Le tracce di cui parli sono state incise tra la fine del 91 e gli inizi del 92. All'epoca collaboravo come arrangiatore con Riccardo Zanetti in arte Savage e con Riccardo Cioni. La scena pop-dance stava per terminare soppiantata dall'onda cyberpunk. Nascevano locali cult come il jaiss, il kama-kama, l'insomnia, l'imperiale, dove i timbri erano espressamente tecno-house. Con alex Neri producemmo Touch of Soul -we got the love, un disco mix che arrivò al 4° posto nelle chars inglesi e che cominciò a darmi notorietà negli ambienti house internazionali.
Raccontaci della tua esperienza con L'imperiale.
All'imperiale fra i tanti collaborai con i Dj Francesco Farfa e Joy Kitikonti. Ricordo che naque un mix, Mesopotamia, che ebbe un'ottima eco. L'imperiale era un club esclusivo, che si riempiva solo verso le due di notte di un pubblico esigente e carico di aspettative. In quegli anni era all'avanguardia in fatto di sonorità tecno- house, potevi ascoltare il meglio che ribolliva di quel mondo...mondo che mi diede molte ispirazioni sonore e mi portò a collaborare con importanti dj e produttori , ne cito alcuni : Ivan Iacobucci, Gianni Bini, Stefano d’Andrea, Gabri Fasano, Fathers of Sound, Culture in A Room.....con loro creai brani che segnarono un'epoca ... Discorosso - Android...
Ci è stato accennato da Francesco di Sleeve Records che spesso hai partecipato ad eventi in discoteca come 'performer' più che solamente come DJ. In cosa consistevano queste performances?
Essenzialmente erano incursioni sonore su dj set in cui facevo uso di percussioni, sintetizzatori, chitarre elettriche. Mi inserivo su loop tecno-trance creati dai dj con vinile, creando squarci di rottura, recuperi di una sorta di oggettività sonora.
Parliamo di questa release nello specifico... ti ricordi a cosa ti sei ispirato musicalmente per queste composizioni?
Ero affascinato dalle contaminazioni che la musica elettronica aveva introdotto incontrandosi con le venature pop, kitsh, trance, fluxus. Le discoteche si erano trasformate in templi in cui il suono era diventato un veicolo di trascendenza. Con Gianni Parrini, ricordo, affrontammo il problema delle droghe sintetiche di cui, in quei tempi, veniva fatto largo uso. Ai ritmi con venature tribali seguirono aperture melodiche, suite di decompressione, fu introdotto l'uso del pianoforte. Naque così quella che fu chiamata dream music, una musica per la felicità, senza additivi.
Come veniva confezionata una traccia ai tempi? Raccontaci un aneddoto di una situazione 'in studio' dall'epoca!
Lavoravo principalmente la notte, molte volte mi scoprivo a manipolare tracce mentre l'alba rischiarava il cielo oltre il grande lucernario sopra lo studio. Avevo da poco acquistato in Francia il fantastico banco analogico Saje con cui Jean-Michel Jarre aveva registrato ''Les Concerts en Chine''. Campionavo i suoni con campionatori akai, creavo arpeggi con sint analogici pridiligendo le sonorita roland, specialmente l'mks 80. Anche per le ritmiche ho usato molto i suoni delle roland drum machine 909, 808. Ne usciva un suono completamente analagico, vibrazionale, che poi mixavo sul nastro 1/4 di pollice del Revox pr99.
Oltre che la musica, anche i titoli del disco trasmettono un misto di sensualità e trascendenza. Erotika, Hypnotika, Respiro Soave... A cosa ti sei ispirato per i nomi delle tracce?
Sicuramente le atmosfere che si respiravano dentro i club dell'epoca furono uno dei motivi che mi portarono ad adottare quei titoli. A ben vedere si respirava gia la tendenza a quello che poi Zygmunt Bauman definì società liquida. Transgender era un aggettivo allora sconosciuto ma nei club quel tipo di fluidità era gia presente seppure in forme quasi teatrali. BDSM, manga giapponesi, cultura cyberpuk, happening, vennero come centrifugate e riproposte in chiave glam. Si percepiva una sensualità diffusa, una sorta di kermesse erotica subliminale...
Grazie mille Leo e ti auguriamo il meglio per la release!
Voglio ringraziare Sleeve Records per questa intervista che mi ha dato imput a creare qualcosa di nuovo e magari a instaurare una futura collaborazione artistica.
