Tsuba Meets Rio Padice /

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In the first of a series of exclusive interviews for the new Tsuba site, Oli Wood caught up with the original 'Luchador' Rio Padice, whose latest Tsuba Limited 4 track EP 'The Return Of The Luchador' has just been released.

So you’re from Naples in Italy, a world famous city known for its cuisine, culture and football. How has the city influenced your music and what is the music scene like there?

It is true we are famous mainly for the pizza, the architecture and Maradona... but Naples has also a strong musical background. Speaking of electronic music - years between 1995 and 2000 were the golden age of Neapolitan techno-funk that represented Naples in the world by people like M. Carola, G. Parisio, D. Vigorito and R.
Cerrone.

They exported neapolitan sound as a brand and still are the most representative DJ-producer of my city although with significant differences compared to the past.

Turning to what in recent years influenced me the most, it is the jazz-funk movement of passionate citizen that took place in the 70's . There was a strong link between Naples and the U.S. - musicians like Tullio De Piscopo and Tony Esposito, James Senese and Pino Daniele have published really great records, still current and not by chance, re-edited and played by leading members of the house Detroit.

These are two of the most representative albums of that time for me:

http://www.discogs.com/Toni-Esposito-Incontro-Con/release/2089628

http://www.discogs.com/Pino-Daniele-Bella-Mbriana/release/1075662

What do you feel like the music scene in Italy is like at the moment? Do you think the introduction of new music festivals such as ‘Movements Festival’ in Turin in the last 3 years, which have had a lot of global coverage, has been important in raising the profile of the Italian scene?

I think any DJ is willing to play in Italy, there's so much public that follows the underground scene in every city, even in the most remote provinces. The big events surely have a big echo, but in the end the big names are not Italian so I do not know how they can raise the profile of artists like me.

I see you studied Scenic Design at Academy of Fine Arts of Naples. What made you start making music and did this past influence the music you make today?

My father is an art director / designer and I had an education purely creative. I also worked in theater as a designer during the study period. This does not in any way influenced my approach to music, which was much more recent and more precisely in 2006-2007. I had no clear ideas, we can say that I have described myself as a producer since about two years.

Regarding your new Tsuba release, what was the thinking behind it?  Did you have a clear idea of what you wanted to make before you started OR did you just make it up as you started writing?

Listening very many records of the past every day, every hour, every minute. It 's inevitable that influence me a lot.

I have two kinds of approaches, the first character is definitely "emulation" and nostalgic in the sense that I try to reproduce exactly the same emotions that gives me an old house records , for example, published in 1991.

The second is more futuristic, try to bring something innovative and different to anything that has already been done. I have several projects completely modern and conceptually sound away from the old school that I can not wait to publish. Contrary to what many often say, I have a basic idea of working and with such machines.

The track ‘Forgotten Worlds’ was reminiscent of Detroit techno and had hints of some of Carl Craig’s productions. Was this your intention?

Forgotten World is inspired by the chi-town avant-garde productions in the second half of the 90's, that is  a period which I listen to very carefully, the movement of the Nite Life Collective etc. - but the result was totally different, more avant-garde that nostalgic.

The EP is generally very beautiful, warm and rich sounding. What type of equipment did you use to produce the EP, was it analogue kit or computer based kit?

My equipment is the result of much research on what actually is more congenial to my taste. Use of course the old Roland 707 and 606, and I have a Casio RZ-1 that is useful to sample and create grooves absolutely personal. Yamaha Dx and Korg Dw as synthesizers, an old Mackie 1604 mixing desk and a tape deck to record or required to convert the digital nature sounds.

Nowadays the personal computer is indispensable as a sequencer to record and assemble parts to find sounds that are too expensive for my pockets. Ultimately my approach to music is very traditional and not artificial.

You release is coming out as a vinyl only release on Tsuba. What are your feelings on the whole Vinyl / Digital debate. Do you think the fact that companies like Technics stopping the manufacturing of turntables that Vinyl still has a future?

I am totally opposed to the excessive number of digital products, they create confusion and lowering the average quality. At the end they come out with zero costs of production and distribution.

The point is that tracks are made only with a computer dedicated to those who played only with a computer ... is a process that has its own logic I think.

As for me I produce and release for those who have the turntable at home, perhaps an amateur enthusiast and is not important if that record will never be played in a club. The important thing is that gives to those who buy it the right emotions.

However - The vinyl will never die.

What are your plans in the next year? Anything you want to tell us about?

Too many ideas that I whirl my head, I have to put a bit of order I guess ...

Surely sooner or later will prepare an album for Tsuba (we already talked with Kevin about that when we were in Paris) but it is a serious thing, does not make sense to publish the same sounding tracks on a album, so we'll put the time to pick the best projects prepared in different periods.

I also recently started a label called Early Sounds, a group composed of Neapolitan friends, me Leskin, Massimo Di Lena and J. Russell certainly it will consume a lot of energy that I hope will be repaid.

In the near future? I'd like to disco-house stuff, I mean: no sampling, real drums, Juno and Moog sounds - Paradise Garage style!

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