Interview: Alessio Pennati

Italian sound wizard Alessio Pennati inspires with his new 3 tracker 'No Time To Lose'. The Milan resident's signature sound is unconventional and it’s full of emotions and sensations. His feelings become melodic, evocative and nostalgic which take you on a journey in between reality and imagination. His latest Wout Records project is no different and lands with considerable praise. We had a chance to catch up with Alessio for an exclusive interview just prior to the release. Enjoy!

Hello Alessio, thanks for joining us. What is your current mood and what was the last piece of music you listened to?

Thanks for the interview! Now I’m very excited for my musical new year! The last track I listened to is “Running” by Anyma.

What are your plans for the coming week?

During this week I will take some time off but always continue to carry on my musical works.

Can you name five tracks that were important in your musical development and why they are so significant for you?

North Star - Tale Of Us (Original Mix)

Nothing Around Us - Mathame (Original Mix)

Hold me to the light - Kas:st (Tale Of Us Remix)

Wave Rider - Fideles  (Original Mix)

Mystery - Adriatique (Tale Of Us & Mathame Remix)

The first track is opened my mind to melodic techno. And the other tracks marked my musical change and I always carry them in my heart and I always play in my DJ sets.

How has growing up and living in Italy affected your musical taste and career path?

Honestly in Italy is very difficult make music. There is a lot of competition and you are not appreciated for who you really are.

Experiences abroad have made me grow a lot like in Ibiza, Amsterdam, Beirut, Tulum and many others.

From each of these trips I have brought home new sounds.

Talk about the change you made in your production in 2019, what was it that shifted your focus to the more melodic spectrum of techno?

The lockdown gave me more time to reflect on my music.

I wasn’t satisfied with the genre I was doing before 2019. I stopped to think and my true musical identity came out! I’m a sentimental and always been a lover of melodies. The music I create now gives me an incredible satisfaction and emotion.

Looking back over your discography, what release or track holds the best memories for you and is there a correlation between that track and how successful you are today?

My tracks Mystical Way released on Androgyne Audio, label of Dizharmonia and Lacularis, it completely change my music scene and was also supported by amazing artists such as Fideles. I had the pleasure of meeting them in august 2020 in Zurich and they are truly wonderful people.

Fideles has been a supporter of yours in the past, are they someone you send your new music to first? And if not, who is?

Yes! They are the first to receive my music. Later, I send my unreleased to all my closest fellow producers.

You have a new EP entitled ‘No Time To Lose’ out this week on Wout Records, tell us about it and how it showcases your sound?

Was born under the sign of a change in my life. From the title we learn that time is precious and should not be wasted.

As for the sounds they are always in line with my standard but even more in search of the journey but without losing the rhythm.

I think for a lot of artists music allows you to write a sketch of your own personal universe in a way; your travels, life experiences etc. It’s something that seems to resonate strongly from your music in fact. Where does inspiration come from? And was there anything that inspired these tracks on your ‘No Time To Lose’ EP?

I’m honored that this feature has emerged. Each of my songs contains a part of me, my feelings, my emotions and my personal moment.

As I said before, “No time to lose” was born because I realized that I had to focus even more on myself and my music.

“Onda Delta” was born after a mindfullness and yoga weekend.

“Endless Light” was born in a sad moment for me. And this song for me is a hope for the rebirth.

This is your first appearance on Wout Records, what is it about the label that made you feel comfortable enough to do an original project with them?

I think it's a very professional and fast growing label. I'm happy to work with Italian labels too.

What does your set-up look like? Do you favor physical gear over digital? And what studio tools featured heavily in the writing of these tracks?

In my studio I have digital with the use of plug-ins such as diva, analog lab 4, serum and many others. And an analog part consisting of synths such as nord lead A1, moog sub37, korg minilogue and alesis micron. For the creation of these tracks I had a reproduction of digital sounds without neglecting the analog part.

What’s a piece of gear that always gets used when you’re writing a track?

I think i almost always use diva and serum

How much road testing is done before you’re ready to say a track is finished? And how much does crowd reaction influence whether or not a particular track gets released?

I do a lot of rehearsals in the studio first, but it's essential to rehearse them in front of the people. They are the real final judges!

Generally speaking, do you find it more difficult to come up with original tracks than remixing a track from another artist?

It's easier for me to create an original track. The remix is a personal interpretation of someone else's track.

In your opinion, what’s the biggest risk you’ve taken and what made you do it?

My biggest risk was having always faced everything alone in the music field. But I’m happy to have done so and the results obtained so far.

What has the last year and a half been like for you? Have you focused more time on making music? And has the pandemic affected your creative spirit in any way?

I've spent the last two years locked in my studio making music. The lockdown allowed me to devote much more time to the development of my studio, my sounds and my creations.

What’s a book you’ve read or film you watched that has left an impact on you, and why?

Unfortunately I don't really like reading and watching movies. But “Berling calling” is my favorite movie.

What was the last thing that deeply touched you?

My last gig in Beirut on 18th December 2021.

I found a fantastic environment with special people and a great passion for my music.

Who from earth would you like to be abducted by aliens?

Me!

Apart from music, what makes you happiest?

Be with my son and pass on to him the passion for music.

What does 2022 hold for you? Anything you can share with us?

I’m very determined in this 2022 and I hope to realize everything done in previous years. I’m preparing new music in a much more accurate and exclusive way.

'No Time To List' is out now via Wout Records: https://bit.ly/3tvWraj