Image Credit: T78 (Press) / Provided by b4bookings
T78 discusses main inspirations, upcoming ADE shows and more: Interview
Constantly on the rise, T78 is well and truly establishing himself amongst the elite of acts to have graced the dance scene. Staying true to his beliefs and ethos, the Italian DJ/Producer leaves no doubt to the imagination with each of his endeavours, so in turn, this is one interview that you most definitely do not want to miss out on.
Influencing the electronic music scene in the most immersive of fashions, T78 (real name Manuele Tessarollo) is the epitome of an artist that has mastered his craft to the utmost of perfection. Maintaining a unique approach towards Techno and everything that it has to offer, the Italian DJ/Producer ensures nothing less than the most energetic of vibes, whilst his ability of catering for all type of genres, most definitely helps him stand out from all the rest. Elevating his sound on the most constant of levels, each of his productions have been amassing millions of streams, whilst the likes of Carl Cox, Pan Pot, Ritchie Hawtin and Amelie Lens are just a mere few of the acts that have supported this artist to watch. Launching his very own label, Autektone Records, T78 provides up and coming artists with a platform of expressing their feelings through music in the purest of forms, and at the same time, his overall approach towards both music production and life in general, have helped elevate his presence within our community. Having said this, we could not be any more thrilled to be joined by the man of the moment, as he discusses the main inspirations and influences that led to his chosen career pathway in music, the feelings gained when supported by his fellow peers, and of course the love that he receives at each of his highly-energetic live shows, the creation and establishment of his own imprint, his upcoming shows during Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), the main thought process behind his most recent releases, what the future holds for T78 and so much more.
Hello and thank you for joining us! Could you give us an insight on the main inspirations and influences that led to your chosen career pathway in music?
Since I was a little boy I have always been surrounded by dance music. My mother listened to a lot of Italo disco and synth pop because she liked to go dancing. At the age of 12 (1990) I discovered house music thanks to a tape of a live performance in a local nightclub given to me by the older brother of one of my classmates. I was hooked for life and from that moment on my search for dance music never stopped! After middle school I already had the conviction that I wanted to be a DJ but only towards the end of the 90s did I understand that to fully succeed on an international level I would also have to be a successful producer so I spend all my money in buying studio equipment and after approximately 20 releases I got my first international booking (2002).
With Techno your prominent choice of genre, we would like to know how your unique approach towards music production came to be, as well as your thoughts on the significance of maintaining a versatile nature in this day and age?
I think calling my music techno is somewhat simplistic and many people might even think that I don’t really do techno. The bases are certainly techno but my path has been so varied that I pour all my background I accumulated in the 90s into my productions. I don’t set limits for myself but I try to make things that may appear distant from each other coexist harmoniously. Having grown up and having shaped my musical taste in the 90s, I was used to everything precisely because all the most important electronic dance music styles were born in that decade which I absorbed like a sponge.
Garnering the support of some of the biggest names within the dance scene, as well as amassing millions of streams with each of your releases, could you give us an insight on your own outlook of navigating life within the electronic dance community, as well as the overall feelings received through the recognition of your dedication towards the craft you love?
I would like to point out that I have always made music mainly for myself and very few times with the intention of pleasing the tastes of the masses or of a particular DJ so when I saw that many of the most popular names on the scene were playing my productions I could only be proud of it, especially because those tracks were very different from everything that was being proposed at that moment. Dance music is unpredictable because you can turn the situation upside down at any moment if you have the right idea or intuition. Making a track that sounds like something else is not for me.
Connecting people through not only your music, but also your live performances, we would like to know how you prepare before a show, as well as the significance behind providing the most energetic of vibes for everyone in attendance of a T78 event?
I am someone who produces a lot, at least a track or 2 a month and honestly, playing almost exclusively my own stuff, my DJ sets are more like concerts or showcases where the majority of the public is already ready and aware of what they will listen to in the 2 hours of show. Obviously I always come prepared to play tracks by other producers that I find similar to my style but as long as my creativity allows me I will always try to make my DJ sets a very intimate experience with the public so that the day after the performance they can easily find the tracks on my spotify or just going crazy over a new track id that hasn’t been released yet. I would like to point out that one of the reasons that led me to invest a lot in production is the fact of creating personal music as I would have wanted to hear it and dance on the dance floor which, however, at that moment wasn’t there or even ever made before.
Launching your very own label in the form of Autektone Records, could you give us a further insight on the spirit that embraces yourself and your team, as well as an overview of the environment that you have created, and are now providing up and coming Techno and not only artists with?
Autektone Records was born exactly from what I said above. I felt the need to release my vision of techno. Now the hard sound has been widely accepted and it even became mainstream but only in 2017 it was pure utopia and from all the labels that agreed to listen to my demos I heard the answer that I went too far outside the classic rules of techno for who knows what obscure reasons it wanted to evolve very slowly. After a few years where I only released my own stuff, sometimes even under other pseudonyms or as a ghost producer, I managed to group together a small number of good producers who understood and supported my vision of techno. I listen to new demos weekly and I’m always open to new music and new collaborations.
With Amsterdam Dance Event edging ever closer, we would like to know how high the excitement and anticipation levels currently are, as well as an overview on your itinerary and the events that you will be performing during this celebration of electronic dance music?
ADE week is always exciting, both for us artists and for all the clubbers who meet in Amsterdam to celebrate electronic music in an abundance of evenings for all musical tastes. My first experience was in 2009 but only as a member of the publishing group of which I am part and with whom I have worked closely since 2003. This year I will perform 3 shows:
- 18/10 – Melkweg – HilomatikÂ
- 10/19 – Club UP – Codex and Union three
- 10/20 – VERKNIPT
ADE is also very cool to shake hands and have a little talk to all those insiders whom you only speak on the phone or via email during the year.
Having graced the dance scene for over two decades now, could you provide us with your own thoughts on how the scene has changed since your emergence, the experience that you have gained along the way, as well as the key factor(s) that continue to motivate you to this very day?
For over 2 decades I have mainly produced hard music and even my career as a DJ has always seen me perform in parties or clubs where the genre proposed was mostly hard. However the real success came when I decided to abandon the hardstyle scene which had changed too much but which had seen me as a protagonist for 10 years, to undertake the techno turn. Lately the new hard techno wave draws a lot from early hardstyle (2000/2005) and therefore for me it’s a bit like starting over but with an updated formula. The secret is to get back into the game and do things from the heart without following the trends of the moment, I prefer to be an authentic brand even if too visionary. To continue to have new stimuli I am always looking for ideas from old vinyls of the past or listening to many new producers, perhaps still immature but with unconscious creativity.
Continuing to bless fans alike with each of your releases and with ‘Hell or Heaven’ and ‘Ikarus’ acting as the most recent and upcoming T78 tracks, we would like to know the main thought process behind their production, as well as the overall message that you have set out to portray with each of these certified hits?
Everything always starts from a clear idea whether it is a vocal sample or a melody or simply an effect but which immediately decides everything that the rest of the track will revolve around. For ‘Hell or Heaven‘ everything was based on the ravestab riff while for ‘Ikarus‘ the vocal sample that says “put your hands together” distinguished the mood of the track. All my productions are oriented to the dancefloor, I almost never produce abstract or too experimental music because what I love to share with the people are precisely the vibes and energy that I feel coming out of my songs.
With 2023 soon coming to a close, could you provide us with any hints on any new T78 music that is also in the works, as well as any plans that you have in terms of live performances as we are soon entering 2024?
The end of 2023 will still be as full of new music as the first months of 2024. After the release of ‘Ikarus‘ on Hilomatik, I will release a new collab with Reinier Zonneveld and Motvs on FOA, then at the end of December there will be the new various artist Tektones 13 selected by me which will also contain an exclusive unreleased track of mine. For 2024 I have an album in store called ‘T78 presents Activator‘ in the wake of many hard techno gigs that I will do next year.
Never failing to impress, T78 has well and truly set his sights on global dominance, and as you may have guessed, we are all for it. More than set on taking over ADE next week, each of his shows promise nothing less than the most energetic and fully euphoric of vibes. With this said, be sure to check out the official ADE website here for more information on tickets, time schedules and any general enquiries, and at the same time, do not forget to stay fully up to date with all things T78, by following him on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
Image Credit: T78 / Provided By: B4 Bookings Public
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