Ahead of one of the most anticipated festivals on the circuit, Kappa FuturFestival, we spoke to hometown hero and regular performer at the festival itself Enrico Sangiuliano. Reminiscing over his debut set at the festival, we also wanted to talk to him about recent release 'Discipline EP' as well as the unique concept of his NINETOZERO temporary record label.
Obviously this isn’t your first time at Kappa FuturFestival. Can you tell us what makes the festival so special to you that you keep coming back? How does the Kappa FuturFestival atmosphere and the crowds compare to any other event?
“Yeah, I’ve been playing Kappa from 2019 and it’s always a special one for many reasons. First of all, it’s in my home country, made with passion, and I’m really proud that Italy has a festival like this on such a high international level. Then there’s the lineup, which always brings some surprises. Sometimes it’s about who opens or closes a stage, and it’s often not what you’d expect. I really like that.
But maybe the most personal reason is that Kappa was the first place where I felt truly recognised on a big scale in Italy. I will never forget the early slot I played in 2019 under the boiling sun with an ocean of people in front, showing so much love and good vibes. This memory makes every return very meaningful. I’m really looking forward to stepping on the stage again.”
Recently, you released the ‘Discipline EP’ on your NINETOZERO imprint, which features the track ‘The Techno Code’ debuted at Kappa FuturFestival in 2024. Can you tell us more about the journey that this track has been on from debut up to release?
“The Techno Code was born from the need to express the theme of Discipline, which is one of the chapters of my label NINETOZERO. From the start, I had a clear idea: a voice guiding you through a classic techno structure, almost like someone reading the rules.
The track actually started on the dancefloor. I first worked on the sound design, then wrote the voice text, and by the time Kappa came around last year, I had a rough version ready to test. The crowd’s reaction gave me the push to go deeper with it, and I kept evolving the track show after show, until it became the final version. So in a way, it was a journey from dancefloor to studio and back again.”
Also on the EP are tracks by Zimmz, Secret Cinema and About Sofiya. Can you tell us more about these, how did you pick these artists to be involved around the Discipline theme?
“We actually shaped the EP through an open call. I invited producers to send in their take on the concept of Discipline, both in sound and in words, and we received over 800 submissions. From those, two tracks really stood out. One by Zimmz, and the other by Secret Cinema with About Sofiya.
Zimmz made a track that’s both impactful and very connected to the vision of 9to0. The lyrics go, “We keep looking back, while the end is near. As the truth appears, we build a reset.” It reflects on how we often miss the present, and only when it’s too late we realize where we are. That idea of building a reset connects directly with the message of the label. Destruction and rebirth, the loop of beginnings and endings.
The track by Secret Cinema and About Sofiya is a completely different type of discipline. It was built around the idea of the color purple. Every element – even the frequency balance – was designed to reflect that. If you analyze it through a spectrogram, it literally forms a purple shape. That level of detail and sound design is, for me, the definition of discipline. It’s not loud, it’s not aggressive, it’s just a deep, mature, beautiful journey.“
You’ve announced a remix package coming too of your track ‘The Techno Code’. What do you think each of these reworks has brought to the original?
“The track says, “These are my rules,” so I thought — let’s open it up and let others reinterpret those rules. I made the vocal parts available for everyone, so producers or fans can download them, make their own version of The Techno Code, and either tag me or submit it through a form. It’s been amazing to hear how differently people approach it.
At the same time, we’ve put together an official remix package that’s coming out on July 3rd on NINETOZERO. It includes remixes from Kevin de Vries & SLVR, Charlotte de Witte, and Avalon vs. Tristan. They each took the track in their own direction — from deep and driving to something more psychedelic. It really opened up the sound and showed how flexible the concept can be. And the support so far has been incredible.“
The label itself, NINETOZERO, also has an interesting concept. For those who don’t know, can you explain the ‘temporary’ concept of the label and why you decided it would be like that?
“The temporary nature is already in the name: NINETOZERO = 9 to 0. It’s a countdown. The label started at chapter 9 and will end at chapter 0, and then it’s over. The idea was to build a narrative, to release a limited number of records, each with a clear concept, and make every piece of music have a reason to exist. In a world where there’s so much music being released all the time, I wanted to go in the opposite direction. Instead of flooding the market, I wanted to slow down and tell a story, piece by piece.
Also, I believe that everything eventually ends; labels, stories, even lives. The only difference here is that NINETOZERO started with its end already planned. It began in 2022 and will finish at the end of 2025. The countdown structure also keeps you aware. You know where we are in the journey, and that it won’t last forever. Nothing lasts forever. It’s a reminder to stay present, to follow it while it’s here. Because when we reach zero, it’s gone.“
After the label is over, what plans will you have to perhaps start another?
“Haha, great question. To be honest, I don’t have a precise plan, and that’s the beauty of it. I’m fully focused on this final phase of NINETOZERO. I really want to bring it to a close in the best way possible. After that, I think I’ll just enjoy the silence for a bit. Absence creates space, and space allows for new ideas to come. So I want to give myself that time. For now, what comes next is still unknown, and I kind of love that.”
What else does 2025 have in store?
“This summer is really exciting. Every show I have booked is something I truly want to do, and that’s a great feeling. I’m looking forward to Kappa Futur in Turin of course, and also to playing Awakenings, Junction 2, and a some iconic club nights like Fabric in London, Bolivar Beach Club in Athens, and my debut at Lux in Lisbon. There’s also a special surprise set planned for July 22nd, which I can’t say much about yet, but it’s going to be quite unique. There are also a couple of great events in which I will share the lineup with my wife Charlotte and both our teams. Always makes it extra fun!
Besides that, I just want to enjoy some time with friends, see my family now and then, and find balance between noise and silence, especially in nature. That’s always been a big source of inspiration for me.”
Enrico Sangiuliano’s ‘The Techno Code’ Remixes EP ft. Kevin de Vries & SLVR, Charlotte de Witte, Avalon & Tristan drops July 3rd on NINETOZERO. Get it here.
Kappa FuturFestival takes place in Turin 4-6th July. Tickets here.
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