UPFRONTBEATS

With a combined career that spans 40 years, Paul C & Paolo Martini are 2 of the hottest Italians producers around. The pair have worked tirelessly in the studio creating tracks for some of the biggest record labels.

Your combined career’s span over 40 years, but how and when did it all start’

We both dreamed about becoming DJ’s, ever since we were children. DJing wasn’t as fashionable back then, so we simply had a passion for music, as it should be.

Both Paul and I came from different back grounds, so the whole story from where it all started would take forever, but let’s just say we both became DJ’s first and then producers at the beginning of the 90’s.

2010, was the year that Paul and I joined forces. We both had experience working alone, but we found more success working together and sharing ideas’. Since that day we have been able to release our productions and remixes on some of our favourite record labels. Hot Creations, 8bit, Moon Harbour, Cecille, Bedrock, Exploited, Terminal M, Saved, Kling Klong, Material to name a few.

What would you say has been your biggest achievement through out your career’ Anything in particular which you are extremely proud of’

Paolo and I would have to say some of our earlier releases. Ones that made us known to a wider audience and got played by some well established DJ’s. These would have to be our biggest achievements.

Talking on more recent achievements, we would have to mention tracks like ‘Spunk’ on Material, ‘We repeat’ on Cecille, ‘Get this’ on Hot Creations, ‘Take some time’ on Terminal M. Our re-release a few months ago on Saved Records, which Riva Starr had the opportunity to remix. Reaching number 3 on Beatport and staying in the charts for 4 months, would also be another highlight.

Being invited by Jamie Jones to play his Paradise Party at DC10 in Ibiza, and getting an invite to play some of Monika Kruse’s Terminal M parties scattered around Europe, both providing great memories for sure.

Your new EP ‘Control Tower’ has been received with great applause, and all 4 tracks have made the Beatport top 100. How did the idea come about for the EP’ Has it been something you have been working on for some time’

We had the opportunity to work with 8bit last year, when we released the ‘Bermuda EP’, which went down extremely well. So we sent over a few tracks to Nick and Gorge again to check their thoughts. We were lucky enough the guys loved them, which was great.

Every track has a different story, but generally when it comes to creating a track we are quick movers. We know where we want to go, and what we want to do with them. Usually we test them in the clubs and listen to how they sound, crowd reactions and so on. Sometimes they just work immediately, in certain cases we re-touch some of the elements, but in this instant it wasn’t the case.

Obversely the chemistry you both share in the studio and behind the turn tables work, but why is this’ Who brings what in terms of production and idea’s’

It depends’ usually Paul C starts with the beats and groove, as he’s very good at that, and then we start to build up the track together. Researching sounds and samples; choosing the main elements and then arranging elements to make them work.

We argue sometimes but that’s normal, as anyone knows who shares a project together, it’s like a marriage, sometimes you have to find a compromise.

The summer is well under way now, has there been any tracks heating up the dance floors for you’

&ME ‘ Woods on Keinemusik, it’s such a great track.

Jamie Jones & Patrick Topping had the privilege of playing ‘Big Black Car’ at this years BBC Radio 1 Ibiza twenty year party This must have been a special moment. Could you tell us your thoughts and feelings the first time you played in Ibiza and why do you think it’s so special to so many people’

‘Privilege’ is definitely the right word, to have a track played by them at such a big event is a real honour for us. It’s always a great feeling when Jamie spins a track of ours, he’s been supporting us for some time now. It’s nice to see other artists like Patrick supporting us a well.

I Paolo, got the chance to play in Ibiza a few years ago. Taking up slots at Pacha and later on at Amnesia and Space. It wasn’t until last year we played together at DC10, for Jamie Jones’s Paradise party. It was such a magical night with a incredible atmosphere.

Ibiza is so special because there’s a feeling of freedom. It doesn’t matter what nationality or skin colour you are, every ones there for one thing, the love of the music.

It’s where the ‘Balearic Beat’ started in the late 80′, it’s the island of music, that’s why is unique.

Could you give us your favourite Ibiza classic and why’

There’s a few which come to mind’ but if we’re talking about the late 80′ early 90′, tracks like the Woodentops ‘Why Why Why’, played regularly by Alfredo at Amnesia springs to mind.

Then Elkiin & Nelson’s ‘Jibaro’, Housemaster Boys’s ‘House Nation’, Farley Jackmaster Funk’s ‘Love can’t turn around’, Sterling Void’s ‘It’s Alight’, Joe Smooth’s ‘Promised Land’, Li Louis’s ‘French Kiss’ are all classic tracks from our generation. These tunes maybe unknown to so many young people, but it’s extremely important to know where everything started, those tracks which shaped the sounds we hear today.

Are there any forthcoming gigs you are currently looking forward to playing’

Most of our gigs’ are here in Italy, but we have been touring a little over the past 2 years. Some of our favourite countries we have visited have to be Berlin, Moscow, London, Paris, Dubai and Croatia.

We’ll be back in Dubai and Berlin in September, Amsterdam in November and we have a few other gigs in the pipe line.

If you had opportunity to work with anyone in the industry who would it be and why’

There’s a couple of people that we would love to collaborate with, but at the moment we are happy working together. We believe that together our music is definitely h3er. Maybe next time we will be talking about a few new collaboration, who knows’

Whats next for Paul C & Paolo Martini’ Any big projects we should know about’

We have a new EP which features on Stereo, which gets a release on the 24th August. This includes ‘Waxs’, a track that has already been gaining huge support from the likes of Jamie Jones, Richy Ahmed, Steve Lawler, Reboot, Joris Voorn, Hot since 82.

Then after the summer, Noir releases our remix of the new NICe7 ‘ Dark Walls track. This is followed by ‘Bowshee’, a new track on the 10 Years of 8Bit Sampler. Around November, a remix for Timid Boy’s ‘Extasy’ will be released.

We are currently working on a new EP for ‘Hot Creations’ and ‘Gruuv’, and a new remix for Steve Lawler’s label ‘Viva Music’.