February’s mix is a head slew of Italo (our favourite) from manchester DJ Fries with That. Chugging bass and sweeping synths, lock-in.
Catch our interview with him below.
Hi Fries With That, thanks for coming on the AMF blog. I always like to start these interviews by asking our guests to introduce themselves and tell us a bit about their DJ journey. When did you get started behind the turntables and why?
It’s my pleasure! So I began mixing back in March 2020 during lockdown when I was suddenly confronted with 18 months of my living room, as I imagine many others did. This was ideal as it meant my dodgy blends and questionable beat-matching was limited to an audience of one and that I could dedicate plenty of time, not only to the technical side of playing, but also honing and defining my sound.
I still remember vividly the experience of dropping my first tune at a house party post-lockdown, Martha Walsh’s classic disco anthem ‘Carry On’, and being immediately hooked.
You’ve put together an hour of tops off Italo for your AMF mix which I absolutely love. Is there anything particular about this genre of dance music you really like and are there any DJs, producers or club nights you really look to for inspiration when you’re defining your DJ sound?
I can’t pinpoint the set or tune that first got me into Italo Disco. I think I was aware of the sound for quite a long time before actually discovering the name of the genre and its proponents. I began clubbing in Manchester about a decade ago when I moved here to study and immediately immersed myself in the city’s rich electronic heritage. Initially, it was House and Disco, genres I still play out and enjoy to this day. But it was a later discovery, Italo, that really struck a chord.
For those not in the know, Italo Disco originated in 1970s Italy with its roots in European pop and the work of legendary producer Giorgio Moroder, with the name coming from a catch-all term used by the label ZYX to market the sound. In the past ten years, it has exploded back onto the dance scene through the sets of some of my favourite selectors; Hunee, Job Jobse and Gerd Janson, DJs I often saw in my student days, as well as labels like Red Laser Records and Bordello A Parigi.
Palms Trax’s Boiler Room Dekmantel set in 2018 in particular was probably the point of no return for me when I became hooked, his transitions and track selection are second to none. I love Italo’s otherworldliness and how infectious the synths and hooks are and it definitely informs my wider sound. But if you its a step by step breakdown of the key elements of an Italo song, I’ll leave it to the first track on my mix!
Let’s move on and talk about your mix specifically. How did you go about putting this mix together? What hardware did you use and how do you approach recording a mix? Do you tend to plan out your tracks meticulously or just go in with little forethought?
I put the mix together using Rekordbox and a set of DDJ-400s in my bedroom on an old desk I found in the basement of my house. Not exactly the most glamorous set-up, but it does a job. When I first got into mixing I used to plan out my sets intricately bar by bar, but I’ve found over time that pressing record and seeing where the tunes take you tends to be more effective and can lead you down more interesting avenues. In terms of my track selection, having Italo as a genre was really helpful in focusing my choices and I’ve included a mixture of the classic old-school bits from the 1980s and some newer cuts that update the sound a little but keep those memorable and imaginative synth elements.
Are there any standout tracks on the mix you wouldn’t mind sharing with us? Any tracks you like to come back to time and time again that are always guaranteed to get a reaction from a crowd?
‘Alisand’ by Hugh Bullen is an all-time classic Italo anthem and guaranteed party starter no matter what the setting and the ridiculous breakdown is one of my favourite moments in dance music. I love Hypnotique’s ‘La Penombré’ because it showcases the ethereal and intensely weird side of Italo that is sometimes lost in the more pop-oriented sound. Finally, I have to shout out the penultimate track, the Envotion remix of Michael Casette’s ‘Pangaea’, which I first heard one of my all-time favourite DJs Denis Sulta drop at a party a few summers ago that blew my head clean off and always reliably fills a dancefloor.
Finally, we’re just getting into 2023, what are your expectations for the year and have you got any events or gigs on the horizon you can tell us about?
I’ve got a few gigs at NQ institution Stage & Radio under my belt, the next of which is on 18th February, and hopefully will have some festival news to share in the summer. But I’m still finding my feet if I’m honest, which is why opportunities such as appearing on this blog are so precious. Thank you so much for having me!
