Born and raised in a city called Monopoli, South Italy, based in Berlin, Francys is a producer who makes some great Techno and Tech House music. His sound is fresh and hypnotic and we enjoyed listening to his releases. Now Francys mixed some great sounds for us and answered few questions.
Read the interview and enjoy the music!
Hi Francys, how are you? Can you tell us some basic stuff about you?
Hello guys, I’m doing good, I’m really happy to talk with you. Some basic stuff about me… well, I was born in Italy 25 years ago also if I probably look younger… I started to dj and making music very early, I’m not really that kind of clubber guy who goes out every weekend, some days I prefer staying at home doing some music or ,maybe just watching a movie. I like good food, good wine, and of course good music. Actually I live in Berlin where I moved 2 years ago, but I love to spend some days in Italy during the summer, stay with my family and meet some old friends.
You are coming from a town called Monopoli, South Italy. How is the scene there?
Monopoli is a beautiful place, with a fantastic see, super good food and very warm and friendly south Italian people. We have lots of clubs, most of them are small…there’s not a real scene there, so people mostly follow the trend or simply what the club wants to propose, thats why most of the time they use to make always the same events with the same djs and thats one of the reason I moved in Berlin. But if you look with more attention there are some guys making amazing music in their rooms, techno, house, EDM or Hip Hop and maybe playing worldwide.
When did you started to make music and release records?
I used my first sequencer when I was around 15 years old, since that time I never stopped and I get totally addicted. I did different kind of music in the past from electro to progressive and tribal so It took several years and thousand of hours looked in my room to reach at least that sound I needed to get my first contacts with labels and release my first vinyl EP when I was 18.
Can you describe is the process when you are making new tracks, and what do you use most?
I’m not using always the same method, every time I make a track it’s a new experience for me, sometimes it’s just like messing around, without knowing where I will land. Mostly I start with the atmosphere, creating a special ambient using lexicon reverbs on sounds or recording from the environment, giving that “ambient” touch that I try to keep in my music, than I add the drum sounds and the main synth using various Vst ,Plug-in and some machines and old keyboards like Yamaha DX7. Some other times in the opposite way I start making drums from my TR-8 or Korg drum machines making them going through different effects. I think having a defined method could be a good thing since you can easily make tracks and make them sounding similar but sometimes could also be like freezing your ideas and close your inspiration into a box that doesn’t let you see what’s outside.
You have quality tracks in your discography. What is your criteria when you are producing and main goal that you are trying to achieve?
My main goal when I produce music is quality. I try to make something that satisfies myself as producer…and I still can’t make it! I think thats one of the best and worst part about me, by one side i’m never happy with my music so I try to do always better and better,by the other side sometimes it took more than one month to have the finished track that I magically decide to keep unreleased after another month ahaha.
And where do you find inspiration, and who do you cherish the most from your colleagues?
I’m very fascinated from art in every form (music, pictures, architecture,ext), I was always surrounded with art since I was kid…I also used to paint in my childhood and sometimes when I see a picture, or simply listening to music, I think about living a paradoxical situation, someway I find inspiration thinking about sound as language, as frequencies, as movement..for me it’s just a way to express myself, what I feel in that moment translating it into sound. There are lot of great producers and friends I cherish , like Alex Niggemann who helped me to find my identity as producer and gave me the chance to release my music on great platforms such as Soulfooled and Aeon, Steve Bug who is always been one of my point of reference since I started djing, my friend Nico Lahs, the legends Trentemoller and Dj Koze, Mathew Jonson…There would be really a lot to mention!
Who has the most influence on you and your music?
Good question…first of all my girlfriend Marica…she follows me since 6 years and she’s always been the first listener of my music, I think she has a good and particular taste on music and last but not least there are my friends Vito and Niki both coming from my hometown, both djs and producers they are my house mates here in Berlin. We often find each other together in front some good italian food talking about music and sharing ideas.
Your latest EP Different Shapes came out on Aeon Records last month. Is there a story behind the release? What inspired you to do it?
I’ve started working at this EP when I moved in Berlin. It’s been the first project after almost 4 months of stop after bringing all my gear from Monopoli to Berlin. I was totally inspired different city, another view from my window but again with my music, my keyboards and I though how strange was to be there and how everything constantly changes taking “different shapes” every time.
What kind of set have you prepared for our readers?
This time I decided to change the game a bit. The set is basically dedicated to the listener. My tale flows through minimal, electronica, deep and techno and broken beats, creating ascending and discending climax keeping the experience interesting; going from legendary Bob Moeses LP “ All in All” to Reptile Youth with the fabulous Neville Attraee Remix or TVA with Bold on AMAM. It’s all running around 122-123 BPM so I think you’ll easy enjoy it in your car, dancing on your bed or simply reading The Clubber magazine!
New projects for the future?
I’m taking care of different projects for the future… I’m preparing a couple of remixes and tracks for the next releases, i’m also working in some parallel projects and some collaborations, but most of all i’ve started working on my first LP, it will be a very long process since I’d like to explore the whole sphere of my sound, creating a flow from more dance floor oriented tracks to a minimalistic and abstract vision of the deepest side of my sound.
