‍What inspired you to do what you’re doing?

I grew up in a family of artists. My father was a painter, played three musical instruments, and was a collector of jazz and classical records. I started to play the piano when I was very young and by the age of 16 I bought my first synthesiser. From that moment on, I spent every free minute composing music and saving money so I could build my own small recording studio at home. By the age of 22, I released my first record on Virgin which made it to #1 in the dance charts and from that moment on, my life was fully dedicated to music.

Do you think you’ll ever change direction?

For the moment, I’m happy and I enjoy what I do, but surely one day the time will be over—especially for touring and playing so many shows throughout the year. I believe that producing music will always stay in my life until the end.

What advice would you give your younger self today?

Well, make sure you learn to produce music so you are not depending so much on others and try to be yourself and as authentic as you can. Nobody wants a replica.

Do you consider your work a luxury or a necessity?  

It’s 100% a luxury because I’m free to do whatever I want and I’ve managed to make my hobby into a profession. Spending days and nights in the studio or traveling to other destinations and playing in front of a crowd never really feels like work!

Who/what was the last thing that made a significant impact on your thought processes/creative processes?

I can’t say there is or was a thing. Mostly I get my inspiration from my lifestyle. I travel a lot and I witness different cultures and I listen to very different genres of music. This is enough to make an impact on my creative processes.

How do you keep yourself inspired?

There is no formula for me.

What do you do when you’re not “working”?

I prefer to be alone or to spend my time in nature and to have silence around me. Or have a nice dinner with friends and play tennis. I also love swimming in the sea.

What do you want people to take from your work?

I think I have my own signature and my own style of production which is different to others so I believe that that could inspire a lot of other producers for sure.

What are you currently listening to, reading, or watching?

For the past three months, especially during lockdown, I have done nothing except composing my new music so I didn’t have so much time for movies or other people’s music.

Which record or artist influences you most?

A lot of artists from the 80s and 90s, such as Prince, New Order, Kraftwerk, Eurythmics, Seal, George Michael, Pet Shop Boys, and the soul divas such as Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, and Barry White.

What do you think something like a global pandemic does to collective/individual creativity?

Well, if you don’t start to panic and turn that into fear or anxiety, you surely will have time to reflect a lot and have enough space to be creative and come up with new projects.

Does the isolation influence your creative process?

Yes, in a very good way because I am able to work for the first time in years without any distractions. No big meetings, no travelling, no events, no hangouts with friends—just full focus on music. I have produced a lot of stuff lately.