Playing the piano is a real obsession, Bartolomeo has studied classical music all of his life. He’s been touched by all kinds of music, from jazz to blues and new wave. Exploring electronic music has been an obvious choice and has come naturally to him. His productions have an instinctive musicality and a meticulous attention to detail. The same sensibility is in his DJ sets and his touch is delicate and decisive at the same time, just like playing the piano.
Bartolomeo took the time to sit down with us to talk about his release “Castellammare” which is out now via his very own record label BAR Musica.
Connect with Bartolomeo on Soundcloud | Facebook (BAR musica) | Soundcloud (BAR musica)
Hey Bartolomeo, great to meet you! How are you?
Hello everyone at Tanzgemeinschaft and hello to everyone who is reading this! Thank you for having me in this deep conversation. It’s a pleasure!I’m good thanks, even if the days and the world we are living are pretty strange and very scary.
Obviously 2020 has been a tough year for many artists, but how has it been for you on a personal level?
2020 is the year that put the music industry – and the whole humanity – in front of some serious efforts. Personally I’ve never been so busy I think. I locked myself in the studio and wrote so much music. I had a different approach to the process. During the “touring days” you don’t have all the time you need to write music, and when the creative process begins, it’s time to pack and go out for a gig. In these days it was different. I had all the time to experiment and get inspired by the machines and look for the right sound, so it was really funny.
I had all the time to experiment and get inspired by the machines and look for the right sound, so it was really funny.
Tell us about your new “Castellammare” EP on your label BAR Musica. Who or what inspired it, what’s the vibe?
I produced “Castellammare” (and the bside“Proprio Tu”) in the same period – 4 years ago. I’m not one of the people who like to do many releases, I always think if it is the right moment for me. Releasing music for me is a very personal thing, is about sharing a piece of myself with everyone. It took me 4 years to be sure that these two tracks were ready to be released. They came out from the first take in the studio – no edits – no other versions or more production. It was a very instinctive process – and I wanted to keep as they were born to not lose the magic.
Bartolomeo’s “Castellammare” EP is out now on his BAR Musica Grab it here.
And the label – what’s the vibe and aim – will you try and build a family of artists?
Having a record label today is quite a common thing. What made me take the decision to open my own one was the idea of releasing music of people that I respect and that are around me – that makes some of the best music in my opinion. My personal idea is to give the light to the music that give me something, produced by my friends that are around me in the music journey.
BAR Musica is a family, of artist and friends, with the same passion and the same taste, but everyone with his own touch. This is what makes me proud of my little label.
What are the challenges of running a label in the modern era – is it important to connect on social media with fans, for example?
Social media nowadays is the basis if you want to let people know about anything. Especially in these weird days where you cannot travel, share the music, go into a record store. The challenge, in my personal opinion, is to get the right light in the crazy amount of music that get released everyday, and get the people like the same beat you love and believe in. That’s a real challenge, and when it happens, is super satisfying!!
The challenge is to get the right light in the crazy amount of music that get released everyday.
Should dance music be social and politically charged or more about escapism?
Music in general always had a social rule in the world. Is the way for many people to communicate, to celebrate, to protest. Dance music was always the voice of many of us to connect and to share our ideas and our ideals. We are a community. It’s a culture. There is a history and there have been social milestones that we have all achieved together, with our voice. The Music. I personally think that that’s the only way our scene can talk.
How do you feel about the rise of illegal raves – a return to the 90s independent spirit or a different context?
Times are definitely different. The world is different. Illegal raves were the places where probably every one of us had the best times, and where our culture grew. Today is a completely different context. Organizing illegal parties is dangerous in many ways and I think puts our culture under bad lights. There is nothing wrong in celebrating life through the music and do something “illegal” is not a good deal for our scene. I think…
Can you remember where and when and how you first got into dance music?
I remember it perfectly. I was pretty young, about 10 years old. My neighbour had a studio in his house. I was coming back home from school and everyday he invited me to go to his place to show me what he was doing (I was already studying piano so I loved music since forever). I remember the first time I got in. There was a huge collection of records, and he had another room where there were all different machines that were making different sounds. It was like discovering a new world and get into the future. He was giving me lots of records to listen to everyday. Only after a few years I understood that he was one of the pioneers in the Italian scene. Tosi Brandi Cladio aka TBC – resident dj at the incredible Cosmic club in Italy. After that I started going to clubs and I was immediately fascinated by the elegance and magic of the DJ.
What else have you got coming up both yourself and on the label?
As I said earlier, I’ve got very busy in the studio. I’m producing so much music but don’t have any releases planned at the moment. Let’s see where we go. With BAR Musica, we have lots of great music coming out, with amazing artists behind the originals and some masters as remixers. Can’t wait for you to hear what’s coming next.
What is your musical background, your influences and inspirations? How did you come to your sound?
I’ve studied piano and classical music for almost 5 years. My mum was an opera singer and I was always going with her at the rehearsals – that’s where the love for the music began. After that. I started searching music of any kind of genre, from new wave to jazz. Studying from the past and getting into a new genre of music is a thing that I still do, and is actually what makes me feel alive.
Thank you!
