Annalisa Bruno

ANNALISA 
BRUNO 

Do it with passion or not at all!

Annalisa loves music and shooting music documentaries, live events and artist’s press photos. A heavy involvement in the Dance music industry has led to collaborations with many dance music related organizations such as Loveland, Awakenings, Chemistry, ADE, 365Mag and Elevator Passion; as well as almost all the main nightclubs of Amsterdam. The sky is the limit and her talent has taken her to many countries from London to Ibiza,Italy, Holland, Turkey and Dubai. Currently she is Resident Photographer at East Village Club in London where she has the pleasure of working with a number of artists she really loves, including Hernan Cattaneo, Danny Howells, Paul Sparkes, Stuart Patterson and many more..

What inspired you to be come a DJ and event photographer? How did it all start?

I've always been heavy involved in the dance music industry simply because I love dance music :) Loving photography as well made the combination happen quite naturally. 

You need to be a party person to be able to really capture the true spirit of a party. I know dance music, I know where it will take the crowd and exactly when :) I Love anticipating every break to catch the perfect moment. 

Your love for photography and dance music has led you on some incredible journeys, we know you are currently the resident Photgrapher at EastVillage in London, how did that begin ?

I started shooting at East Village pretty much as soon as I moved to London and soon became weekly resident as the club immediately recognised not only the value of regular event photography but also the benefits of having a unique and recognisable style by choosing one photographer to represent them. They loved my style so that photographer was me :) I know the club well now and what they are about, which makes it easy to portray that in my images I also know all the regular clubbers and they know me, it's fun (Oh yes, I do love my job :) and if not personally, they know my pictures. It's such a pleasure when I'm stopped on the dance floor by people who follow the club's life in pictures and always have compliments for my work. I always feel a little embarrassed but very happy. Good feedback really drives

 The positive feedback seems to be taking you really far, like Turkey and Dubai far! Can you tell us about your international shoots with Elevator Passion and what went down while you traveled?

Haha.. I can’t tell you ‘everything’ that went down of course :) But I can tell you it was fantastic! I joined the team to Dubai to shoot a reportage of the whole experience and of course of the event where Lisa and Cenk where performing. 

And we went with an even bigger team to Antalia, Turkey to produce a very large outdoor event. I love travelling with the team, such a talented and creative group of professionals, all very much driven by that passion for what we do. It's all about passion! We share and learn more from each other at every trip and as the Elevator Passion family grows bigger..as we do as individuals. It makes working together inspiring, not to mention lots and lots and lots of fun!!!! These kind of experiences always make me say again "God, I love my job!" We are privileged to do what we do in life and being surrounded by like-minded professionals artists is a wonderful place.

On top of the travels we also hear that you’re also in popular demand for artist press photography, and for some very high profile djs too. Do you feel this is due to the culmination of all your hard work
and experience and now its time to enter new leagues?

Yes, it sure is. Many djs have seen my events photos and liking my style, have asked about press shots. I like these shoots as I enjoy every stage. I do everything starting from the research.
creative concept development and locationscouting, to full production, styling and make-up,photography in studio or on location and finishing off with editing. It's a very creative and exciting process.

We did a big one with Elevator Passion last summer, shooting press shots for all the artists of the agency, so the usual job times 12, in one day! A lot of hard work but so much fun! From developing the concept with Lisa to achieving the end result. Lisa put together a great enthusiastic team here in Amsterdam to make it happen. And of course teamwork with EP is always such pleasure. What a great day!

After that, I did a solo production in London this winter that I am very proud of.

I met Hernan Cattaneo at ADE 2011 while working for Elevator Passion and 365mag. I took a quick shot of him in a car park after we interviewed him backstage during a gig. He liked that shot enough to hire me a year later for his new press pack. What he didn't know at the time is that he is my favourite dj, I adore his music, so you can imagine how that feels :)

More press shoots are already being planned, but you'll just need to watch this space to find out which artist is next..... :)

If you want to see the press shots, or want to know the possibilities of a conceptual photoshoot? check the video on the right!

MC Complicated

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The most energetic MC in the lowlands

MC Complicated – One of the most colorful personalities in the Amsterdam nightlife!

With a rich history , playing drums in a church choir, star in a punk band, being a drummer with the Sunclub and touring the whole world. Owning a club in Ibiza and his MC Career - there have been many incredible moments in Antonio’s life and many more to come !

How did it all start for you?

As a child I had a passion for drumming. But unfortunately my foster parents never appreciated it nor encouraged me. My Parents were very religious back then and every sunday I had to visit church, since listening to the priest wasn't very exciting , I got creative and decided to join the church choir, where I then learned very much as I drummed for them for 4 years and we even released an Album that was sold at the church on Sundays. It’s funny my career ‘started’ in the church.

When we read your bio we can see you have a diverse background. You played funk to rock to dance music.

I just love music a lot. Prince, Michael Jackson, Jimmie Hendrix and James Brown are my biggest inspirations. I listened so much to their music. I don’t believe in boundaries. My whole life I made music led my life. But when I heard electronic music for the very first time I was just sold.

How did you get in touch with electronic music?

I first met acid –house at the infamous Roxy. I didn’t know what happened to me that night. It was a an amazing experience. I just couldn’t stop dancing the whole night. At that point my love for dance music was born. 

After seven successful years you quitted with The Sunclub. Why?

I had an amazing time at The Sunclub. I travelled around the world with my music and I developed myself as an artist. But at some point my musical identity had changed and I decided to move on and go my own way.

I started to play with many popular Dutch dj’s such as Sunnery James & Rian Marciano with my live percussions during their dj sets in events like Dance valley, Pleasure Island and many more festivals alike.

In 2004 the sun was calling and I followed my dream of opening a club in Ibiza, which I ran for a year. Easier said than done, because the maffia squeezed all my savings out of me and I lost everything in just one year.

That must have been a very difficult time for you.

It was extremely difficult. I was out of running for a year after that. But I never quit. That’s not in my nature. I always move on to a new chapter in my life.

One thing leads to the other and after all of that I got back on the roll and my MC career kicked off in Bulgaria where I was resident at a friend’s beach club. After many positive comments about my energetic approach in Bulgaria as an MC, I got  offered to host many festivals, namely Welcome to the Future. From this point my career gained massive momentum and set me up to be “The Master of Ceremony” that I am today.

 

It’s an amazing and rich past you have led. What is your current dream?

My dream... I am already living it! I want to continue entertaining people around the world with MC’ing, doing percussions and giving them the extra vibe through using my voice and energy.

You are also a presenter at 365mag.com, tell us a bit about that.

I’ve been connected to 365mag.com for many years and did MC’ing, hosting and percussion at many of their events. Currently I am also one of the presenters on their weekly live show and I also do the video interviews. In May we’re going to host one stage at Edit Festival. Last year the first edition was a big success. I’m really looking forward to host the stage this year again.

Where does the name MC Complicated come from?

It actually comes from Facebook. Your relationship status can be adjusted to “single”, “married” or to my favourite one: “complicated”. I felt comfortable with this status. I’m complicated, my life is complicated so I am MC Complicated.

What was your                                   

 most special gig?How did you           How did you end up working with Elevator Passion?

I know Elevator Passion for a long time already and always had a good feeling about the agency. Now that it’s connected to 365MAG I decided to join the group. I’m ready for a new episode in my music life and I feel that Elevator Passion can give me the support I need. I hope to do more international gigs now. This is going to be my year!

OSCAR BARILA

Hi Oscar,

Its nice to meet you! I heard several stories about you but didn’t know exactly who you are… let’s give our readers an inside of your career!

Last april you released your album on Plastic City – Parallel Minds.  It’s really nice!  In the meanwhile your making music for a pretty long time, right? Is your style changed since you began  producing EDM?

Hello! Nice to meet you too! And thanks a lot for your nice words about my album!

I have been making music for about 6 years and playing about 14 years. Since the beginning, I have always been a very eclectic artist.I remember that one crazy night could start with a dj set in a tech house club, then in the morning, I played techno at a rave and afterwards I went to an after hour to play some deep house.

I still continue with this flexibility of styles. We could say that I have two sides, a deep one and a dancefloor one. Some artists prefer to use different names for each style, but I decided to always use the same name… Because it is actually how I am, flexible and open-minded.  About the album, we could say that it  is a mix of my both sides; deepness & elegance, but also groove.

 I heard through the grapevine that you  are also a fan or rockmusic? Why did your choose for techno and not the rockscene?

I didn’t choose techno, techno choose me!!! hahaha. No seriously, I’m actually a lot into rock and indie music. I always have listened a lot of rock at home, I often go party to rock clubs and I still play indie music under my alias New Faker dj.

Last year I  was resident dj in a pair of indie clubs and played in  some others very often. New faker dj is my relief from so many synths and 4/4 beats of my day by day routine. I still  love rock!

Who or what inspired you to produce House & tech-house?

I the beginning I was really inspired by artists such as Luke Slater, Laurent Garnier, Aphex Twin,Jeff Mills, Kevin Saunderson and many others. Nowadays my biggest influence is my own environment. I know it may sound a bit pedantic, but it is the thruth…I feel inspired by my feelings, travels, cities, parties, girls, films, and yes also by a lot of music… There are many things that can inspire you, don’t you think?

You released your album in April but can you explain me the titel of your album Parallel minds? Where did that came from?

The title of the album and all the artwork is based on quantum physics, that’s why the cover design has fractals. I believe a bit in the idea that we are all connected in some way. Sometimes when you have a lot of connections with someone and the thoughts of both walk in the same way,  we could say you have  “Parallel Minds”

Music-wise there is a lot variaty in your album from vocal-heavy, big room house, individually and together…But what is the typical Oscar sound? How can you define your music?

It can be deep house, tech-house, disco or merengue. But it is always going to be groovy.

 You have been playing twice in the Netherlands. Is there a big difference between the Dutch public than for example the Spanish crowd?

Spanish public can be very good, but I must recognize that German public is simply awesome, specially in Berlin. You know, it’s like playing football in Maracana Stadium! I also thought that Dutch public is the most similar to the German, so I definitely love the Netherlands, yesss!

Did you ever work together with a dutch DJ/producer?

I have some Dutch dj friends, I have remixed them and also have been remixed by them. But on the other hand,  I never have made any track alongside them…But hey! The world didn’t over last December 21, so we still have time to make some tracks, why not?

Talking about The Netherlands, how did you come in contact with Elevator Passion?  

Mmm we met through Facebook. I think Lisa and Cenk knew me because of my track “DurumFalafel”. One day Lisa told me about Elevator Passion and their parties. She told me that she likes my music and in the future would like me to play  in one of their parties.

 Some months later I was playing in one of their parties and some time later I joined Elevator Passion. I’m pleased to be part of their Agency. They  are great professionals and specially very nice people.

Thanks! We are happy to have you! A collaboration between Elevator Passion and yourself can only be elevating right? ;)

Yesss! The elevetor only goes up up and up. There is no down buttom!!! hahaha

Besides producing you also give lessons, is that right? Can you tell me more about this, which artist are in your class? Un-know, upcoming, or known artist?

Yes, I also work as electronic music production teacher. I give courses in a pair of studios in my city Valencia. All my students are from my area and most of them are dj’s, yes.  Some of my students are starting to release their first ep’s and have a really nice sound. Seeing their evolution is very satisfactory and I’m very proud of them.

Are you an autodidact or did you also take lessons?

I have practiced and tried to learn a lot alone, but I also studied superior studies of “Sound” in Spain. As result of it, my  production skills improved a lot and still keep on improving every day.

Nowadays some guys think that making music is just fitting some loops with your DAW…but  is very important to have a good knowledge of sound design to really get a good sound in your productions. It’s not necessary to study sound engineering, but this kind of courses like mine or Unis Academy in Amsterdam really help.

In total you made a lot of remixes, solo productions and productions in collaboration with other Djs. Also throught a lot of record labels as Kling Klong, Plastic City, Suara, Material Series, Nite Grooves and Parquet. But can you tell me your one and only favourite track or collaboration with a record label??

This is a hard question. It’s like answering to a father who is his favorite son or daughter hahaha. I’m very proud of all my tracks, all them show my feelings of that moment and also my evolution through the time. But mmm, maybe my album on Plastic City is my favorite son, you know? An album is always harder and longer to produce than an ep and is one step beyond in a producer career.

Afterall, it’s going super well with you at the moment. What are your new goals for 2013, new labels, producing, playing abroad??

2012 has been one of my best years so far. I have played around the Globe, published eps on top labels and released my first album.  I hope to continue in 2013 with this hot streak and my career keeps on elevating with passion.

 Beside all these question if got some left. There are so much intressting things happening around you!

I heard you A&R manager of my little dog, right? since how long are you doing this?

Yes, I’m the A&R of My Little Dog Records since the beginning of the label, in 2008. Since a pair of years ago, I’m also the owner of the label, alongside Sergio Parrado.

How did you involve with my little dog and became A&R?

Sergio Parrado had a label called Minijack. Then he stopped the label and started My Little Dog. He asked me to be in charge of the digital releases while he was in charge of the vinyl ones. With the time I started to be the A&R while he took care of another label matters.

How do you choose the music for your label?

Easy, the oracle guides me with his legendary knoweledge! hahaha

No, really…It’s like when you are looking for music. You check out a huge bunch of tracks, and when you find a groove that you like, you feel is good in seconds, isn’t? So in this case is the same

We recieve a lot of demos every day. I check them all and make a pre selection of the ones I liked at first listening. Then I check them again and again during different days, until being sure that the tracks are perfect for us.

Is there a criteria what you use?

No, I listen all the tracks we recieve with the same interest. I don’t care about who is the artist, or if he is known or not.
 

I also heard that my little dog is opening a booking agency can you tell me how you started this, what your doing and what your future perspective is?

 Yes, I like how you have described it, because we are not a label making bookings. We have created an agency called MLD Bookings. We did it because we felt the need to go one step beyond and make our musical project even bigger. Our idea is making a family of friends and good producers, release their music and also taking care of their gigs as they deserve. We are djs and know what djs and clubs need.

 We manage some artists in Spain and another ones in Europe. The agency just started but we are very happy with the first results.

We have on board very good djs such as Martin Eyerer, Arnaud LeTexier, Ronan Portela, Tony Dee, Pawas, Dole & Kom, Kike Mayor and of course, Oscar Barila and Sergio Parrado.

Check out our web for more info www.mylittledog.org

Nicole

Elevator Passion