INTERVIEW: Light Minded’s new albums

Based in the Italian city of Bologna, Light Minded is an artist and producer who for years has been inspired by the city’s rich sonic history to make his own music. He’s had a truly astonishing audio journey that’s seen him develop as an artist and offer a thrilling musical evolution that’s touched a range of different genres and styles.

As Light Minded, he made his debut with a double-sided single featuring the tracks “Encode” and “Stress Therapy” in 2013 which he’s followed up with multiple releases over the years since that showcase his groundbreaking productions and compositions. Now, after two years in the making, he brings us his most ambitious project to date with the simultaneous release of two extensive and contrasting records under the FELSINA compilation, featuring music from himself and music curated from his label Switch Music Recordings.

On the first disc titled FELSINA – Open-Minded, Light Minded delivers a deeply immersive journey of ambient IDM music across twenty-four tracks. Weaving mesmeric and enveloping sonic atmospheres of stunning textures wrapped up in exquisite sound design, the first disc of Light Minded’s new release offers a riveting sound that ebbs and flows through intricate beat-driven soundscapes and enthralling synth-led moments.

With the second disc FELSINA – Night-Shift, the mood is changed and the energy charged with twenty-six tracks of experimental and techno pieces. The perfect showcase of Light Minded’s versatile sonic vision and the talent of all the artists involved, the second disc of the FELSINA series delivers a compelling listening experience of the very best of underground electronic dance music.

We caught up with Light Minded to find out more about the incredible new release, his musical journey and what he’s got lined up for the future. Read our interview with Light Minded below.

Hey Light Minded, how’s things?

Ciao! First of all, thank you for this interview, I am honoured. I must say that everything is going well! I am optimistic for this 2023 and really hope to get some good things done 🙂

What was your highlight from 2022?

At the end o the last year I have finally completed my double compilation “FELSINA”, I have reached this goal after more then 2 years of hard work, composing new music, collecting the best tracks published by my owned label Switch Music Recordings by myself and by several artists that have contributed with their creativity, working hardly on the post-production phase at our Switch Music Studio as well.

Any New Year’s resolutions?

As I anticipated we are working on the gigs related to this work, collaborating also with radios, webzine, art galleries and so on. I’m also working to new creative proposal that unify the music with the computer programming technologies. At the same time I’m setting also my live-set along side whit some visual artists.

Which artist first made a lasting impression on you?

Kraftwerk, computer music made man. And also Claudio Coccoluto, simply “the DJ”. Legend of the turntablism.

How did you first get into making your own music?

I produce music since early 2000, but it is important for me to continue studying in order to improve my technical and theoretical knowledge. Currently I’m studying Computer Science for Music at the University of Milan.

How has your sound progressed since you first started?

Initially, around 1999, my sound was good but not excellent, perhaps sometimes in line with the minimalist sound of the early 2000s, but I have evolved it a lot by using more instruments, adopting more knowledge, keeping a high attention to new trends, studying the pioneers of electronic and experimental sound of the past, beginning to appreciate music in all its forms and styles, and improving my technical and creative skills.

Which artist do you draw most inspiration from?

Maybe Apex Twin and Richie Hawtin have impressed in me the passion for the research and for the innovation, since 90’s. But many artists transferred me lots of inspiration like, Burial, Pan-Sonic, Lory D, Bochum Welt, James Holden, Depeche Mode, Massive Attack just to provide you some names. I also really like classical music, both traditional and contemporary, and I love the Neapolitan music scene. The latter is full of contaminations from World Music, which influences and has been influenced by Jazz, Hip-Hop, which adopts unique compositional techniques and through their local language really conveys something magical.

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

My city, Bologna, is a “UNESCO City of Music.” A medium-sized city that has produced an uncountable number of high-quality modern music events over the past 40 years, not to mention operatic and symphonic events directed by the world’s leading composers long before that. That is why I dedicated my latest work to my city. Alive, artistically complete, intelligent, fascinating. With the oldest university in the world and thousands of students and workers from all over the world. FELSINA is the title of my latest work, and it is first and foremost the ancient Etruscan name for Bologna.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

With headphones on for an introspective experience, or in an intimate live music club, I suggest listening to the record “Open-Minded,” which includes the best of ambient, 2-step, IDM and electronica, released on my Switch label. In a club or festival, let there be a big PA system for the record “Night-Shift,” maybe in an atmospheric or historic location, because it is pure electricity and includes the best of experimental Techno released by us so far. I think in places like Berghain it wouldn’t be a bad fit 🙂

You recently dropped two extensive and contrasting albums, what made you take on such an ambitious project?

As I mentioned before, this project aims to gather the best of Switch Music Recording’s music, which by its very essence wants to stand out and be wide-eyed, and this status has made us a container of diversifications that in the end can always be traced back to the root and everything has a connection. 50 tracks embracing electronica in all its forms, mixed and unmixed for different experiences and applications.

How did you find making two distinct records at the same time?

I chose this solution that I think is the best to put forward my dual approach to electronic music, as a live performer for the emotional aspect and listening experience, and as a DJ to follow up on my origins and transfer the energy to the dance floor.

What was the main difference in the creative process between the two?

The main differences are in the approach, and it depends strictly on the mood: sometimes I feel the need to create something that will produce dopamine, that will make people excite, think, meditate, reflect. But sometimes I want to produce something that energises me, even physically, and then it’s Techno time 🙂

What was the biggest challenge in making them?

The biggest challenge was to build the perfect mixed flows, where everything fits together and surprises the listener, to come up with something that wanted to tell a story the way a book wants to tell a story to the reader.

What artists have you been listening to most recently?

Nullptr, S>>D, Pablo Bozzy, Rival Consoles, Portico Quartet, Daniel Avery.

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

I would like people to appreciate the research, technique, and passion that comes from the underground scene, the discovery of interesting new producers, the originality of the compositions, and I hope they also capture the message of thanks that I want to send to my city, which has given me many opportunities, which has allowed me to realise this and many other projects.

What’s been your favourite live show so far?

This is a difficult question because I have collected about 300 official gigs since I started. Anyway, if I consider my best Dj-set, maybe it is the extended session I played at Arteria in Bologna in 2017, 3 hours playing 100% of my tracks, I remember the happiness printed in people’s faces. What a night! There I had a great confirmation on the fact that my music works very well 🙂 On the other hand, my best live performance was in Rome, at Klang, I played live my previous LP “Reboot” proposing Ambient, Dub-Techno, IDM and High-Tech Electronica in front of an educated and attentive audience, I can never forget it!

Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival?

Mmm, 3 names… Boards of Canada, μ-Ziq, Plastikman, I want to win easily 🙂

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

Looking at my label’s roster, KANA is one of the most creative artists I know, and I really suggest following his originality, without limits.

Finally, what do you have lined up for the rest of 2023?

Apart from new music and new gigs, for this year I would like to announce my new tech project, which consists of a course on the “WEB Audio API,” a web technology that can be used to create applications to generate and manipulate sounds inside your browser. With this course, I would like to share my knowledge with all creative people who, like me, love music and technology.

Listen to FELSINA – Open-Minded below