First of all, you hear her sounds – groovy, rhythmic and energetic tracks released on labels such as MORD, Symbolism or KEY Vinyl, that immediately make you wanna move on the dancefloor. Secondly, you see her playing in venues like Tresor, Radion, Fuse or RSO, as well as being a resident of an iconic Neapolitan club, Duel. The following step to get to know her better – is to listen to the way she speaks about techno and its culture, as well as notice all the passion she has for the world of electronic music sounds.
Meet Rebecca Delle Piane, the 25-years old Italian DJ and producer that is coming to the Muse Festival in Goszcz Palace. We caught up with her to discuss her most recent projects, exciting collaborations and very first live act in her career and – most of all – how she stays true to herself and her vision of electronic music.
Agata Omelańska: Ciao Rebecca, so nice to meet you and I’m very happy to have you here!
Let’s start with a small warm-up: could you please introduce yourself? Who are you, how did you enter the world of electronic music and what was your life before discovering the sound of techno?
Rebecca Delle Piane: Ciao! Very happy to be there as well! My name is Rebecca Delle Piane, I’m 25 years old and I’m from a small city in the center of Italy. Music has been in my life since I was in my mother’s belly, but if I have to define a crucial point, everything started approximately ten years ago. I was studying electric bass in a music school and I began to feel the need to create something on my own. So I started producing electronic music, in the meantime I started to go to my first parties. It was very natural, I became more and more passionate about it and I started to take everything more seriously and so… Here I am!
Before everything, I was a simple student, when I saw that it was possible to turn my passion into a real job, I left university to dedicate myself totally to this. But in the future, in one way or another, I will continue the studies I left behind for sure!
You’re Italian, coming from Fondi – the city located between Rome and Naples. They both marked their place in the history of Italian electronic music, bringing numerous talents, recognizable events series or collectives. How living so close to these two cities influenced your life?
Well, the reality is that I have never been too much influenced by ‘the outside’ in the beginning, but let me explain better: I started making music ‘cause it was a need, a necessity, so I only listened to my instinct and my sensations. Of course, later, when I became better integrated, I started to inform myself about artists and events, and started to look around a bit more.
Certainly, both cities had a great influence on the techno / electronic scene, but as for me, I let myself be influenced by myself and, certainly, by all the international artists I went to listen to in the clubs! Little by little, in this way, I combined the passion for producing with the art of DJ-ing. Nowadays however, Neapolitan old school techno is one of my picks for sure.
Of course, there is no rivalry between Rome, Naples and your hometown – as I know very well that Italians are strongly connected to their place of origin! – but I’m curious how the scene looks there nowadays. Do youngsters still remember stories of Deborah De Luca or Freddy K, just to name a few? Or is there a new blood, writing a new chapter of the Italian electronic music scene?
That’s a good question. I think there’s a big split. One part of people is very linked to the history of the past, linked to the artists who have left their mark on the scene; on the other side there are a lot of young people (or people in general), who don’t know much culture about it (but it’s not a fault or an offense, the fact is that today there’s too much social material to be able to make real distinctions sometimes). So, I think the situation is a bit fluctuating! But I think it’s like this in a lot of places.
Speaking about Naples, I suppose you have both personal and professional points of view. As you’re a resident of one of Neapolitan clubs, Duel, you have an opportunity to have an impact not only on our audience, but also the whole scene. Do you feel like a trendsetter, good music ambassador or… you don’t really think about it?
I definitely think about it! First of all, I feel very lucky to represent a historic and important club like the Duel, consequently I really care about everything that goes around it, so I do my best to represent and bring the name of the club in the best way possible. I’m not a trendsetter or a music ambassador (but it would be nice to be, maybe one day), I make music. Everything else is a ‘condiment’ or a medium that I carefully use to carry my artistic vision to as many people as possible!
Okay, let’s leave Italy for a second and focus on music! How did you find your own style and the sound you wanted to produce and play? What did your music journey look like and who was – and still is – your most important inspiration?
I feel like I’m constantly evolving – I definitely found my identity, but I never feel totally complete. Maybe it’s this continuous search for sounds that makes me the person I am today, artistically speaking, and I think I found my style precisely in this! I love experimenting, playing with sounds and flows, giving a different product, but ALWAYS with my characteristics.. The only big constant in all of this is one: the rhythm, the groove.
I also don’t want to make things reductive, so I don’t want to talk about just one genre as an influence or talk about a couple of artists as some inspirations. I get inspired by everything and everyone, I guess, whether it’s techno, RnB or ambient, I transform every stimulus, emotions and sensations into something of my own!
How did you catch the attention of labels that released your music? MORD, KEY Vinyl, Symbolism, Emerald – all of them are different and represent a very wide spectrum of sounds and genres. What was your secret ingredient that opened the door you’ve knocked on?
I think and I hope, as I explained before, this different spectrum of sounds that I try to put into each release in a different shape, but always with my touch. These processed sounds and those rhythms, we should ask them! (laughs)
Apart from touring, being the Duel resident, recording podcasts and mixes, what are you working on right now? There is already a lot going on in your life, but maybe there is already some new music coming soon…?
Of course, I have a lot of things coming up! Regarding productions I can’t spoil anything at the moment, but the most important project I will bring this year for the first time will be my live set and I really can’t wait to perform it. Counting the days for the debut…! Then I started a duo project with Raffaele Attanasio, called RRONIN, and we will play around together from this year!
As far as KEY is concerned – your collaboration with Freddy K’s label must have been a big thing! Congratulations, I keep my fingers crossed for other releases and gigs played together with the boss. What did you learn from Freddy and how this experience helped you to reach for your dreams?
Thank you so much! Alessio (Freddy K) was and is a person, a friend who influenced and influences a lot my career and my artistic vision. I care about him so much, about the concept behind his label (Key Vinyl), and I highly respect his ideals, he knows it! Releasing music on his imprint was a big step for me, and being involved in every Key Vinyl showcase was even more, so I will be forever grateful to him for the opportunities, also for giving me an even greater passion for records!
I always perceived that he is very loyal to the true values of this kind of music and the scene. He certainly transmitted to me that thing that was already rooted in me, but now it’s even more established. This helps me even more to persevere in my beliefs to achieve my goals and dreams.
https://keyvinyl.bandcamp.com/album/keen-edged-key032
Let’s move a bit forward in time and enter the amazing venue of Muse Festival – the event you’ll play in July, in Goszcz Palace in Poland. How do you feel about playing on the very first edition of the event? In your opinion, is it hard to create a new festival brand nowadays? And how to keep the spirit of the underground and originality in times of social media and techno’s overpopularity?
I really can’t wait to be with you at the festival, and I’m extremely happy to be part of it! Thank you so much for the invitation and I’m already excited!, P.S. The venue is crazy!
In my opinion, it’s certainly difficult. In general, it takes a lot of energy, effort and dedication, so it’s definitely not easy to manage, even more if it’s something new to promote, but we need this, people need this! You just need to remain loyal to yourself and continue to follow your line and your taste, against everything and everyone! The key is to stay authentic.