David Castellani, a modular synthesist and producer hailing from Italy, is a passionate devotee of all things modular, with a specific emphasis on propelling contemporary techno forward. His signature sound, shaped by a diverse array of analog hardware, intricately highlights the nuances of modern music production while maintaining a steadfast commitment to the genre’s foundational elements.
Having initially honed his skills as part of a DJ/Producer duo, David has successfully crafted an impressive portfolio of releases, collaborations, and remixes. His prowess behind the decks has seen him share stages with notable figures in the industry, including Nastia, Mark Broom, Dense & Pika, and Vril, among others.
Currently based in Los Angeles, having traversed from his roots in Chicago, Castellani took a significant step in 2021 by launching his own record label, Noetic. This platform is dedicated to cultivating intelligent and dynamic techno, placing a particular emphasis on synthesizers and analog hardware. Under his label, Castellani has already introduced eleven releases, featuring remixes by acclaimed artists such as Redshape, Matrixxman, Voiski, and Etapp Kyle.
Hey David, how are you? Could you introduce yourself to us? How did you get started with your musical journey?
Hello, I’m doing great. Thank you so much for having a chat with me. My name is David and I am a synthesizer addict. I also run a record label named Noetic and perform live as a modular synthesist. My focus these days is driving techno but I haven’t always been focused on the dance floor or electronic music.
I first got into making music 26 years ago. As a 16-year-old boy, I originally got turned onto funk and jazz. This probably happened since my parents always had the classic rock station on when I was a kid. So I grew up listening to Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and all those amazing artists that they grew up with. My first instrument was percussion and I quickly got into studying afro-cuban styles, playing congas and bongos. I was very lucky to be able to study under the amazing teacher and percussion player, Juma Santos. Having him as a teacher at an early age taught me a valuable lesson which I carried with myself all these years. I learned the importance of inspiration and proper guidance with music, and that music is something which can be enriched via community, and perspective can be enhanced via each other’s creativity.
In my early twenties, I attended a small school in a local recording studio and took a few years of classes which helped me better understand about recording and live sound reinforcement. After that, I quickly started jumping into software recording which led me into 10 years of hip-hop production and eventually, electronic music. It’s been a nice journey through different facets of the music industry and I’m happy to say that, even though my musical focus has shifted through the years, I still carry everything I’ve learned with me and always try to apply the knowledge that I’ve collected over the years to what I’m currently doing.
Discuss your musical journey, which has already got appreciation from prominent artists in the industry and notable remixers, what were the key influences shaping your path in music?
There’s been a lot of very important influences on my musical path. Most recently within electronic music, numerous people have helped influence or have shared perspectives with me which have been invaluable to my progression. Music for me has always been about knowledge and understanding so enriching my output via external perspectives is at the base of my growth.
One of the really important influences for me has been my partner, Mike, from my previous duo. He’s one of those people that has a clear understanding of the values of music and also has a lot of history and experience to back it up.
I’d say now the biggest influence I have and still continues to fuel my creativity regularly is the hardware that I interface with when creating music. I’d say specifically modular synthesizers probably are the most important of all those opportunities. Modular synthesizers are one of the more creative and enriching tools because they urge you to be expressive when using them. The freedom of an unbound ecosystem that allows you to blend depth and creativity with ease is incredibly valuable to me. Of course, there’s also the removal of the screen which is a godsend. At the end of the day, I increasingly feel like I don’t even make any of the music — the modular synthesizers do it all. 🙂
How would you categorize your record label, and if you were to introduce it to a new audience, what values and criteria guide your selection of new artists?
Noetic has mainly been an outlet for creativity. My number one focus from the beginning, which is the same as for all my musical endeavors, is trying to mold and shape the creative walls all the while driving towards a futuristic and mature electronic sound. And through this process my sound has been changing and growing alongside me. In the last year, I’ve been churning more towards an industrial, disheveled yet psychedelic vibe.
I believe certain structural and foundational choices are important to make in music. These allow the sounds to stand strong on a robust base and create the strength and sturdiness of the rhythm section. There should also be elements that aren’t afraid to take chances and push outside of the support boundaries of the creative thought — sounds that risk toppling the entire structure for the sake of intent and message. Music without a voice that is afraid to push the envelope can quickly get boring for me.
Hailing from Italy but currently residing in Los Angeles, what are your impressions of the music scene in the city?
Los Angeles has one of the healthiest electronic music scenes in America. This community is wildly free and has taken this opportunity to flourish in a wonderfully responsible and effective collective of amazing people and music. I feel incredibly blessed to be part of this community and to live in a city where underground electronic music can thrive to this extent.
Can you share the inspiration behind your recent EP ‘ienemy’ EP that was released in April this year and what significance it holds for you?
‘ienemy’ speaks to the interpersonal relationship that an artist has with their art. We find ourselves intertwined in our own creative process, weaving our identity and self-perception directly into the creation and diffusion of our art. This is a complex and deep mechanism that affects all artists in different ways.
The motivation and emotional charge that we put behind our artistic expression can have a direct effect on our self awareness and identity, as well as, the perception of others as they experience our art. And lastly, it can also be directly connected to our livelihood and the way that we find ourselves fitting into the larger societal group. This can sometimes be a blessing for us, and other times, a horrible crutch. ‘ienemy’ speaks to these nuances and sheds light on the concept of the multi-facets in which artists can experience their interpersonal relationship through art.
You’ve already received support from festivals, platforms, and a diverse range of artists. How do you envision the next steps in your career, and what are your plans moving forward?
The sky’s the limit. For me, music is a deeply, self-rewarding process that gives me seemingly limitless benefits both personally and within my community. I feel very honored and blessed to have a musical experience where I can outwardly project my creativity into the world and it is met with open arms. I plan to continue down this path of enriching my life via music and hopefully be part of other peoples’ musical lives as well. I look forward to continuing to make music that inspires me and that hopefully will also inspire other people to get involved and come together.
I am looking forward to growing my record label, and releasing more original music, as well as, other talented artists who inspired me. Simultaneously, I look forward to bringing my live performances to larger audiences so that we can co-create and share this beautiful musical experience.
The next will mark the 11th release on Noetic. “Immutable” will be a two-track released which includes a remix by one of the great techno artist of our time, Truncate. Truncate is a true powerhouse and I am very excited to have him on the release. Immutable speaks to the underlying and unwavering force that music has had in my life.
What inspired the intersection between modern music, contemporary dance, modular synthesis, and film in your collaborative project with Hysteria Dichotic? How do you believe this unique convergence enhances the expressive and sensory aspects of the audience’s experience?
I believe that Hysteria Dichotic was probably one of the most artistically charged and most rewarding things that I have been a part of. First off, bringing the balance of these two seemingly separate artistic worlds together has been a wonderful experiment in the blending of arts. But even more importantly, the collaboration with AnnMarie is a loud example of how a collaboration with such talent can greatly increase one’s artistic experience and elevate the art form immensely.
After shooting Hysteria Dichotic, I realized just how valuable these collaborations are. I’ve had the same experience with the very gifted collage artist, Katie Williamson, that creates all the cover artwork for my label, as well as, other visual artists that I’ve worked with in the past.
It is an undeniable truth that partnering up with other talented artists will instantaneously bring unmeasurable depth and value to creating art.
https://www.noetic-music.com/immutable
How did the collaboration with AnnMarie come about? Could you share the story of how you both met and what inspired you to create such a project together? Additionally, could you provide insights into the workflow between the two of you?
This collaboration came out of an idea that I had after shooting a music video that had not yet been released. In this music video shoot, the Director had the idea to bring in a modern dancer which then sparked the thirst for wanting to do more. Within that realization I came to understand that I wanted to blend the two separate worlds of a more higher-brow contemporary dance with techno. And techno, usually being so driven towards robots and LED screens and lighting, I wanted to strip all of that back and instead make the visual focus strictly on this talented dancer who uses her body and her mind in service of a performance art which can’t be denied.
Once I decided to put this idea into motion, the original dancer was unavailable, so she referred me to a group of dancers where I found AnnMarie. I am so blessed to have been able to work with AnnMarie and will forever be in her debt for her participation in this collaboration. The workflow between us was very fluid, and short of a couple concepts that I asked her to touch upon in her performance, she almost solely improvised most of what you see and thrived off the energy in the room and the music to deliver this raw expression.
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Interview: Grzegorz Bacinski
Photos: KEYI STUDIO
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