What’s your role at Dean St. Studios and how long have you been there?
I’m a full time assistant engineer, I’ve been at Dean Street since July 2018.
What first made you want to get into this kind of role?
For many years I’ve worked as a writing artist, arranger, producer and session guitarist. I always felt like the engineer had such a crucial role in the development of a song and the overall sound that we can achieve, and I finally decided to learn more about it and it just felt like a natural step forward.
What were your first steps into the industry? And did you get a formal education in a related subject?
So first steps I took in the industry were with my band, we got a contract in Italy with an independent record label and started touring around Europe and then subsequently toured Australia and New Zealand. While we were working in the studio recording our material and for session work I developed an interest in sound engineering and audio production. I graduated at the Saint Louis College of music conservatory in Rome majoring in Arrangement and composition, I am currently taking a course in Audio Engineering at SAE London.
What have been your favourite or most memorable experiences in the industry so far? And in Dean St.?
Definitely touring Australia and New Zealand was an amazing experience, I had also the chance to do a couple of sessions in Chicago and Nashville. One of my first sessions assisting in Dean Street Studios was with Robbie Williams and Bob Sinclair, then doing sessions with Chase & Status at Dean Street, Jacob Banks and it gets better every week!
What artists have you worked with?
I worked with some Italian artists including Zucchero, Lello Panico, Pino Daniele and others. In England I’ve had the pleasure to work with Robbie Williams and Bob Sinclair on their single “Electrico Romantico”, I’ve also done sessions with Chase & Status, Jacob Banks on his collaboration with Massive Attack, Stereo Honey, Sid Nair and Dominic (of the band “Super Food”) and some very interesting up and coming artists, recently done a session with Dmob Happy and Domnique from Nothing But thieves and it was just an amazing tracking session.
What are your goals for the future?
My goal is to become a successful audio engineer and producer working with the best musicians and artists in the industry. I would love to work with up and coming artists, because I want to be at the forefront of new trends in music. Some more recent artists I would love to work with are Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Tame Impala, Tom Misch, Foals, Bjork (even though she’s not so recent), Gary Clark Jr, Childish Gambino and many many more.
Top 5 tracks that you wish you’d have worked on?
1. Radiohead – The King of Limbs [album]
2. David Bowie – Life On Mars
3. Blur – Strange News From Another Star
4. Childish Gambino – Me and Your Mama
5. LCD Soundsystem – Dance Yrself Clean
Favourite gig you’ve been too?
I think this is one of those questions that falls into the “impossible to chose” categories. Some of my favourites are:
-Roger Waters – The wall (2010 Milan, 2012 Rome)
-Red Hot Chili Peppers/Wu Tang Clan (My first big concert ever, Udine 2007)
-Depeche Mode – Rome 2012
-Arctic Monkeys – Rome 2012
-Winton Marsalis – Chicago 2006
-Buddy Guy/B.B. King – Chicago 2002 and in 2003
-Eric Clapton – London 2013
-Snarky Puppy (Can’t recall precisely the year but it was an insane concert!)
-Marc Almond (100 club 2019 in Soho, London.)
-Jamiroquai – 2009 Rome.
-Herbie Hancock quintet.
-Paul McCartney – 2012 Arena di Verona, Italy