Audiofly, a dual-partnership made up of Anthony Middleton and Luca Saporito, have been dazzling dance floors and performing in a class of their own for the past 13 years and counting. From the sands of Nevada through to the beaches of Tulum, Audiofly have played out in some of the most wonderful locations the world has to offer. They’ll be continuing this trend when they head to Abu Dhabi to feature at NuraiFest on 22nd-23rd November; the first ever-private island music festival to take place in the Middle East.
Audiofly have successfully managed to build three record labels and, of course, their very own Flying Circus brand in the past decade and a half. We got to know the guys behind the brand, label(s) and the Audiofly moniker in an exclusive interview.
WWD: Hey Guys, hope you’re both doing well ! First off, let’s talk about 2019. Have you done anything different this year, tried new studio gear, new sounds, been inspired by new scenes?
Anthony: Just moved to the countryside with no neighbours to an amazing studio space. I’ve always been an urban producer working in the middle of the city, so it’s nice to have no volume controls!
Luca: We have put most of our energies in touring this year but in the last few weeks we have finally found some time to get back to some music making in our own spaces. This week I will go to Anthony’s studio for a few weeks and that’s where the real fun will be as we haven’t been in a studio environment together for quite a while. I’ll bring over what I have worked on and let the magic happen. Ask me this question again in a few weeks 🙂
WWD: What was big in Ibiza this summer, trend-wise, clothing-wise, music-wise?
Anthony: Nothing really, I feel it’s been a down year. Obviously the big events stay big, some come some go, but all in all, I enjoyed myself at the Villa events which were a little bit more tailor made. Quite honestly Ibiza is having issues this year with the ongoing problem of police restricting the times of events, nothing can happen during the day – half of the island is gone.
Luca: We both felt ibiza being a bit on the downside this year but that’s not necessarily a bad thing: I believe that IBIZA needs to get away a bit more from the massive parties and go back to a more intimate mentality where new upcoming artists get a little bit more spotlight. It needs to create a new platform that it’s not necessarily based on prime time djs. There is so much undiscovered talent out there that deserves to be heard but that can only happen if the public itself stops being so demanding on hearing prime time djs at every show. It swings both ways. We really hope to see more of that next year in the island.
WWD: You play NuraiFest in Abu Dhabi (22nd-23rd November) – what’s it like playing in these newly emerging markets?
Anthony: We’ve always been down to jump into new markets, it’s exciting that this market is opening up to dance music as it was formerly a very frowned upon scene. But they have some much to offer over there, can’t wait!
Luca: the Middle East is fast becoming a Mecca for dance music and considering the venue NuraiFest is using for this particular event, I imagine for it to be a successful event. Dubai, for example, has similar events running on a regular basis and it wasn’t long ago that these events were few and far in the calendar. It’s always extremely exciting for us to break into new markets and we see this happening on a more regular basis recently, which is hopeful.
WWD: Do you prepare for sets like this, considering what might and might not work in the setting?
Luca: Absolutely. It’s important to prepare the backbone of your sets at least and leave maybe 30/40 % to chance. For example, I always choose an intro track based on the style of dj before myself and we’ll take the set from there. I also have a certain number of new tracks ready to be played every week, in order to keep our set fresh and ultimately do a
quick listening session with Anthony prior to our set as to make sure we’re both in the same mind set musically. It keeps us on our toes and ultimately takes away the stress of performing to new audiences.
WWD: What do you like to do with time off, how do you relax and get away from it all, or don’t you?
Ant: I’m just about to take off on my yearly decompression from the industry a few weeks in Mexico before the new year chaos begins, then some time off in January after Tulum so that i’m fully functioning the year. I find this very important to make clear lines between relaxation and work time, if not I fall apart by august.
Luca: After the crazy summer we had, I returned home with an immense desire of perfecting my passion for cooking and so I spend a lot of time these days making new dishes, which really takes my mind away both the music and the scene. It works like a meditation and keeps me grounded (and well fed) for the weekend to come 🙂
WWD: When you make music is it always in a studio? Or do you do it on the road?
Luca: I always prefer to be in a studio environment when making music. I get easily distracted on a plane or a hotel and I need a familiar set up in order to feel musical.
WWD: Who does what with regards to the music. Is each of you responsible for different aspects of the music?
Luca: Anthony is more the studio person in regards to productions whereas I spend a lot more time discovering new tracks and artists for our dj sets. After all these years, we still complement each other very well in the way we divide our jobs. It never feels one is doing more than the other. It’s very balanced.
WWD: What’s next, what are you working on in 2020?
Luca: we are about to spend a few weeks together in the studio so surely a lot of material will come out of those sessions. Nothing concrete as yet but soon enough we will be able to reap the fruits of those long sessions in the studio without distractions.
Tickets to see Audiofly at NuraiFest (22-23rd Nov): https://www.nuraifest.com/tickets/