Teslasonic

"The more I go further, the more I discover interesting things from the past, but with an eye always to the present and future"

Teslasonic creates music that works in all settings and transcends genres. We had a chance to talk to him, so enjoy your reading and check out his latest releases. Read our interview below to find out more about Teslasonic’s wide-spanning influences, creative environment and studio methods.

Hi Teslasonic! How’s it going? Hi, Mr Serrano, it’s hard to say “everything is fine” with a world pandemic, but I and my relatives are in good health, I miss them and I miss my friends too. I don’t sleep very well but I can deal with it. What was your first foray into the world of electronic music? I started to listen to techno when I was very young, 13 years old, with a tape recorded at “who is ombrellaro” a memorable Rave in 1992, for instance, in addition to the excellent Italian DJs, in that night Aphex Twin at the age of 20 made an incredible live set, it was something new for most of us, and then I started to listen and recording tapes from “centro suono rave” and “virus” two iconic radio transmission from Rome, I still have a lot of this tape on a shelf. Then I started with my friends a radio transmission called Hard Raptus Project we’ll talk about it later.

In and out of the electronic music circle, who is an inspiration to you? I start to say it’s not simply to write what influenced and inspired me in 40 years, there is someone in every kind of arts and science, I’ll try to mention a few Nikola Tesla, David Lynch, Werner Herzog, 70 and 80’s B movies, John Carpenter, Isaac Asimov, Caravaggio, Gerald Donald, Francesco Totti; especially for the music: Roman and Italian DJs and producers from 90s “The sound of Rome”, Detroit and Chicago Movements, I also used to listen to a lot of metal like Ministry or Sepultura, or Hip Hop like Cypress Hill, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys.

Fundamental labels: Underground Resistance, Warp, R&S, Trax, Bunker Records, Viewlexx, ACV, Sound Never Seen.

“My brain is only a receiver, in the Universe there is a core from which we obtain knowledge, strength and inspiration. I have not penetrated into the secrets of this core, but I know that it exists”N.T. What was the last record store you visited and what did you keep there? Ultrasuoni in Rome now is closed due to Corona Virus ☹ , I kept a vinyl from Suburban Knight, but my latest record I bought online is a special edition of “Summer of 84” soundtrack from the homonym film. Love it.

Are you particularly permeable to your environment, creatively speaking? If so, how does it influence your producer focus? Of course, I’m influenced to what happens near me and what I listen, for instance when I’m angry I make techno with my “Feedback” moniker or “The Mighty Raptus” a project with my brother in arms Heinrich Dressel.

What can you tell us about BAR005? How was it born? What inspired you? Bar05 is born when we (me and Valerio Heinrich Dressel) were to play live at Rotterdam, there we met Jetti and Sjoerd (the Label Owners) and we start to speak about a release...then it comes BAR05 (I want to thank them) it was only a part of a bigger project with more tracks as I had Image that, It was called Neuarlink inspired by Neural interface that we will see its application in the next future.

What do you admire most about Bar Records? They are open-minded and lovely people. I love Netherland.

What do you want to transmit with your music? “If you want to find the secrets of my music, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” N.T Sometimes I feel like I'm making a soundtrack for this dystopian world with my analog electric sounds. “Once created, the sound lasts forever.

For a man it can vanish, but continues to exist in the silence that is man’s greatest power.” N.T

How was this long-lasting love for the electro/acid sound born? Around 94 I started with my friends to do Illegal Rave in Rome, it was really exciting, I was very young but thanks to all my older friends I already play, I was a sort mascot of the group called Hard Raptus Project, it was also a Radio Transmission. At times we built a strong “Illegal Rave” movement that ended, for us, around in 98/99 when the tribe start to arrive around here. Then we founded our label MinimalRome.

What can you tell us about your experience in labels like Mechatronica, Minimum Syndicat, Minimal Rome…? What has each experience brought you? What have you learned from this path? Now I noticed that all the labels you mention start with an M. So my experience is to keep reaching every label that starts with an M, joke aside, with MinimalRome that I founded in 2003 together with Heinrich Dressel, Dave Grave and Andrea Merlini, I understand that to work together you must be flexible because we are different each other and to reach a common result all must find an agreement.

That's the MR style. A lot of times when I work to a concept album I have something in mind but hardly I can get the complete result I want or as to how I thought it, and this pushes me to do better next time till I get the results that I would like to have, I almost reach it with the album “Electrical Oscillator Activity”, but I have to say that every label have his graphic style his technician and his imprinting and you have to come to terms.

For people that have never heard you play before, how would you describe your sound to them? Analog Electric Enigmatic sounds, but mainly Electro with a touch of Acid, Disco, Cosmic, Space, but I have other monikers like Feedback, Fdbk or in a group The Mighty Raptus or Banda Banetti more into Techno Jak and related stuff.

“I am part of a light, and it is the music. The Light fills my six senses: I see it, hear, feel, smell, touch and think. Thinking of it means my sixth sense. Particles of Light are written note. O bolt of lightning can be an entire sonata. A thousand balls of lightning is a concert... For this concert” N.T

So what music are you currently obsessed by? Have you picked up any records recently that you have been playing in every set or have been listening to every day? More I go further, more I discover interesting things from the past, but with an eye always to the present and future. I listen to a lot of soundtracks from films, Tv series and Games, I love the soundtracks since ever. I like the way the composers can transmit feelings and emotions with their music. What is/are your most favourite acid record(s) of all time and why? How to not mention Charanjit Singh an Indian pioneer of acid, yes acid in India in 82 with “Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat.

I love the label TRAX with Phuture, Larry Heard and so on, from Rome I think something from Leo Anibaldi...

In the 90s I would say Public Energy - Three o three or Edge of motion - Setup 707 but I can’t listen to it anymore, they are too violent for me now, so I prefer sound close to Acid House instead of Acid Techno.

At the moment I say this acid house classic Adonis - No Way Back” 1986

What are your favourite places to hang out in the city? I usually go to a Pub called “Big Star” in Trastevere. I want to say that the clubs and the festival in Italy had problems even before the coronavirus, you can Image now or in the next future, and it is a problem for the artists that live with it. How do you deal with C19 confinement with your work? I’m working with my main job for a tv channel but I still playing in my studio for a new album and with some labels for compilations. The news is that I started to play pianoforte but it needs constancy and concentration. I have to say now I’m not a professionist but I’m professional or at least I do the best that I can.

“If I do something what I do not understand, I force myself to think about it in my dream, and thus find a solution.” N.T.

Has this situation influenced your creative perspective? What social and musical implications do you think this situation can lead to? At moment I'm not very influenced by this situation, creatively speaking, but maybe for a few months we can’t go to a concert, party or festival, at the moment the borders are closed, so nobody can travel, but anyone can stop the music flow! About the economic situation, nobody knows how it will end, I think that most depend on how long it will be… “The individual is ephemeral, races and nations come and pass away, but man remains” N.T What tracks would you recommend us to liven up the confinement? A very very long soundtrack….but if you have only a few minutes I suggest the Dressel Amorosi DeathMetha LP, waiting for their new album ;)

What makes you happy? To have sex, to walk in the woods surrounded by nature and free animals, to play with my vintage synthesizers and drum machine, to eat good food and drink good wine, I love to travel, also I’m happy when DJs play my tracks in their mix. I think I'm a very simple person overall.

“I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the musician as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success... Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything.” N.T

What pisses you off? Injustices.

Can you tell us something about your current or future projects? Where can we continue to see and hear Teslasonic? Yes, of course, you’ll hear me in the very next future, I’ll be present is some compilations related to COVID, in these days some were already released by Mechatronica, FU.ME records, Bass Agenda with tracks of mine, and others are coming. Moreover, with MinimalRome we are working on the next Urbi et Orbi 4.

So there are a lot of news stay tuned at www.teslasonic.org Anyway, I’m having a hard time; I’m preparing my next mistake :)

Finally, Teslasonic is a really interesting name, what’s the story behind it? It is a right question, Mr. Serrano, and I will try to give you the right answer to it. Teslasonic is my electrical side project, born as a collective plan, a lab of sounds, images and words inspired by the Serbian genius. The man who delivered the electricity to the world was Nikola Tesla. A disliked person for this world, who passed to the history like a “mad visionary”, where an idea or an innovation comes hindered and humiliated from the will of the money, from the egoistic interests, the pedantry, the stupidity and the ignorance; attacked and repressed it is subordinate to cruel processes in the pitiless fight in order to assert itself in the world of business. “There is a difference between progress and technology. Progress benefits mankind. Technology does not necessarily do that.” Nikola Tesla

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