Daniele Baldelli - May 2008 ENGLISH VERSION

CM>>>Daniele when was the idea born to create the album “Cosmic Disco? Cosmic Rock!”? Was it your idea to create that album or did Eskimo Recordings asked you to do a mix?

Daniele Baldelli>>> The idea for this project born at the Make up club. Dirk from Eskimo Recordings was listening to my deejay set and sometimes he was very excited to know which track I was playing currently, but every time I had to answer him: this is a re-edit track I’ve done! Later on I explained to him that Marco Dionigi and I had done a lot of re-edit tracks for our own use. He was really impressed and the idea for the album was born.

CM>>>What’s the story behind the title ”Cosmic Disco? Cosmic Rock!” is it a kind of looking back to the golden area of the Cosmic Club? A bow to the music? And who made this cool album cover? Was it your idea to do it in this way with this two spacemen?

Daniele Baldelli>>> It’s done to understand exactly what is the Cosmic Sound I have played in Cosmic Club – Italy. Maybe it would be necessary to listen all the137 tapes of the period 1979 – 1984 to understand that all the music styles are inside the Cosmic Sound. So when they asked me: “How we can call this project ?... Cosmic Disco ?? “ I said: “ Nah … Cosmic Rock !!! “

Yeah and a about the cover …. I think that the designers, and Dirk and me … we were all thinking at the same time to do something in the same way and so it came to this artwork.

CM>>>I would like to ask you some questions about your history and career later on, but when I think about the album cover with these spacemen I had to jump a little bit in the topics… as one of Italy’s first DJ’s you influenced the sound and technique for many generations of musicians and Dj’s. I think this could only be done be a person who thinks “futuristic” . Nowadays I sometimes get the feeling that people act like the live in the future and aren’t fascinated in visions and walking new paths anymore. Can you agree with my statement?

Daniele Baldelli>>> Yes … I think so …….yes!

CM>>>So would you describe yourself as a person who was always fascinated by futuristic ideas? I mean not just in music, also these ideas in the Sixties and Seventies when people dreamed of flying to mars and build new cities there and things like this… I mean this lifestyle influenced art and music a lot.

Daniele Baldelli>>> For sure! Music gives me a space sensation …. Cosmic Club was for me a real Cosmic-Starship … you know… where I was in full immersion with the music … and whereI had my experimental journey to every kind of music!

CM>>>You collaborated with Marco Diongi for that album. How must I picture myself your collaboration, have you worked like doing a back to back Dj set …or did he made f.e. the first or the last half of the mix?

Daniele Baldelli>>>We see each other almost every Monday …. I always take with me a bag up to 200 pieces of vinyl, I take them from my 60.000 records I have – and I must admit that I sometimes even don t know what I own. .. and we really wasted a lot of time, day and night, listening to them … And then we decide which track we like to re-edit…. (laughing) and sometimes a very good bottle of Valpolicella Wine really helps us!

CM>>>From where do you know each other, have you worked together before doing some sets or mixes?

Daniele Baldelli>>> In the Nineties Marco Dionigi was very famous in the Alter Ego Club in Verona ( Italy ). When we meet each other casually, he told me that he is a great fan of mine ….. from that time when he came for the first time in Cosmic Club.. when he was fourteen years old ... you know it’s funny, he know everything about me …. sometimes I have to ask him about the title of a song I have played at my own tape (laughing ). Usually we don’t work together …. sometimes I was guest in his club ….but maybe now it is really time to start deejaying together!

CM>>>Do you like to work in collaborations or would you describe yourself more as a someone who works on projects on his own?

Daniele Baldelli>>> I like to work in collaborations ….. with Marco Dionigi I have decided to do some projects, like in the past FUNKADIBA and Pedivelle Records. With another friend Paolo Bratti I did some other kind of projects, you know he is a talented musician. My Funky Side album and Cosmic Sound Album …. you can see and listen on my website ( www.danielebaldelli.com )

CM>>>Listening to “Cosmic Disco? Cosmic Rock!” is really a fantastic journey into music, rare tracks mixed with a futuristic sounds. Besides the fact that this album is made for dancing and having fun is it also a kind of … hm let me find the right word, a kind of lesson for people about good music and that there is more dance music than just Techno music?

Daniele Baldelli>>> I like and appreciate your definitions (smiles).

CM>>>I ‘ve heard some rumours that you doesn’t like all this modern Techno and House music? In general or more these productions of the last years? Or is it more about the sell out of music that started with the Techno and Rave movement in the Nineties that you don’t agree with?

Daniele Baldelli>>> I cannot say that I don’t like House or Techno ....... there is always something good in every style of music ..... I only can say that I like good music! And good music means not only “bum bum” .... it is necessary that music owns melody and is made by real musicians who play real instruments.

CM>>>The tracklist of “Cosmic Disco? Cosmic Rock!” can be read like a menu of a perfect diner… Is there a track on this album you would describe as your most favourite one? A track that HAVE to be in your mix?

Daniele Baldelli>>> ..... of course I like all of them ..... but if you make me choose only one...... I can say Kevin Harrison . but if you let me choose another one ... I can say.....Alicia Bridges and if I can choose the third one ..... Spider ..... and maybe also.. (laughing).

CM>>>You started Djing in 1969 in a era where people didn’t knew who to call the DJ a Dj… Can you tell me how things started? How did you get interested in playing records? And where did you get in touch with clubs and turntables for the first time?

Daniele Baldelli>>> Yes, I started in 1969. It was the owner of Tana Club that ask me if I would like to play records in his club, because he knew about my big interest about music

CM>>>I could imagine that it wasn’t easy to get rare records in that times you started to play records. From where did you get your records and how have you been updated? I mean was there a kind of promotion pool for Dj’s in the Seventies to keep Dj’s updated… I don’t think so?

Daniele Baldelli>>> No there wasn’t any .... or not to me! I think a lot of music I have played was not exactly music produced for the dance floor, as it happen nowadays, I mean I was buying an album of jazz , or pop , or fusion or country or some electronic experimental work by some experimental artists .... I found a lot of music that I have proposed to my fans....

CM>>>After being six yeas in business you became resident in the club „Baia Degli Angeli“. I just found a few photos of the club and were amazed by the atmosphere… Can you tell me something about the club, the people who came and your impressions? And how did you become resident in this famous club?

Daniele Baldelli>>> I became resident because two American resident deejays of the „Baia Degli Angeli“ called Bob Day and Tom Sison. Before they went back to the states they introduced me to the owner of the Baia Club.You know this club was very innovative at that time …. And it was open until six o clock in the morning and the place for the deejay was a glass elevator so you could see the dancefloor of the first and the second floor and move the Dj Booth …it was fascinating!

CM>>>In 1979 you founded with others the legendary Cosmic Club in Lazise. Was this club besides being a great place to party with style also the birthplace of “Cosmic “ music?

Daniele Baldelli>>>Nowadays I like to call my Style “ COSMIC SOUND “. Somebody has had the bad idea to plagiarize my trademark as “cosmic music“ . They play a kind of music really very distance from me ………..and really not my cup of tea!

CM>>>Could you tell me more about the idea behind “COSMIC SOUND”?

Daniele Baldelli>>> What I have done in the five years at Cosmic club is simply searching all the music I like, different styles and always looking for the best way to mix them together. This was and is my goal and I think the search won’t end.

CM>>>The cosmic club must be a kind of melting pot for new ideas, especially using up to five turntables to create mixes. How must I picture myself these mixes was it a kind of jam session with two or three Dj’s mixing or have one Dj used five turntables?

Daniele Baldelli>>> Yes I also had this idea to play with four turntables in one set, of course together with another deejay and me. A real mega mix was done live with about 50 tracks played in 15 minutes.

CM>>>Would you describe the days of the Cosmic Club as a highlight in your life? What do you feel looking back at this area ……?

Daniele Baldelli>>> Maybe outside of Italy nobody knows about it but I have never stop to play Cosmic Sound ….. I mean that I still usually play Cosmic Sound every Saturday night. And I have also others night based on funk & disco!

CM>>>Why was the club closed in 1984?

Daniele Baldelli>>> Because of some drug stories. A lot of people using drugs went to Cosmic. Although most of them stayed outside the club hanging around this circumstances created a lot of problems with the neighbours of Cosmic Club.

CM>>>As a child has you dreamed of a career as a musician or something like this ?

Daniele Baldelli>>> During my set I have often used drum machine , keyboards and sampler keyboard ..... so I have always dreamed to be able to play good an instrument ....(laughing).

CM>>>So what was the reaction of your parents when you started to become a professional Dj.. where they upset? I mean at this time a DJ wasn’t a real profession.

Daniele Baldelli>>> No I had no problem …... I was a student and as being also a deejay I had enough money to keep for myself …..

CM>>>You are known as a DJ who mixes different styles of music together in order to create something new out of this different sources. I think that can only be done by a person who is curious and doesn’t care about barriers and boundaries. Would you describe yourself as a curious and “boundless” person?

Daniele Baldelli>>> You have done a perfect portrait of me ……….thanks!

CM>>>Don’t get me wrong with this question but you are in this business for nearly forty years now, did you never thought about quitting this business and doing something completely different? Or do you need music and records like the air that you breathe?

Daniele Baldelli>>>I hope in the future I can work for a Radio Station ... especially all night long!

CM>>>You developed several path breaking techniques as a DJ for example using Equalizers in your Dj sets… would you describe yourself as a person who is always interested in technique and gadgets? I mean also new telephones, cars, etc.. Or is your fascination in new techniques more focused on technical DJ equipment?

Daniele Baldelli>>>I don t care about new cars or new phones and stuff like that I always preferred to buy records and more records!

CM>>>Do you use exclusively use vinyl when you Dj or do you also use other medias? What’s your opinion about Djing with a laptop, or the digital DJ systems like Serato Scratch and Traktor?

Daniele Baldelli>>> I don t mind .... I use vinyl, CD’s and Final Scratch ..... I buy always a lot of vinyl but I also like to use the CD player, I don’t care what the others use or say! I like to say that the only important thing is the music! Vinyl, CD’s, Serato!?!?!? it is OK when you let me feel emotions!

CM>>>With the new medias like the internet and digital music it became easier to build communities and share ideas, but sometimes I have the feeling that the spirit and the warmth of things get lost through these masses of information and possibilities. Do you think that the times of radio promotion and “mouth to mouth” propaganda were better times than today? Or do you think that people are still select with their heart and ears in the end?

Daniele Baldelli>>>In everything there is some bad and some good. Yes now there is a lots of opportunity. But too much! I don’t know if all the people are able to use them and enjoy.

CM>>>On the picture on the album sleeve you can be seen with a cigarette under your spacemen helmet, are you a smoker?

Daniele Baldelli>>> Sorry, but this is a big mistake …. I don’t Smoke anymore … I was a smoker and now I am glad that I quit smoking!

CM>>>Do you think that the non smoking laws in Europe affects also the club culture? I mean for me it’s still strange not to smoke when I am in a club or went outside or into a “smokers tent”?

Daniele Baldelli>>> In the beginning in Italy everybody was angry about it and the owners of the club were afraid to loose a lot of business ...but now everybody is Ok .... it is very nice to go back home without smoke stink on your dress.

CM>>>What are your nexts plans this year? Will you promote the album together with Marco playing in several clubs also outsides of Italy?

Daniele Baldelli>>> I think and hope this will happen soon.

CM>>>What do you need for a perfect day in your life?

Daniele Baldelli>>> LOVE AND PEACE AND MUSIC! or is this much too normal?

http://www.danielebaldelli.com
http://www.myspace.com/djdanielebaldelli

Photos Copyright: taken from Daniele's MySpace Website

Interview Michael Mück