Illario Allicante Interview
Illario Allicante needs no introduction, being a firm member of the Cocoon family and pushing the boundaries of house and techno since 2005. He has wowed us with his energy and depth within his sets and music therefore cementing his place in clubbing folk law. Ready to drop some heavy cuts on DJ Deeps Deeply Rooted and the aforementioned Cocoon we chat to Illario about his first steps at the mecca that is Timewarp and his relationship in London. This weekend sees him return to Egg LDN for Familia – www.egglondon.co.uk
How has your year been so far? What has been good, what has been bad?
Everything was really good so far. I had a nice break last month of two weeks. I made some new music and i’m fully recharged for the season, ready to the new gigs and for another amazing summer with the Cocoon family around the world!
Do you still go out clubbing and dancing yourself? When was the last time?
Yes of course! Last time was at Panorama Bar last week, my friend Radioslave and Jamie Fry were playing. The party was so good that I forgot to catch my flight! Clubbing is still one of my passions and I can’t imagine myself not dancing during a proper night.
What inspires and influences you these days after so long in the game, what excites you still?
The thing that still inspires me are the people dancing happy in front of me. These exchanges of emotions between me and the crowd it’s fundamental. I’m sure that will be the thing that will keep my passion growing more and more trying to discover new sounds and also new parts of my musical personality.
How has your sound, style, taste and technique changed over the years you have been active?
My style, taste and technique are always developing a deeper maturity. I listen to a lot of music and I always go to the clubs in order to listen other djs and new sounds. I’m an open minded person and I take inspirations from everywhere, from everything. So my taste is like an elastic rub same as my style and technique. I like to vary, of course, mantaining a logic sense, trying to be eclectic in the right way.
You made your Timewarp debut aged 15 – is that true? How did that come about? Was it nervous for you?
I was a bit “older” though, 18. I played there thanks to Dave Ellesmere that saw me playing in Leiden once with my dear friend Fokko Versloot that sadly, he is not here with us anymore. I have to say thanks to Fokko. He was part of the story and I will keep him in my heart forever. I wasn’t so nervous anyway, maybe because I was young, I didn’t felt that kind of emotion but I was really happy and proud to play my music in one of the best festivals of our scene for sure. I will never forget that night, one of the biggest achievements of my career.
And what are some of the most important lessons you have learnt? What do you know now you wish you had known at the start?
The most important lesson is that you never stop to learn something in this world. It’s great to see how my experience is growing, slowly, step by step. I would never wish I had know something at the start. Life has its own circle and it’s normal to let things going in its ways, it’s normal and natural to make a mistake sometimes.
What else have you got coming up/are you looking forward to? You seem to release a couple of EPs a year so have you got one lined up yet?
I’ve two EPS coming out soon. One is on Cocoon with three original tracks plus a Sterac remix. Second one is an EP for DJ Deep’s label Deeply Rooted House. Then a remix for Pushmaster Records, Italian vinyl ony label of the young talented Mattia Trani is out now and is doing really good. This year i’m going to release more than two EPs anyway!
You will play at Familia this weekend – you play Egg LDN quite a lot. Tell us about your relationship with that club – how do you like playing there?
I really like the guys that are working there, they are friends now and they always make me feel at home. The club is really nice and the soundsystem is ace, so I will play there as soon as I can!
And what about London, how does it compare with other places around the world you play? Are crowds better?
Well, London is the bomb. The crowd always has a mix of different people coming from all over the world. It’s a great and new experience every time. Other crowds that I love are, of course, Italian ones, Spanish and South American. All these areas and countries have great passion about music. plus they are all really warm.
If you could own and play one tune no other DJ could what would it be and why?
First track that comes at my mind it’s “Marionette” from the talented and very well knowed Mathew Johnson. It makes me remember my first steps in the club scene back in 2005, that’s the reason why I would choose this one without any doubt!
