Hey Christopher, great to speak to you today. Where are you based right now?
Heeyy Techno Mooood! I’m currently at home on the tiny island of San Pietro — off the bigger island of Sardinia in Italy.
There may be some readers who aren’t familiar with you. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m Italo American, a lover of nature and music, and lately, I’ve been deep-diving into cooking. It seems that after many years living abroad I’m finally reconnecting with my roots and becoming a true Italian 😉 I spent the first decade of my music career singing and playing drums, bass, and guitar in bands in different Italian cities. In 2011 I moved to Berlin, where I embarked on an electronic journey that brought me to this day. Some folks may know me for my work in the producer DJ duo, KMLN (pronounced “chameleon”). We toured globally and released music on labels such as Sol Selectas, Bar 25 and Crosstown Rebels. For the last 11 years, I have lived between Berlin and Bali but mainly in the San Francisco Bay Area. Shortly before the pandemic, I moved back home to Sardinia to support my mom and the family business while starting a new solo musical chapter, “Tooker”.
We’re chatting today to discuss your forthcoming release on Crosstown Rebels titled Frisbee. The release sees you teaming up with long term friend Nico Stojan. Can you tell us how this collaboration came about and what it’s like working with Nico?
When Nico and I met, it didn’t take long for us to naturally gravitate towards each other. Soon after that, we learned that we were born the same day and had many other things in common. First came our friendship until Nico invited me to his cosy Berlin studio. Over the next couple of weeks, we had a blast there.
What’s your process like when working together?
Every collaboration is special and unique, but it felt particularly effortless in this case. It’s exciting when you find someone you can just vibe with so openly while maintaining a clear musical direction. Sometimes we would be listening to old pieces of vinyl, and at a certain point we would both jump up because we heard a sample that inspired us. We’d then record it, warp it, pitch it and build around it. Another time I had a 5-track project of only piano parts I had played at home. We then ran these parts through synthesizers, and it evolved from there. We made lots of music in those weeks, and each day had its own mood and activities outside the studio that influenced the sessions in a very big way.
Have the events we have found ourselves in during the past couple of years influenced this release, and if so, how?
Absolutely. When we made this music, we were in full lockdown mode. Making music was a way to express and release energies building up inside of us. The music industry was at a standstill, and nobody knew if and when things would go back to normal. These tracks came for the love of music without any goal or objective in mind. The title track was born after a day in nature with us playing frisbee, and ‘Luna’ was created late into the night with the full moon in Sagittarius, our zodiac sign.
This is your first release together. Can we expect more to come in the future?
There may just be something cooking in the oven… and it’s not a pizza Margherita 🙂
What does the rest of your year look like?
As I mentioned before, I moved back home to support my family in Sardinia, specifically my mom (I’m definitely the cliché of the good Italian son!) Many years ago, she created a beautiful, sustainable, and eco-friendly B&B’, ‘Alba’ that I have now taken over, giving her much deserved rest. I’ve been focused on reimagining this space, and now I’m ready to share it. The rest of the year will see it catering to those wanting to experience a unique vacation, those looking to discover week-long workshops, and other producers in need of a creative sanctuary. Even though I can’t tour like I used to, I’ll still be doing a few special shows here and there. If Italy has taught me anything since I’ve been back, it’s to go with the flow — just as long as the senses are being fed along the way 🙂
