Nicola Daniele, a DJ since 1995 and one half of the globally recognised duo NiCe7, who has been spinning tracks around the world since 2006, embodies an artist, a label, and a community. His passion for 'the art of sampling' has been a lifelong affair and his penchant for the noble discipline of DJing and music in general is a striking characteristic of the man himself. We sat down with him for a quick chat about music, life, art and inspiration.
Nicola Daniele Q&A
-Hello Nicola, it is a great pleasure to have you here with us during this delightful Italian summer as we celebrate the 14th anniversary of Apparel Music, engaging in conversations with a series of esteemed guests such as yourself. We are here under a walnut tree, and for those who will be reading instead of listening, our microphones are capturing the insistent, summery, and natural sound of the cicadas, which accompany our meeting in a truly authentic way. First of all, how are you?
- I am very well, thank you, especially because this location and its natural surroundings make everything even more beautiful. This is also the place where I was born (San Salvo), and where my passion was ignited from the very first day, so there is no better atmosphere.
-Indeed, let’s start with your relationship with music. How has it started?
- My passion for music began in childhood. My interest in the world of DJing was sparked by the fact that my uncle was a radio DJ and therefore had a pair of silver Technics 1200 turntables, along with microphones and a mixer, and he had many vinyl records in the living room. I remember it being my favorite place to be; I would immediately escape there whenever I could to this captivating room. I believe it was perhaps destiny that led me to such a place from a very young age.
-Tell us about your most well-known projects: NiCe7 and Fresco Edits…
- Initially, with NiCe7, I partnered with Cesare (Marocco) and had the privilege of learning from his incredible technique and talent. That experience helped me develop my own skills as an individual artist, especially since I was initially not at his level. I absorbed and honed my abilities, partly thanks to him. This led to my project, Fresco Edits, which I never imagined would become an artistic endeavor. It was a time when I was exhausted from touring and had lost the poetry of it all. Lightening up with a project like this, based on edits, helped me tremendously.
-Tell us about your relationship with music, what this art gives you, which parts of you it stimulates, and what it takes away.
- Look, two years ago, I was having lunch with Claudio Coccoluto from Full Time Records. I had done some remixes for his label, and he told me, "You’re like me, you can take an idea and make it real." I think that fundamentally, this is my art. I’m good at putting musicians in a position to perform at their best for a project. I don’t consider myself a particularly great musician or producer, but rather a DJ who makes music. This approach allows me to perhaps more clearly understand the components that make up a track.
-Very nice answer, thanks. Now, is there a specific release that changed your life as a producer?
- Well, if we're talking about the new project Fresco Edits, the first record with Ron Carroll stands out. It was actually a bootleg. I had sampled Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" emulating a sampling technique by Moodymann, giving it a Disco touch, and adding a preacher's voice (this is the first time I'm revealing this detail). Then, after initial contacts with Defected Records and Glitterbox, Simon Dunmore called me and suggested to remove the vocal but keeping Summer’s sample, assuring me that no one would recognise it. So basically fate intervened, and within two days, I found myself with a track sung by Ron Carroll, entirely produced by me, with only the mastering outsourced.
Nicola Daniele Q&A
-Hello Nicola, it is a great pleasure to have you here with us during this delightful Italian summer as we celebrate the 14th anniversary of Apparel Music, engaging in conversations with a series of esteemed guests such as yourself. We are here under a walnut tree, and for those who will be reading instead of listening, our microphones are capturing the insistent, summery, and natural sound of the cicadas, which accompany our meeting in a truly authentic way. First of all, how are you?
- I am very well, thank you, especially because this location and its natural surroundings make everything even more beautiful. This is also the place where I was born (San Salvo), and where my passion was ignited from the very first day, so there is no better atmosphere.
-Indeed, let’s start with your relationship with music. How has it started?
- My passion for music began in childhood. My interest in the world of DJing was sparked by the fact that my uncle was a radio DJ and therefore had a pair of silver Technics 1200 turntables, along with microphones and a mixer, and he had many vinyl records in the living room. I remember it being my favorite place to be; I would immediately escape there whenever I could to this captivating room. I believe it was perhaps destiny that led me to such a place from a very young age.
-Tell us about your most well-known projects: NiCe7 and Fresco Edits…
- Initially, with NiCe7, I partnered with Cesare (Marocco) and had the privilege of learning from his incredible technique and talent. That experience helped me develop my own skills as an individual artist, especially since I was initially not at his level. I absorbed and honed my abilities, partly thanks to him. This led to my project, Fresco Edits, which I never imagined would become an artistic endeavor. It was a time when I was exhausted from touring and had lost the poetry of it all. Lightening up with a project like this, based on edits, helped me tremendously.
-Tell us about your relationship with music, what this art gives you, which parts of you it stimulates, and what it takes away.
- Look, two years ago, I was having lunch with Claudio Coccoluto from Full Time Records. I had done some remixes for his label, and he told me, "You’re like me, you can take an idea and make it real." I think that fundamentally, this is my art. I’m good at putting musicians in a position to perform at their best for a project. I don’t consider myself a particularly great musician or producer, but rather a DJ who makes music. This approach allows me to perhaps more clearly understand the components that make up a track.
-Very nice answer, thanks. Now, is there a specific release that changed your life as a producer?
- Well, if we're talking about the new project Fresco Edits, the first record with Ron Carroll stands out. It was actually a bootleg. I had sampled Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" emulating a sampling technique by Moodymann, giving it a Disco touch, and adding a preacher's voice (this is the first time I'm revealing this detail). Then, after initial contacts with Defected Records and Glitterbox, Simon Dunmore called me and suggested to remove the vocal but keeping Summer’s sample, assuring me that no one would recognise it. So basically fate intervened, and within two days, I found myself with a track sung by Ron Carroll, entirely produced by me, with only the mastering outsourced.
Now, before a final question, we would like to propose our now-classic series of rapid-fire metaphysical questions, which, in their apparent simplicity, always help us and our readers to get to know the people who answer them better. Let's start.
-If you were an object, what would you be?
- Oh my... let me think... a pair of headphones, simply because it's an object that has always accompanied me. Wherever I go, the first thing I pack is my headphones, be it DJ headphones, studio headphones, or even just my AirPods, with which I've even done some mixing now and then because they have excellent sound quality.
-And if you were an animal?
- A dog, because I'm someone you can trust.
-If you were a city, which do you think would best reflect your personality?
- Rome, because it's the eternal city and the most beautiful city in the world. I believe we should all aspire to achieve the level of beauty that Rome exudes, in whatever we do.
-If you were a geometric shape?
- A sphere, haha.
-A color?
- I would be green because it's the color of hope.
-If you were a food?
- A nice plate of pasta, you expected that, didn't you? Haha.
-If you were a plant?
- This is a tough one... In my known imagination, I'd say an olive tree because it reminds me of my childhood. My grandfather used to take me to the countryside, and there were always olive trees, which evokes fond memories for me.
-If you were a season?
- Summer. I wish it were always summer.
-Last question: what is music to you?
- My life!
Now, before a final question, we would like to propose our now-classic series of rapid-fire metaphysical questions, which, in their apparent simplicity, always help us and our readers to get to know the people who answer them better. Let's start.
-If you were an object, what would you be?
- Oh my... let me think... a pair of headphones, simply because it's an object that has always accompanied me. Wherever I go, the first thing I pack is my headphones, be it DJ headphones, studio headphones, or even just my AirPods, with which I've even done some mixing now and then because they have excellent sound quality.
-And if you were an animal?
- A dog, because I'm someone you can trust.
-If you were a city, which do you think would best reflect your personality?
- Rome, because it's the eternal city and the most beautiful city in the world. I believe we should all aspire to achieve the level of beauty that Rome exudes, in whatever we do.
-If you were a geometric shape?
- A sphere, haha.
-A color?
- I would be green because it's the color of hope.
-If you were a food?
- A nice plate of pasta, you expected that, didn't you? Haha.
-If you were a plant?
- This is a tough one... In my known imagination, I'd say an olive tree because it reminds me of my childhood. My grandfather used to take me to the countryside, and there were always olive trees, which evokes fond memories for me.
