rossella - rain [anatomy 18]

finally... we're back in action with anatomy 18, from rossella!

readers of this blog may need no introduction, but just in case: rossella is an italian artist who's been crafting her own deep, evocative sort of techno since the mid-'00s. this anatomy mix, rain, has been a long time coming, so i'm happy to finally share it along with some words from rossella herself. read on:

Who is Rossella?
It's me, always passionate about music, dance and clubs.

What made you want to become a DJ and create music? How did you first discover techno?
Eleven years ago, in 2001, after living for 2 months in Paris, fascinated by cosmopolitan musical culture, I felt the need to bring something special in a city like Rome. When I started DJing, I played a mixture of Indian, Arabian and Celtic music; later, I added electronic music to make my performances more original, and minimal house or techno to give a beat. I was impelled to take enter this underground chapter of music from Giancarlino, Goa Club's owner and also a really great DJ. So electronic and minimal became my main interest, bypassing ethnic music, except in 2009, when I was asked to do the soundtrack for a bellydance show in modern key, mixing electronic and Arabian music.

Every week, I bought my vinyls from Remix, a historic record shop in Rome where, in that period, an innovative and exciting atmosphere could be felt, different from the common line of musical business in Italy, and that was how some DJs also started to produce, feeling the needs to say something new. Right there was born the Elettronica Romana label from this common idea, and the first authors were Giorgio Gigli and Donato Dozzy; Modern Heads were also soon involved in this project, not DJs but already musicians for many years. With their own support, I made my first productions.

Tell us about some of your favorite 'non-techno' music. What other music do you listen to? I understand you love ethnic music, dub, hip hop and trip hop, etc.
I always loved all Black Music, from soul to funky, from reggae to hip hop... and I often like to re-listen to some heroes of the past, like Marvin Gay, Gil Scott, Dionne Warwick, Nina Simone, and many other artists that made the music of my past. Actually there's an artist that I love in a special way: he's Jose James, I would call him a "jazz" artist, I love his voice and his way of singing. Hope to hear him sing live soon. I also listen to some dubstep artists, like Pinch and Shackleton.

You are also a dancer, how has that affected your approach to music, especially techno?
I would really like to be a professional dancer, unfortunately I'm only an "amateur, bien que passionnè.” Anyway, I was always amazed by the ability and the awareness to simultaneously use different parts of our body, in two words: kinesthetic intelligence ;) But dance is not just this: dancing is also interpreting the emotional content of music, and the music should be able to offer that opportunity to dance. This is what I always keep in my mind when I play for the dancefloor: not only pure rhythmics but also a dose of melody, trying to evoke some sensations in the audience and also in myself. Obviously some people like it and some people don’t. In Russia and in the East of Europe I found a public that’s very sensitive to my sound.

Tell us about your career in ophthalmology! How has working in a hospital affected how you think about music?
I’ve worked as an ophthalmologist for many years in a hospital in Rome and I also do surgery, like cataract and refractive surgery. The behavior that must be taken with patients is absolutely detached and emotionless, and after being in contact with people who suffer and who complain of more or less serious problems, I just want to see people having fun. By DJing I can be the architect of that fun and share my own emotions.

What are your absolute favorite records, and why?
This choice really depends on time: next year, I might answer in a different way and that's because I have many records I love and it would be hard to pick one. Anyway, the first that usually comes to mind is Swayzak vs. Roger 23 - Volt Musik 02, especially the track "Electronically Mine (Swayzak rework)", because it reassumes my own sound since the beginning: I was lucky to meet it along my way.

What artists and labels are you watching closely in 2012? What was the last record you bought?
Sigha, #4.26, Szare, Eduardo De La Calle, Svreca, Shifted, DVS1, Wincent Kunth, Zenker brothers, the trio Ridell/Dehnert/Lindau and the related labels. I care more about deep hypnotic techno than dub techno right now.

Also some younger artists: Richard Szabo - Arch EP (Nutation) is the latest revelation for me, as well as Vizar - The Time (Jato Unit); also I don't want to forget the recent release of Synus0006 on his own digital label Panel Trax/B4CK6ROUNDNO1SE and the latest unreleased works of KHZ aka Egor Sukharev (Fullpanda, Protez). Last record I bought: Eduardo De La Calle - Analogue Solutions 13.

You created Seven Kinds of Intelligence (Part One) in 2007, will you ever reveal the four other kinds of intelligence?
This project is always in my mind, but many things have changed in the last few years… it was a project linked to Elettronica Romana and I couldn't imagine the second part released on another label.

Tell us about the mix. How was it recorded?
This mix was considered for a long time, but built and disassembled many times. Then it happened that one day all the pieces fit together like in a puzzle… I used Traktor and both vinyl and digital tracks, and Ableton Live to record it.

What is next for Rossella?
Releases not planned, but projects under construction. Also some collaborations with new authors. Gigs to be confirmed.





1. STL - THUNDERSTORM - SOMETHING
2. CIO D'OR - MAGNETFLUSS (MILTON BRADLEY RMX) - PROLOGUE
3. RAIME - THIS FOUNDRY (REGIS VERSION) - BLACKEST EVER BLACK
4. ASC - TRANSIT - MOTE026
5. CHRISTIAN WUNSCH - INEVITABLE WAR - POLE RECORDINGS
6. CLARO INTELECTO - SIGNALS - MODERN LOVE
7. SIGHA - FINDING MYSELF - ANN AIMEE
8. #.4.26 - HORSESTANCE - FROZEN BORDER
9. SILENT SERVANT - EL MAR (SVRECA REMIX) - SEMANTICA
10. DELTA FUNKTIONEN - TORPOR - ANN AIMEE
11. CONRAD VAN ORTON - HINGE - KEY
12. SIGHA - HOW TO DISAPPEAR - HOTFLUSH
13. GIORGIO GIGLI - TEMPO - PROLOGUE
14. SILENT SERVANT - MAD YOUTH - SANDWELL DISTRICT
15. RICHARD SZABO - ADVANCED REVERB - NUTATION

thanks to rossella for a very nice mix. be sure to follow her RA page for upcoming gigs and more info. it's been fun getting to know rossella and we're both really happy to get this one out to the world. more anatomy action coming soon, but until then, please enjoy the rain!