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Claudio and Davide are a pair of prolific producers whose reputation on the scene has been escalating since joining forces 2 years ago, quickly establishing their presence in London’s crowded spotlight. With a full bag of successful releases already behind them and a number of key gigs in the pipeline this duo has been hotly tipped by the press and the underground scene, with their name quoted as ‘currently on fire’.

With their combined eclectic background that reaches every House Music angle, their styles intermingle to create deep and always hypnotic grooves. Since their first release signed by Electric Sheep Recordings in late 2008 they have come a long way, working with some of the leading labels and artists in the market.

In the past year DZeta N’ Basile’s productions on the 1trax label have rocketed to the top of the Beatport charts, with their singles and remixes alongside the likes of Robert Owens, Alex Jones, Amelie, Shenoda, Cozzy D, Kruse & Nuernberg and Paul Loraine.

Now the pair get set for their second 1trax Label Showcase at Cargo on Friday 15th October – a night which is now firmly cemented in East London’s calendar for those in the know. We catch up with them ahead of their Cargo set in action, to poke and prod into how Claudio and Davide got to where they are today…

So boys, you have been producing together now for the last two years. Did you find it difficult to adjust from an artist to a producer duo?
C - Well, it was at first, as I was coming from a more housey background while Claudio had more of techy edge, therefore it took us a little while to blend the two moods together.

Despite hailing from Italy, you have a huge following in London. There is a strong scene in Italy so what attracts to London so much?
D - I guess because London is, as a matter of fact, where all the new music influences start from, and this is quite stimulating and important for us and our own sound.

Why do you think you are so popular in London?
D - Being involved with the London club scene since 1997 has played a big part in it. We gained our first main exposure with the Italian party Vertigo, I as a promoter and Claudio as a DJ, bringing a new culture of Sunday night clubbing in the capital. Then, since starting producing as DZeta N' Basile we've also attracted a new younger crown reaching south America and Mexico.

What do you regard as the biggest difference between the Italian and the UK house scene?
D - I reckon that in Italy fashion plays a big role in the club scene; dress code and details are key points for Italian promoters; while over here things are probably more 'simple'. On the other end of the spectrum, the house music culture is much stronger in this country, which makes London the place to be at the moment for us.

You are playing at the 1trax event at Cargo on 15th October. Describe your unique sound.
C - Somebody described us as a unique blend of hypnotic groves, deep vibes with a house feeling, and I think this works for our productions as well as for our DJ sets. But it's always important for us to observe the crowd and be able to blend our sound with what the dance floor wants.

Do you have some new tracks coming out? What are they? And will you be dropping them at the one 1trax event?
D - We're working on a new EP for 1Trax, and some more material in the pipeline for the label. We also have an EP coming out on Mexican label - Akbal Music, a remix for Nulogic and also an EP for Phobic Records and project for Neurotraxx just to mention a few. Stay tuned! And of course we'll try some of them out at the 1trax party!

East London has a vibrant underground scene. Do you feel your music reflects and complements this scene?
D - Shoreditch has been London's main hot spot for quite a few years now. We always enjoy our gigs there and I think our sound fits perfectly. There's always something special about Shoreditch that inspires us for our work in the studio as well.

Producing Vs DJing – which is the most challenging and why?
C - I would say they're very much at the same level. As producers, the first years have been the toughest, but as things started going in the right direction we've aimed for more, and thus giving every new project its new challenge. As DJs we love the way technology has become part of the live performance, and every new piece of equipment or software is a new challenge to improve and develop our DJ sets.

What’s your worst ever clubbing experience?
C+D - One of the worst experiences we can recall is when, after a night of relentless after-hours fun - we ended up stuck in gridlocked traffic on the way home thanks to a fox hunting demonstration... A journey home of 20 minutes actually took us 4 hours, in a hot day of summer and not in a very sober condition (driver apart of course). We’re fairly sure that many of you can relate!

Out of the two of you, who is the first to arrive and the last to leave?
C - I'm a punctuality freak, so definitely the first to arrive of the two. Though most of the time we go out together, Davide is the promoter of the two so always gets stuck talking to everyone and anyone! At least I have the privilege of either going home, or heading to another party!

How long do you normally spend in the studio on each release?
D - Our first project took us three months, and emerged completely different from what we first envisaged it would end up as. Fortunately things got better with practice, and we now spend no more than a week on each track. As the work-load has increased we also work on different projects separately and then meet up to finalise them, that’s a great positive of being a duo.

You’ve played in East London/Shoreditch before. What is your most memorable experience?
C - Our first 1trax party at Cargo was definitely one of our most memorable experiences. We were looking forward to a 1trax party in London after their debut party in Miami, and it ended up being an extremely successful night. Can't wait for this next one!

How do you keep your sets fresh?
C - You know, since the digital music revolution, music is now easily accessible to everyone, which makes it tougher to stay on top and play what people haven't heard before. This is where being a producer as well as DJ helps, because it opens an abundance of new channels – giving you the opportunity of playing your own music before everyone else.

Shenoda laid down a remix for your 1trax EP ‘Force Quit’. Label mate Shenoda will also be playing at the 1trax event. Any more collaborations in the pipeline?
D - After the first successful collaboration with Shenoda, which gained a strong support by top DJs like Richie Hawtin, Tini, Matt Tolfrey and Chris Lattner, we'll look at doing new studio projects together soon. In addition we also have other fresh collaborations with Cozzy D & Paul Loraine (1trax).

You have been involved in the scene since the early Nineties. How do you feel the scene has evolved since then?
C - Music has gone into lots of different directions over the past two decades, but it's nice to see how in the last couple of years there's been a return to deep house music fused with new concepts.

Do you have plans or ambitions to take your music in a different direction?
D - We're quite happy with what we're doing right now, as it typically reflects our mood. However, we constantly work to develop our sound, and in addition we'll be investigating new projects with more techy edge. Watch this space…

When DJing, what do you prefer – vinyl, CD, USB, or laptop?
D - We are pretty flexible with formats! Claudio has been playing for many years on vinyl & CDs. I started directly with Ableton live. So in the beginning Claudio and I using Ableton and I still remember once during a gig at Hull, our controller exploded during a mix! Claudio panicked and we thought the end was nigh! But a magic mouse saved our final set with the help of the laptop pad ?
Since then we’ve moved onto Final Scratch so we’re able to play vinyl and CDs via our laptop. Amazing! We also use fx1 controller during our DJ – giving us the edge to have more hands on the effects. And the more hands the better!

Catch Dzeta N’ Basile in action at the 1trax Label Showcase @ Cargo
With guests Dodha, Paul Loraine, Alex Jones, and Shenoda
Fri 15th October
22:00 – 03:00
Link to event - http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?188992

Cargo
83 Rivington Street
Shoreditch
London
EC2A 3AY