I started producing music in high school, but it was more for computer games rather than electronic music. Later, I began playing music, and after a few years, I started producing electronic music. Back in high school, I wasn’t sure if I could make music. But since I didn’t enjoy programming, I experimented with MIDI music instead, as I was in a band and played several instruments. At the time, I was fascinated by the sound of 8-bit music, like chiptunes, which apparently influenced my melancholic, raw sound today. I used Cakewalk 4.0 back then, which had only a few basic sounds — one piano, one guitar, one drum kit. The simplicity of that limited work environment pushed me to be more creative, and that approach still influences me today.

‘Generation X’ marked the beginning of a new style for me, and I surprised myself when I finished it — it sounded more modern than my previous tracks. I had always been aware of the duo Parallelle, and finally, this collaboration opportunity came. When Parallelle asked me for some demos, I sent them a few, not expecting them to choose this one. I wasn’t 100% sure about the track at first, but after mastering it, I premiered it at EDC Mexico, and the response was impeccable. The more I played it, the more I connected with it and grew to love it.

I just got my first analogue synthesizer, the SH-101. Before that, I always used digital sounds because I was kind of a nomad – I never stayed in one place for long, so owning gear felt too luxurious. But now that I’ve settled in Berlin and finally have my own home, the first thing I wanted to do was build my own studio. So yes, I really appreciate analogue sound, but I also recognize that it comes with a price. You need a stable place, and it requires an investment. But once I experienced it, I saw the beauty in it. I love the warmth and character of analogue sound — it feels alive! When it comes to vinyl, I love digging through record stores. It’s a completely different experience from searching for music online. There’s an element of surprise and randomness that makes it special. It’s not just about playing music; it’s about experiencing the history of music.

The voices you hear in the track come from an old Korean news interview about Generation X fashion. It went viral because of the sentence at the end of the breakdown: ‘이렇게 입으면 기분이 좋거든요’ — which means, ‘I feel good if I wear like this.’ Generation X was an important concept for us — it marked a break from traditional gendered clothing and was all about the freedom to express yourself through fashion. But in the end, it wasn’t just about clothing; it was a cultural shift. As I discovered my new style, I realized ‘Generation X’ was the perfect title & concept for it.

Venice is beyond the next level of beauty — extremely gorgeous, or maybe it’s just the essence of beauty itself! I visited 10 years ago, and after the pandemic, the color of the water has changed, making it even more stunning. Arriving at the venue and hotel by water taxi — how romantic is that? Playing for Perplex in a historical building like Arsenale with the crowd dressed in classic costumes and wearing original Venetian masks was an outstanding experience. It felt like stepping into another world where history and art collided. This wasn’t my first time working with Perplex: they also brought me to perform in an old church in London, which was equally captivating. The fusion of different industries — music, art, fashion, architecture, and history — creates a unique environment that transcends the typical club setting. I believe this kind of blending is powerful. Whether it’s the costumes, the venue, or the art direction, these elements elevate the experience and show how club culture can extend beyond the music to influence other industries and create something much more immersive. In a way, it is an inevitable future. You can watch this development nearly everywhere…

In fact, I will be hosting my first own “Klubnacht” at the Panorama Bar in Berghain on April 13. Come and join the cosmic journey! 

Fatima (F): I am working on a Fatima Njai album. This picture entails music production, songwriting, and art, to be specific (with great collaborations). In addition, cultural event production falls into my creative repertoire and I work on several cultural projects that are related to art, fashion, and music.

Jerome Sydenham (JS): I am always working on music. The flavors range from afro vibes to the complete house spectrum and deep techno. I am also very focused on my afromatic art, fashion, and music project that will be based in Berlin, Paris, and Tokyo. These projects are my current priority at the moment and I will use Berlin as my base of operations.

F: Many moments in life shaped me. One key moment is my friend Julie Snoek, who motivated me at 18 to pursue singing and organized a spot as a singer for me in a cover band. That set the milestone to enter my personal and professional journey into the music business. Later, at 24, my friend Phillip Majer introduced me to electronic music production. I went on to complete my studies in Fine Arts at Christina Kubisch with a diploma in Sound Art and Mixed Media. Collaborative works and my love for street music gave me invaluable lessons in my personal and spiritual evolution. All of this led to a major key moment (where things became full circle) when I started to work with Jerome Sydenham. He became my biggest teacher and mentor in music production, business, and art. Keeping it real, the story continues.

JS: My early childhood in Nigeria was critical in my development regarding appreciation of music. My professional background at East West Records and Atlantic Records in New York City gave birth to my DJ and production career which led to the formation of Ibadan Records and other imprints. The journey continues…

F: I am a lover of all genres. I love music.

JS: Primarily Fela Kuti and the Akpala music scene. I was blessed to be involved with the foundation years of house and techno music, also naturally hip hop and reggae Music. I do believe that I have a good understanding of most genres of music.

F: The cultural impact and identity of music. The consumption of music. Music was better when artists did not have to obey any imagery and were reflective of the issues of the world.

JS: Music always evolves. I guess the improvement of the home studio is the most significant difference and of course the use of AI in music production.

F: The future is bright as always. I see more real instruments coming back, songs and innovative sounds. I love the fact how accessible all music became to people. I am wondering about the future of streaming and if it actually has value in the long run. I see a lot of classics come back, a lot of new fusions of old and new. I believe the only way to keep music sustainable is to carry all the greatness of music from the past into the future and share it with the world until it is forgotten.

JS: As I said before, there is always movement in these genres and there is a lot more of it. I think you really have to dig to find the good stuff. Same thing applies to DJing. I find there are less dynamic DJs existing in the market. This always changes so I remain optimistic.

F: Jerome Sydenham from all people, 100%, because he is the most talented, genius producer in my opinion. He is also a great teacher, mentor, and at the same time, he is extremely creative in several fields of arts and production of music. I call him a “Walking Library”. Also, he has a great understanding of the ideas I have and always gives more fruit for thought or the one idea that will take the music to the next level. His hunger for music is just infectious. He is the producer who put sense into my ideas and helped me to shape it into real music. His openness to music of all kinds and almost childlike approach to combine sounds and new ideas is in itself always inspiring to me. Without Jerome Sydenham, the world would not hear and know about Fatima Njai, as he is the one who flipped the script in my career and is the biggest Fatima Njai supporter.

JS: Merlin Bobb and Sylvia Rhone on a corporate level, Fatima Njai, Joe Clausell, Kerri Chandler, Dennis Ferrer, and Ron Trent on a production level, to name a few. Robert Owens, Carl Craig, The Martinez Brothers, Seth Troxler, Function…and I could go on and on and on. So many great people.

F: No. The music always shows me the way.

JS: Nope, not really, except maybe for better lawyers and accountants.

Måneskin: It is our hometown, so all our families and friends will be there. That makes it special.

M: Crazy busy. All the time.

M: We have our new record “Rush” out, so we are touring with it and bringing it to life. In summer, we have some festivals coming up.

M: Glastonbury. It’s our first time there.

M: Nope. Only on YouTube.

M: There were so many. I watched the Idles a couple of years ago, which was really sick.

M: We never really thought about it. It just happened.

M: Very far. All the other kids did not take it as seriously as we did. We had many different members in the band. And some would say: Sorry, I can’t come to rehearsal because I have an exam tomorrow or I want to do sports. All sorts of excuses. And we were like: Why don’t you take it as seriously as we do? Because we had a big dream. We wanted to play music every day. As our job. As our lives. And in Rome, it is not easy for an upcoming band. There aren’t that many places where you can build an audience. So we started to play on the streets. But these obstacles, as hard as they were, made us appreciate it even more when ten people on the street would listen to us.

M: On the Corso, the big shopping mall in the center.

M: You need a permit. Which we never had. We would play for 30 minutes until the cops would show up. We told them we did not know that we needed a permit, walked around the block until they disappeared, and started again.

M: It’s very true. In Rome, one can still enjoy social life and personal relationships. Or even just hang around in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We have the chance to visit different countries and cities, but Rome remains a safe place for us and our creativity.

Although, if you do anything artistic, be it painting or music, it is not a good city. There is creativity, but not opportunity. When we said we want to be musicians, we were asked: Okay, but what do you really want to do? Now we appreciate it more when we get here. Business people and music industry people are not in Rome, so we can relax.

M: We started when we were 14, so we did not have time for Plan Bs.

M: We spent the first year playing on the street. And our friends from school started to pay attention and the crowds got slightly bigger. 200 instead of 20 people listening… Then we realized that it was not only in our head.

M: The passion. And we are extremely good looking. [laughter] Our music is not very related to Italian culture. But our relationship among the band and with our fans, how we perform, reflects our culture.

M: Of course, we party! We don’t have this concept of stardom. We don’t believe in only hanging out with important or famous people. We still go to the same bars as we did in high school. We really appreciate it when it’s real. Being famous means having fun, for us.

M: Good. We never thought about that and just went ahead with what we liked. We processed the small changes we underwent. We are still very young and we analyze what is good for us. With each song, we consider that it has to feel right at the moment, but also that we will have to sing it for the next five or ten years.

Victoria: It always changes. The is no strict method. Somebody comes to the studio with an idea and we follow his lead and see where it goes. Thomas comes up with a cool riff, or sometimes we just play around.

Damiano: Yes. Sometimes the others help, though. And of course we make sure that everybody is okay with what we are saying.

M: Bob Dylan and Patti Smith. To name a male and a female.

M: Not yet. Working on it. It’s gonna come.

M: We always felt that the aesthetic should match the music. And we had the ideal that if you do it properly, you have a more well-rounded product. In the beginning, we did not have the financial means to buy good clothes, so we looked pretty ridiculous. At least we were trying. Clothes can express feelings and ideas as much as words.

M: To embrace individuality. Which is rare today, because everybody seems to be following trends. He really taught us to value that. He was very inspiring for us because he was working for one of the biggest brands and yet stayed authentic and true to himself. He did not sell out and do things he did not like. Which is exactly what we want to do. We want a big audience. But we want to do it by being real.

M: That’s a hard question. We try to be mentally free. But it influences our lives. We try to be aware and we know there is a lot to work on. When the context is right and we know enough about certain issues, we always try to speak up. Are we changing the world? We should all be part of a community that treats the world, the people, the creatures respectfully.

M: Mostly not. But sometimes, we can add a day or two, like we did when we were in Japan or Brazil. Especially when the culture is so different from ours.

M: Brazil! And Japan!

M: In Latin America, they are completely nuts and wild. In Japan, they were mostly quiet during the songs and would clap and stomp their feet after each song.

M: A lot. It’s what inspires us the most. We always try to experience music live.

M: Oh, yeah. But we are still friends. We are even married – the four us!

M: We sit together on the couch and do Zoom-interviews. [laughter]

M: You can’t compare it to anything else. Thousands of people reacting to what the music is doing is really quite addictive.

M: Sure. We still wear Gucci.

Victoria: It has to be waterproof.

Damiano: I want it to be light, so I don’t feel it.