During ADE 2021, T.H.E also got the chance to meet up with the 17-year-old rising star, Federico Gardenghi.
With the stamp of approval from legendary acts such as Joe Smooth, Kevin Saunderson and Carl Cox, the seventeen-year-old DJ and producer has been playing to crowds of thousands strong for years, taking center stage at events and parties he himself wasn’t (and still isn’t) old enough to attend.
He now roams the common space between Techno, Trance,Tech House, House and Pop, both with his bass-driven productions and signature live sets. He is exclusively signed to Armada Music, performs at events in over twenty countries, plays alongside industry hotshots such as Carl Cox, Roger Sanchez, Inner City, Richie Hawtin, Stephan Bozdin, Adam Beyer and Chris Liebing, and holds a weekly residency at Italy’s biggest radio station (M20).
Every single day, he juggles a fulltime career as a DJ and producer with being a fulltime student and teenager. So if you’re eager to find out how the future of dancemusic will shape up, you’d do well to keep tabs on this star in the making!
Elsi – Hey Federico! Welcome to T.H.E! How are you doing?
Federico – Well fine! And little bit tired due to ADE at the Armada headquarters. Very, very busy day but super, super excited and happy!
Elsi – Beginning of Sept you made the “Mix of the week” for our podcast! Thanks for that, it was really awesome!
Federico – Yeah, thank you for having me!
Elsi – For 17, you have quite some experience already when it comes to producing and playing music. What has been the most special experience of your carrier?
Federico – I think it was playing here at Armada Invites in past years, that was really great. Even if it wasn’t like a big event, it was like something that I had dreamed for a while. Being with Armada has been one of my dreams since I was four years old, so it’s been a dream.
And also, the biggest thing that I really love to do is playing in my hometown in Italy and also just playing in Italy in general. I think that when you are an Artist and people from your age and your country love you and enjoy what you do, that’s like one of the biggest emotions. And that’s why I love playing in Italy.
Elsi – As, legally, you’re still too young for parties, are you looking forward to turning 18 when you can officially join in and have more say in what you do?
Federico – I’m really looking forward to it…Well, actually, I’m not looking forward to the day I will turn 18 because I will have to deal with the bank, the lawyer and all the boring stuff. I am really looking forward to finally be free on what I’m doing. Now, my dad is still traveling with me, always working with me, helping me out and it will still be the same, but I will have the possibility to also take the decisions and sign contracts and this is going to be a huge advantage!
Elsi – Once you graduate from high school, do you intend to go full into your music career or do you want to do a specific study to support the music career?
Federico – This year, I will try the test for economy and law at the Universidad Bocconi of Milan, which is one of the greatest universities in the world, I will try that one and I will try to enter the sound engineering course at the sound engineering university, so I would love to join that university and also love economy and law. That’s what I’m looking forward to this year.
Elsi – And I guess it will always be an advantage in your musical career, being able to represent yourself?
Federico – Yes! I can be my own lawyer!
Elsi – You released your latest track with Armada called “Hold me” which was quite different compared to “Get it one” and “Loco”, what was the idea behind it?
Federico – Actually, the idea behind it and also behind the next track that is going to come out, is that I’m just trying to make what I want to, what I like. I made ““Get it one”, which is completely different from “Loco”, which is completely different to ““Hold me”. The next one is going to be completely different again! I’m just going to see what I like, because are maybe periods of time when I make house music and there are also periods of time when I make pop and hardcore.
I just want to make what I feel inspired to make and what I’m feeling at the time. Once I have my sound, then I will continue that way but now it’s just, for me, experimenting, experimenting with all the kinds of sounds and people to work with. It’s great still being at beginning, but I hope to find myself very soon.
Elsi – That is an advantage to being at the beginning of your career and having that freedom! I was going to ask about the different music styles and what specific direction you wanted to move towards, but I guess you just answered that!
Elsi – What else is on your agenda for the rest of the year?
Federico – Actually, I have some gigs but not confirmed yet because, living in Italy, we have a lot of problems with quarantine coming in and out
I’m talking to a lot of promoters and have gigs lined-up, I hope to play for Halloween and also for New Year’s Eve, but nothing is confirmed yet, but I hope to be on stage real soon!
Elsi – Well thank you for the interview, those were all my questions so far!
Federico – Thanks!
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