Interview | The ReLOUD

The ReLOUD is a music duo consisting of the electronic music producers, DJs, musicians and entrepreneurs in the music industry, Alex Tripi and Nello Greco, that started in Rome in 1999. Inspired by the release of Propellerheads’ “ReBIRTH”, which was widely used by them in the studio, the idea for The ReLOUD brand was born.

Their first official release came in 2004 with the song “Pincia Samba” while the duo still retained their first name: ReMOVIDAS. With the change of their name came even greater hits such as “Once Again”, collaborations with artists such as: Crystal Waters, OLA, Inaya Day etc., support from the biggest names in the field (Benny Benassi, Bob Sinclair, Eric Morillo, Milk & Sugar, David Morales, Fatboy Slim, Groove Armada etc.) but also remixes that they created for huge names of their country like Vasco Rossi and Jovanotti!

Now they are focusing again on releasing new music, which recently took the form of a full length album entitled “The Other Side”.

But what are their plans for the future and what do they have to tell us about this record? What are the higlights of their career so far and what song stands out for them from “The Other Side”? Learn everything about The ReLOUD through the exclusive interview they gave to SounDarts.gr below…

Hello guys and welcome to SounDarts.gr! First of all who are The ReLOUD? How would you introduce yourselves to the audience?

We are an electronic music DUO from Rome. We have been producing for the last 20 years, with main focus on club music, until our latest Album TO THE OTHER SIDE that is a complete different story, mixing ballads and club music into 1 single journey.

How would you describe The ReLOUD’s sound?

Good question. For the first part of our career we were searching for that “club hit” sound, and most of the time we ended up (successfully we made several UK TOP 10 club chart or Beatport top 10) into being “in that sound”. But now, we felt we had to push the boundaries even more and go for our “own sound”. In our studio we have a 10 meters sentence painted on the wall that says “SOUND LIKE NO ONE ELSE”. We do believe everyone has a personal story to tell. Our mission is to tell this story into a music form. For this we spent 2 years in the studio to search our own sound and we believe we found it on the new album.

Recently you released your new album “The Other Side”! What should we expect from this release?

This album is a journey. A musical Journey. A personal Journey. We played over 30 instruments in the album, sampled 4 continents, worked with singers form South Africa, Australia, America, Europe. It goes from 69 bmp to 130bmp, from a romantic ballads to club anthems. But, as everyone that listens to it said: “you feel there is a sound. A glue. A journey that brings everything together”. We also shoot 10 video clips, 1 per track, created 10 illustrations all with some of the most cutting edge artists we like. Federico Marchi and Stefano Casertano as directors for the videos and Roberta Maddalena Bireau for the illustrations. It’s a journey as we said.

“Rollercoaster” and “Armonium” are two singles that stood out very quickly from this album. What are the stories behind their creation?

Rollercoaster is the summary of a life time. You can really get it from the video clip. Life sometimes puts you upside down, shakes you, but at the end it’s a magic ride. In the beginning we were going to make it into a club version. It was the first track of the new album we were writing, and coming from 20 years of clubland, you can imagine for us was easy to go in that direction. We got a tremendous groove, like Sky and Sand from Paul Karlkbrenner. But after the excitement passed, we said to ourselves “remember: sound like no one else”, and we trashed in the bin. 30 min later we had Rollercoaster as it is today. We slowed it down, we went for that distorted synth sound, that after that became the back bone of The ReLOUD new sound.

Armonium is all about “removing your mask”. We wrote this track after we discovered an Armonium into a second hand market. We had this idea of someone that want to be something else. So instead of doing it explicitly we created this methafore where the Armonium, want to be a Cello. So it’s an instrument (a beautiful instrument) that in reality just say “even if everyone likes me, I just want to be something else”. Is really a liberating track, an anthem to be who you really are.

Is there a song from this album that holds a special place in your hearts?

Yes is Lenta Bellezza. The closing track. Is a 26 minutes track. Yes, 26 minutes. We spent 1 year to make it. We had to study classic compositions, opera and minuet to make this track. Is not easy to keep the listener attention for 26 minutes with a single theme. This track is an invite to the listener to take his/her time and escape the modern need of constant scrolling, fresh news, updates every 3 seconds. Take your time, enjoy it, are you able? Is a challenge and we simply loved make it.

Which do you consider to be The ReLOUD’s highlights during their career so far?

We had many, but for sure the collaboration with Crystal Waters and The Jungle Brothers have been the best ones. You grow up with such names to be like the super star, and when you just work with them like they are your pals, that’s an incredible feeling. For sure also when David Morales asked to remix our ONCE AGAIN track. DAVID MORALES, you know? Priceless.

If you could name a few artists that you would love to collaborate with in the future who would you choose to mention?

We really love what Âme and the whole Innervisions crew is doing. Also the Keinemusic crew. If we have to confess that our utmost desire would be to collaborate with Tom Yorke or Bjork.

After a successful two decades in clubland, what fascinates you the most, a vibrant audience or making music in the studio and why?

Those are two different feelings. If we have to pick one gun to the head, would be most probably producing. That feeling when you get something inside and you see it taking shape through your hands into a piece of music is pure magic. But of course, when you play it live to the audience is also a great moment.

What is your biggest dream for The ReLOUD’s future and how do you imagine yourselves in five years from now?

We would like to bring TO THE OTHER SIDE into an art installation form touring the world. We have a different vision for the live shows and we would like to bring it to life. In 5 years from now? Just 5 year older, happier, and maybe with couple of extra albums released 😉

How was quarantine for you?

It has been a moment of meditation. We realized that slowing down and taking your time is not as bad as you can imagine. Even if it had a hard impact on the music business, we believe this experience can really bring some positive effects on top of the tragedy that this pandemic is in the first place.

What are your next professional plans?

Bring the project to live.

What is your motto in life?

Never give up. Never. Think big, dream bigger, and then do it.

Is there anything more that you would like to ass that hasn’t been mentioned so far?

We are also music teacher, and founder of the MAT-ACADEMY.com and Axtoneacademy.com, two of the leading global music online academies. So if any reader want to learn some more musical techniques, just head to our academies

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