Understanding “Sexy-Dark-Hypnotic Techno” With Sam Paganini
Italian Veteran DJ-Producer extraordinaire Sam Paganini has been at the center of Techno’s rise and prominence within the Dance Music spectrum, ever since its formative years in the early 90s and spanning close to two decades. A man whose musical style has changed very little, yet evolved so much that he’s been able to distinguish his alluring sound with distinct structure and assemblies that makes him a one-of-a-kind artist. Besides being one of the few producers on the globe who’s completed the trifecta of record label appearances on Sven Vath‘s Cocoon, Richie Hawtin‘s Plus8 and Adam Beyer‘s Drumcode, the super-skilled Italian has exemplified Beatport supremacy through a string of very high-quality productions in the past few years. We take a closer look at what makes Paganini’s sound style so unique and his productions so irresistible, as we await the magic to unfold this Saturday through a wondrous Corona Sunset appearance by the Italian tastemaker.
His first ever track back in 1997 ‘Zoe’ sling-shot him to fame and global presence in the Dance Music fraternity as a gifted producer and DJ. He spent the next decade or so harnessing his talents behind the deck as he continued to make airwaves timely EP releases and remixes. Come the late 00’s and Richie Hawtin inadvertently heard of the producer and welcomed on his Plus8 roster as he unveiled the massive Cobra EP in 2011. A year later he appeared on Drumcode and unveiled some of his finest work through EPs such as Prisma, Eros and Black Leather. But his best was yet to come, as 2013 saw him appear on Cocoon and gift to the world the iconic Body to Body EP. The three tracks on the EP ‘Body to Body’, ‘Fire in my arms‘ and ‘Polyster’ featured on the playlists of major Underground sets of the year, besides the latter track even being awarded Beatport‘s ‘Techno Track of the Year’!
The steadily escalating career reached its crescendo in 2014, with the release of his debut album ‘Satellite’ on Drumcode in 2014. A 12 track extravaganza that consisted of some of the most thrilling and melodic Techno tunes of the year, including the still adored ‘Rave’. Paganini was described by the team at Drumcode as “having a dynamic understanding of sexy-dark-hypnotic techno grooves”. His artist album culminated his decadal musical journey into a series of intricate assemblies which displayed intensive contrasts of light and dark, with a stark penchant for diversity and a seductive style of merging serrated synth lines with undulating funky techno. An artist who is not bound with the rules and pragmatics of traditional Techno, Paganini has demonstrated creativity and innovation as a producer and DJ, through sheer hard work and perseverance.
We now await the legendary producer to take center-stage at the enticing Blue Frog, Pune as part of the Corona Sunsets Music Festival this Sunday. The unique sound style and flavours will find the perfect setting at the Blue Frog amphitheatre as the spectacle awaits the audiences! For guestlist, please e-mail or visit their Facebook page.
Written by: Hamed Khalidi
