Contributing Writer
Today we welcome house mainstay and Adesso Music co-founder Junior Jack (Vito Lucente aka Room 5) and Swiss DJ/producer James Deron in connection with the release of their collaborative ‘You Don’t Know’. We caught up with the pair to discuss the new single, their experiences as label owners and the year ahead.
Hi Vito and James, welcome to Music is 4 Lovers! We’re so excited to have you join us today. How are you both doing?
Vito: Hi there, all good here and great to be talking about James’ new track.
James: Hello to everybody, for my part, I’m fine. This outing with a House legend like Vito has brought me a lot of things. More confidence in myself and my projects!
Vito, you launched Adesso Music back in 2019 alongside Pat BDS. The label has seen a lot of success since then with releases from names such as Todd Terry, Yousef, Darius Syrossian and many more. To what do you owe this success? How did covid impact this progress?
Well the idea of starting a record label releasing club tracks just as all the clubs shut globally wasn’t the best timing we could have had. But we carried on knowing if we could make some waves with the music when it was this difficult to get it heard, it could only get easier after that, right?
It’s great to hear you consider us successful. Success for us is hearing people say they like what we are doing, playing our records and wanting to be a part of the Adesso Music family. It’s not all about sales figures.
What is the label’s A&R approach? Are you always scouting for new talent?
We have a fairly broad A&R policy. Good House and Techno music. We listen to absolutely every demo that comes our way and right now that’s a lot of new music. Sometimes if it takes us a couple of days to listen to new music, a track can already be signed elsewhere. It can be that quick. But we are very happy with everything we have signed so far and we have a busy release schedule for the rest of 2023.
The latest release on the label is a production created by the pair of you, ‘You Don’t Know’. How did the record come about?
Vito: James’ record was pretty much there when he sent it. I just wanted to make a few minor amendments to help the song arrangement. I think the song works better with them.
James: The record was born in my studio in Geneva, the project was finished and I sent it to Vito. He listened to it and told me that there were adjustments to be made to make it even more promising. Coming from a person like him, we can only listen to him and that’s how the project came about. We called a few times to discuss the changes and such and here is the result, a slamming track that is perfect for the dancefloor.
James, you began your music career back in the 90s in Geneva. Tell us, what was the scene like then and how did you get into dance music?
In the 90s, in Switzerland and more particularly in Geneva and Zurich, I was working with a lot of the up and coming stars in the scene. I was able to see the beginnings of people like Erick Morillo, Roger Sanchez, David Morales, Bob Sinclair, singers and more…..in short, I saw all that was best in the House scene. Then, the wind changed, with the proximity of France, the radios stopped playing this kind of music and only played Reggaeton or Urban. I have nothing against it, on the contrary, I grew up with 90s rap, which is the best in my opinion. But now, in this city and in the rest of Switzerland, we have not managed to keep a big culture of House music. However, I see that changing nicely, we will see in a few years.
You’ve released on a number of big labels including Nervous, Moblack and Quantize to name a few! What makes Adesso a good platform for this release?
Why I chose Adesso is quite simple…..for Vito. I was a fan of his music at the time. Signing with him is an honor and a privilege like when I signed with David Morales and Ron Carroll. Subsequently, I noticed the seriousness of this label with people like Geoff, who is really on top and who tears himself away in order to put the artists in the best conditions. It’s a very, very good label.
You have also founded a number of labels yourself including Cafe Creme Music Records, Rohm Records, Nervous Monkey Music. How do you manage your time as a label owner, producer and DJ?
It’s true that time is short for me but I love it so I don’t worry too much about it. When I’m not mixing, I’m in the studio or enjoying time with my family. I opened my four labels to promote the musical culture of my country and those of other artists internationally. I like to share and share. I teamed up with a friend who will be able to give me a serious hand with all my labels and thus make them grow.
What changes would you each like to see in the underground music scene in the coming years?
About what I would like to change in the music scene, I don’t really know, I’m slowly starting to set foot in it. I will have to ask myself the question again in a few years.
Do you have any advice for young producers out there who want to get music signed to a label?
Never let it get you down! Even if you receive lots of refusals, don’t question yourself and keep knocking on the door to make yourself heard.
Vito, what can we expect from Adesso in the year ahead?
For Adesso Music we have a lot of new music coming from both new, returning and established artists. We are having conversations about some Adesso Music live events in the future too.
Thank you so much for joining us both today, it has been a pleasure! Last thing, what up and coming DJ’s are on your radars at the moment?
Vito: New artists on our radar…..really, you want me to tell you the hot acts we are trying to sign……
James: There are many promising young producers that I like in House and in Afro House, it’s hard for me to make a list. I just want to tell them to keep going and not give up.
Thank you for this great opportunity, it was a pleasure to answer your questions. See you soon and take care of yourself.
James Deron ‘You Don’t Know (Junior Jack Rework)’ is out now on Adesso Music
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