Vittilucchi: "I still gravitate towards creating positive atmospheres when I play"
- Apr 24
- 8 min read
Born and raised in Romagna — widely considered the birthplace of Italian club culture — she developed a passion for music and vinyl at an early age. As a teenager, she began collecting Disco, Funk and Soul records, inspired by the pioneering mid-’70s sound of the legendary Baia degli Angeli and its iconic residents Daniele Baldelli and Claudio Mozart. That early fascination with groove and dancefloor culture laid the foundation for a personal artistic path shaped by curiosity and a deep appreciation for musical heritage. Growing up immersed in clubs, festivals and live concerts, she developed a refined and eclectic taste spanning genres and eras — from the melancholic post-punk of Joy Division to the pioneering electronic sound of Kraftwerk, through the shoegaze textures of My Bloody Valentine and the elegance of Chico Buarque. This wide-ranging musical background continues to shape her warm, eclectic and groove-driven approach behind the decks.
Your latest release, "Pressure" with Cristian Viviano, has already drawn a lot of attention. Can you tell us how this collaboration came about and what the creative process behind the track was like?
Sometimes a song happens very spontaneously. With Cristian, it all began with a message: he had heard my first single "I Promise" and reached out as he liked my voice and wanted to collaborate. For a few months we exchanged ideas remotely, letting the process unfold naturally, without forcing anything.
Then one day he suddenly invited me to Sicily for a studio session: I booked my flights that same day and that weekend we met in Palermo for the first time. We started from one of the new ideas he had been working on. That afternoon I wrote the lyrics and the vocal line, and together we recorded the vocals. Within two hours, the track was finished.
Having a space where you can safely explore ideas, without the weight of judgment, is never something you can take for granted, especially with someone you’ve just met. I’m grateful Cristian made me feel at ease from the very beginning, allowing me to gather my intuitions and process my feelings.
You were part of the launch of the new m2o Morning Club format and will return on March 22. How did you find this experience compared to DJing in clubs and festivals?
We’re witnessing a cultural shift in clubbing: younger generations tend to gravitate towards more community-oriented experiences, not necessarily driven by alcohol consumption, where people can enjoy themselves more consciously and where the social aspect becomes central again.
People dance, but they also take the time to meet, exchange ideas and build genuine connections. In this sense, I see Soft Clubbing as a response to the forced digital sociality of our time and to a growing desire to reconnect with others in a more real and human way.
Personally, I believe Soft Clubbing and traditional nightlife can coexist, even if they call for a different musical approach: in the morning, with daylight, a brighter, groove-oriented selection tends to work better; something energetic but still light in spirit. It requires greater sensitivity in guiding the audience towards a “peak time”: you must build the set more gradually and subtly, while keeping the experience accessible to people who might not usually frequent traditional clubs.
The key point is finding a balance between identity and context: as a DJ, you need to be smart enough to read the room without compromising your musical vision. Sometimes a different format can actually become an opportunity to expand the musical perspective of those listening.
Your residency at Nameless Festival last summer saw you playing both the main stage and the iconic Glitterbox stage. What’s your most vivid memory from that experience?
I’ll never forget the first day on the main stage, when I played my track "I Promise" and suddenly a huge conga line started across the whole parterre.
When you open a stage that big in the early afternoon, warming up the crowd can be quite challenging because people are still arriving and the energy builds very gradually.
Seeing that happen was a beautiful and completely unexpected moment, where you instantly feel the crowd connecting with the music. The fact that it happened during one of my own tracks made it even more special.
On March 13, you’ll be performing at Defected at Gate Milano alongside Andrea Oliva and Alan Dixon. How do you mentally and musically prepare for events of this scale?
With proper music curation: besides my usual weekly routine of checking new releases and learning new tracks, I spend a lot of time digging through my own music archives. My selection process is very thoughtful: I try to analyse each track in depth, understanding its intention, intensity and emotional drive, evaluating whether it fits the kind of mood I want to create. Over time I’ve learned to be very strict, even ruthless, at this stage: if a track doesn’t convince me 100%, it simply doesn’t make it onto my USB.
The next step is building playlists: I usually organise them into a “first part” and a “second part,” depending on drive and energy levels. Within each one, I try to identify and memorise the most strategic tracks so I’m mentally prepared for different scenarios: what do I play if the dancefloor is slow to fill up? What if it suddenly fills up and I need to keep the tension high until the end of the set? Which tracks help maintain that tension and which ones allow the energy to wind down, create a pause or a shared emotional moment? Other questions I ask myself: what could be the opening track? Which tracks rely on catchy vocals or strong percussion? Which ones feel more deep and introspective, rather than uplifting and anthemic? Which tracks can act as smart bridges between different genres?
Even though DJing is all about improvisation, preparing my music with this mindset helps me approach every stage with greater confidence and awareness, allowing me to create an emotional journey that feels dynamic, intentional and engaging, while still adapting and flowing with the crowd.
Your career spans clubs, festivals, and exclusive sets for luxury brands. How do you balance creativity and professionalism in such varied settings?
The fil rouge is always my personal taste. Regardless of the context or the specific needs of the event, the filter through which I select music remains the same. I only play music that truly resonates with me.
Even when the situation calls for something more immediate or accessible, I still play things I genuinely like, otherwise they wouldn’t even make it onto my USB. What really matters is knowing how to adjust the musical intensity.
At the same time, if a job doesn’t align with my taste, I’d rather decline it from the start.
You grew up listening to a wide range of genres, from New Wave to Bossa Nova, Funk, and Disco. How much does this diverse musical background still influence your choices behind the decks today?
I wouldn’t be the same person without Gwen Guthrie’s groovy vocal lines, the shoegaze guitar riffs of My Bloody Valentine, Franco Battiato’s songwriting, the refined percussions of Chico Buarque, Thom Yorke’s falsetto and Kraftwerk’s "Pocket Calculator". All these worlds, and many more, are embedded in my DNA and shape my record collection. They helped me develop a refined, cross-genre musical sensibility and recognize beauty in all its forms.
While my sound has naturally evolved over the years, I still gravitate towards creating positive atmospheres when I play, built around warm, sensual and engaging grooves. That instinct comes directly from the Funk, Soul and Disco records I first fell in love with, and it will always be part of me.
And not to mention the thrill of instantly spotting an original sample inside a dance track! I recorded a live set about it for the YouTube channel "My Analog Journal", where I explored the "Original samples later used in Hip Hop, R&B, Pop & more". From there it evolved into a proper format on my Instagram page called "The Sample Life", which I still run today, where I showcase the most surprising samples and how they have been used.
After the success of your single "I Promise", you’ve begun working as a producer and vocalist as well. How does your approach to music change when you’re both DJing and creating original tracks?
In this early phase I prefer to focus mainly on songwriting, spending time sketching vocal ideas and building a personal archive of ideas I can draw from when the right project comes along. It’s something I’m putting a lot of energy into right now.
For this reason I’ve built a team I collaborate closely with on anything related to sound, taste, structures and possible directions. When I write a vocal line, I like having different demos to try it on, and working in a team allows me to do that.
This way I can already hear the same vocal idea applied to different styles (for example on more Indie tracks rather than House ones), choose the direction that feels most aligned with my taste and further develop that idea.
Looking ahead, what are the next goals and projects you’re working on? Can we expect new collaborations or fresh sonic directions?
Finishing the new tracks I’m working on with different producers and collaborating more and more as a vocalist. I’m also considering a residency abroad, but it will definitely be after the summer season. I would also love to start my own radio show.
Fans often recognize you for your ability to connect with the dancefloor. Do you have any personal rituals or methods to read and guide the crowd’s energy?
Just the usual, boring, simple tricks: making eye contact, paying extra attention to the people in the front rows and moving freely behind the booth, which usually helps people let go as well.
However, I do have a cute ritual that’s more about the overall energy in the room: I always carry a pack of Haribo licorice wheels to gigs (low blood pressure team!). When I get to the booth I usually share them with the staff, bodyguards and the people around me. It’s such a small gesture, but it usually surprises everyone and instantly creates a few smiles, as well as setting a positive and relaxed vibe right from the start.
It even melts the grumpiest sound technicians… trust me on that.
The Italian electronic scene continues to grow and evolve. From your perspective, which trends or emerging artists are inspiring you the most right now?
The Italian scene has a very significant history. Things are shifting quite rapidly now, but for a long time our scene was known for being quite strict in its standards. I come from the Adriatic Riviera and I can guarantee that there, without real artistic value and objective talent, it was impossible to earn the respect of legendary artists such as Pastaboys, Daniele Baldelli and Mozart.
Today there is a new generation of Italian artists who have stayed true to their own vision, without compromising, pursuing a fresh, new sound and really making a difference. Among them, Pakkio Sans and Cristian Viviano certainly deserve to be mentioned, in fact they are among the few who today collaborate with labels that have an international and forward-thinking sound, such as Maccabi, Hottrax and Crosstown.
Of course I must also mention Genesi: even though his sound doesn’t really fall within what I personally do, it’s undeniable that he’s one of the most remarkable talents out there.
When it comes to contemporary, House-oriented sounds, I tend to look abroad: names like Makèz or Isaac Carter are great examples.
Follow Vittilucchi
Instagram / Soundcloud / YouTube / Spotify
