WWD sat down with South American talent Melgazzo to celebrate his latest release on Victor Ruiz’s VOLTA label. We find out about his journey into the electronic realm, his sound, and more about the man behind the music. Enjoy!
WWD: Hi Melgazzo! Great to have you here! How are you?
I’m doing fantastic, thanks for having me! I hope you’re also doing well.
WWD: How has your 2024 been going? What are the highlights so far?
2024 has been an incredible year for me. One of the biggest highlights has been receiving support from so many of the industry’s legends like Carl Cox, Enrico Sangiuliano, Nicole Moudaber, ANNA, Wehbba, Victor Ruiz, Alex Stein and a lot others. It’s surreal to see my hard work getting recognized by such iconic figures. Additionally, I’ve signed with some prestigious labels around the world, and my new EP on Volta Records is a significant milestone reflecting these achievements.
WWD: What is your relationship with Victor Ruiz and VOLTA? How did you end up releasing on the label?
Being from Brazil like Victor Ruiz, I’ve been familiar with his work for a long time. A nice fact is that the first time that I really enjoyed a Techno set in my life, was in the beginning of 2017, and he was the DJ that was playing, and that’s when my story with this genre definitely started.
We officially met in 2022 during a D-Edge Showcase I organized in Brazil, where I booked him, Wehbba, and several other DJs. Our paths crossed again when I moved to Lisbon, last year, where he also resides, allowing us to strengthen our relationship further.
Victor first heard my track ‘Get It’ during a mentorship program run by his managers, LVR. He gave me valuable feedback, which helped me refine the track. Later, I sent him ‘Get It’ along with another track, ‘Feel Good,’ for a potential release on Volta Records. After testing them in his gigs and seeing the positive reaction, he decided to sign the EP.
WWD: Tell us about your journey into electronic music? What was the catalyst?
Music has always been a big part of my life. I started with the flute at a young age, then moved on to drums, which I played for several years. During my teenage years, I became fascinated with electronic music through big festivals and dreamt of being part of that world. At 17, back in 2014, I bought my first DJ controller and started mixing at home parties, quickly falling in love with the energy and the craft of DJing.
The real turning point came in 2017 when I took a Music Production course in Amsterdam. This experience was transformative, shaping my musical taste and solidifying my career path in electronic music.
WWD: What is your studio setup like? What favourite toys do you have and what did you use to make this release?
My studio setup is quite simple. I don’t have a lot of fancy equipment, but I do have the essentials. I primarily use a MIDI keyboard, an Ableton Push 2, my laptop, an audio interface, two speakers, and headphones. While I enjoy jamming with hardware, I find I work best with VSTs when producing tracks.
For my latest release, most of the standout elements were created using Ableton’s native synthesizers. I believe digital tools today are incredibly powerful, and you can achieve amazing results with them.
WWD: Describe your sound in three words.
Groovy, Uplifting, Remarkable.
WWD: What are your three essential tracks right now?
My own essential tracks are:
- Melgazzo – Get It
- Melgazzo – Feel Good
- Melgazzo – Alternative Reality (Out Soon on Modular States)
From other producers:
- Oscar Escapa – Are You Ready
- Sam Paganini – Feeling In The Air
- Sebastian Mora, Mosher – Feel it
WWD: What music do you listen to outside the electronic spectrum?
My all-time favorite band is a Brazilian hip-hop group called 3030, which is kind of a chill vibe Hip Hop, and I listen to them almost everyday of my life. Besides that, I also really love to listen to some 90s/00s Hip Hop, and also some classic Soul, Jazz and Funk. Interestingly, I usually listen to more relaxed music when I’m not working on or searching for electronic tracks.
WWD: What do you do to relax outside of the booth/studio?
I love playing basketball, which I do every week. But what truly helps me relax and recharge is spending time in nature. Being connected to Mother Earth is incredibly rejuvenating for me.
WWD: What artists have been your biggest influence on your musical journey?
It’s hard to pick just a few because my musical journey has evolved so much over the years, but there are some guys that I really admire a lot.
My favorite electronic music producer is Enrico Sangiuliano. For me, he’s one of the best of the world, and the fact that he’s constantly playing my tracks feels like a dream to me.
Another 2 guys that I really admire are Adam Beyer and Renato Ratier, in terms of business in the music industry. They’re both very focused on building empires, and as I also have an entrepreneurial spirit, I am very inspired by people like them, who manage to build different things around their artistic career.
WWD: What has been the most memorable gig you’ve played?
Another difficult question for me, because it always depends on what are my dreams and expectations of each moment of my life, but I can definitely list 3 of them, which are:
The first time I played at Universo Paralello, which is the biggest alternative culture festival of Latin America, and it’s my favorite place in the world. I started going to the festival as a raver, and when I played there for the first time, it felt like a dream.
The first time I did my own label’s showcase at D-Edge Club, which is my favorite club in the world. I’ve been partying there for years, and to have the opportunity to do my own party in such a respected and legendary club, is incredible.
The first time I played at Amazon Club, in Brazil, which is a very well known club down there, and it was one of my best sets till date, because I felt really connected to the audience. I’ve never received so much amazing feedback after a show in my life, like I did there.
WWD: Tell us about the South American scene at the moment. Has it changed? For better or for worse and why?
The scene in South America has grown a lot in recent years, mainly with the changes within the more commercial genres, moving a little closer to the more underground genres. However, there is still a lot to improve, not just in the scene, but in the culture as a whole. I say this about Brazil, of course, because it’s where I’ve lived my entire life, and I know that the scene of non-electronic commercial genres there, such as Sertanejo, Brazilian Funk and Trap/Rap, is very large and very strong, which hinders maturation a bit.
I see that many big international festivals are holding their editions in the country, but this brings positive and negative points at the same time. Of course, with these famous festivals, the number of people starting to get into electronic music increases a lot, but at the same time it’s taking away some of the space for Brazilian events, with national artists, which can be a little harmful. Brazilians’ consumption power is not very high, so sometimes many people stop attending and supporting local events, to save money for the big festivals.
The fact that I moved to Europe is simply because the Techno scene in Brazil, specifically, is very small and still very niche, despite having improved a lot in the last 2 years. I decided to move here, because there are more opportunities and a much bigger market.
WWD: What does the rest of the year have in store for you?
I’m already planning gigs for the Brazilian summer, which looks very promising. I always prefer to escape the winter and enjoy the warmth, so I’ll be heading back to Brazil towards the end of the year.
Furthermore, I have big releases yet to come this year, on labels such as Modular States, a label managed by IAMT Music Group, from Spartaque, Alaula Music, a German label that has grown a lot lately and others that I cannot yet comment on.
In addition, I am planning some showcases for my label, Kaligo, in new places for us and also other events that are yet to be announced.
With my new release, ‘Get It’ on Volta Records, I’m optimistic about the rest of the year and excited for what’s to come.
WWD: As you should be! Thanks, Melgazzo!
Melgazzo’s ‘Get It’ EP is available here