For his latest release, Art-Aud & Secret Rave founder, Kreggo, heads to Oath with the 5 track ‘Altro Mood’ EP, serving up his one-of-a-kind blend of stylistically boundless sounds and evocative, thought-provoking atmospheres. We thought it fitting to sit down with the artist and discuss his favourite hardware, growing up in Italy, career highlights, and more! 

WWD: Hey Kreggo, great to meet you! What’s happening in your world at the minute?

Ciao! Nice to meet you too! Actually right now I’m on a little holiday break. I recently finished some renovation work on my new house and I’m rebuilding my studio in it. It’s been a busy few months and I haven’t had the chance to do much else, so I’m eager to get back, look ahead and make new projects.

WWD: Congratulations on releasing ‘Altro Mood’ on Oath. Can you tell us a bit about the EP?

Thank you ! I’m happy that this EP was released that quickly and on this label in particular. It partly reflects what I’ve been listening to in recent times, so it was inevitable to get inspired and try a crossover. I always like to try new things and explore new directions, so it felt natural. At first, I thought of putting it out under another alias , like I’ve done in the past when I found myself a bit different from my “usual” sound, but this time it made more intimate sense to release it like this. ‘Altro Mood’ was actually supposed to be the alias, then it became the title, and somehow it means “a change of direction / another face.”

WWD: How did the collaboration with the label come about?

We’d been following each other for some time, and we’d text now and then. I remember a few years ago they asked me if I had any material too. It took a while. But when I finished these tracks earlier this year, it felt like the right home for them. They’ve got the right variety and eclecticism as a label, so it made total sense for this project. 

WWD: Where did you grow up and how did your environment shape your relationship with music?

I grew up in a place called Mongrando, a small village just under the mountains in northern Italy. I think it played a big role in developing my artistic research, learning production and focus on it. Being kind of “isolated” but having access to the world through the web and discovering what was happening out there was definitely stimulating. Luckily, when I later had experiences living in big cities, I already knew how to get what I wanted, workflow, direction, etc. Cities are such important hubs for connections, friendships, the scene, record stores and access to stuff, but they can easily steal your time and take away your attention 

WWD: What’s your go to piece of studio gear or plug in?

I probably would have answered this question differently some time ago, perhaps while obsessed with a new module I just bought or some old synth, but the truth is that in the end I will always be eternally grateful to Ableton Live. It may seem obvious, but it’s the mother of everything for me. Over the years I’ve accumulated a lot of hardware, and some records have been made almost entirely without a pc, but the importance of Live in my creative process is truly on another level. Me, my computer, and my MPK Mini keyboard, the same one since I started, can go anywhere really. They have also been continuously evolving and improving, with the whole world of Max devices attached…And i’m using the Note app on the phone a lot too since it was released..what to say! ah and ye, I also really love sampling… I think it’s rare that one of my tracks doesn’t have even a small portion of something I like from the past.

WWD: As someone deeply rooted in the electronic scene, what state is it in right now? What notable artists are emerging?

I started about ten years ago, and I have to say that in the whole scene in general, things have changed quite a bit. Not necessarily for better or worse, but you can say that there are differences. I think it’s a very fragile and very complicated thread though; I don’t think I can summarize it well in a few lines. I think that freedom of expression is more open, more variety in DJ sets, less monotonous categorised parties, more attention to minorities, and in some cases more ethical choices. 

At the same time, however, the process of elitism hasn’t changed that much. A lot of money circulates, and perhaps not in a very equitable and horizontal way. Also now artists have to pay more attention to their image and the following they have. The growth of social media has had a big impact, and this takes up time and energy and leaves behind those who aren’t inclined to it. But well…there’s still good stuff out there! About new artists, I would recommend checking out and deep search new artists on the Italian scene; there’s a lot of under rated talents in different styles. I don’t wanna look listless but I don’t feel like naming names in particular; I’d have to mention too many or forget someone. However, for me, discovering new artists far and wide on the internet and from off the radar cities has always been a huge fetish game lol

WWD: What’s been the highlight of your career so far?

I may sound romantic, but being here still doing what I’m doing full time, with all its difficulties, is the best achievement that I hope to continue to achieve. Also I will vividly remember forever my first ever gig outside Italy…Berlin in August 2014, Chalet Club. I was only 21 years old and had basically just started…a dream!

WWD: When you think back to your earliest projects, what’s something you would do differently now?

I don’t think I’ve done things I regret or that I wouldn’t have done, maybe listening back to some tracks I smile… surely the choice in the early years to play a lot with names and having used different ones didn’t help much to focus attention on my figure to those who are not inclined to look deeper, but at the same time is something it always fascinated me and that I’ll continue to do.  

WWD: Which 3 records never leave your bag?

In the past year, we organized this party series in Turin with my friend Dualismo Sound, called Temporary Pleasure… vinyl only all night long. So I’ll mention three from the bag that have been present and groovy on the people  

WWD: When you are not busy with music, what might we find you doing?

I love being in nature, going to the mountains, growing plants, riding my bike, photographing things, and I love going to flea markets to find old things… that’s how my passion for old lamps was born. I think I’ve bought and restored almost ten in the last year  

WWD: Finally, what do you have coming up in the next few months? Feel free to mention anything!

As mentioned at the start I would like to go back to do music soon in the new studio and try new things. I’m involved and left behind some improvised and instrumental band projects with friends, which is something I’ve paid more and more attention to. Also it’s been a while since I released something as K Lost Acid Dub, and then I’d like to make a second album…I’ve been thinking about it for too long. Many things.. I’ve also let up a bit with the label, it is not easy as it was with the physical unfortunately , but I’ve received some great music and I always have ideas, so we’ll see.

WWD: Enjoy your new studio and thanks for the chat 🙂 

The ‘Altro Mood’ EP is available here