WWD093 welcomes acclaimed duo Luca Saporito and Anthony Middleton AKA Audiofly. The pair behind an illustrious back catalogue and label projects Supernature, Maison D’Etre and Flying Circus, deliver an exclusive new mix for the occasion as we go in-depth on all the recent developments in their world. Conversation touches on recent productions, changes in the label game, environmental efforts and much more!

WWD: Great to have you joining us guys, thank you! Where in the world are you right now and what’s been on the agenda so far today?

Luca: Thank You for having us :-). Today, like the past few days, was about streamlining the year ahead of us and play the juggle game around our gigs, the Flying Circus parties, the label and studio time. This year we feel especially motivated and ready to take on 2018 with a consistent plan around all the projects we have going on.

Anthony: Today is a recovery day for me…. lying in bed thinking about all the crazy things ahead this year …but without moving much…lol My agenda for the day includes coffee and eventually music and music… I really appreciate my horizontal moments…they make me a way better vertical person.

WWD: Your new remix of Doyeq – Cathedral is dropping very soon on Manjumasi. What was the vision behind your vibe in this piece?

Luca: Atish got in touch with me at the end of last year with this new project on his label and as we’ve been fan of his style for quite some time and we were already planning to host him at our annual Flying Circus party in tulum, it made perfect sense to us to also be associated with his label. It also really helped that the track he sent gave us the immediate inspiration to take on the project with a lot of enthusiasm. The vibe around the remix was created almost immediately: those strings were music to our ears (literally) and we finished the project in a day. We are really pleased with the end results.

WWD: Do you often road-test works in progress or do you prefer to know they are good to go before playing them in your sets?

Anthony: Always…although it can sometimes take all the wind out of you if it doesn’t sound quite like you imagined from the studio chair. In the end though, It’s good to know how it feels in amongst the other music one might play and errors in mixdown might completely escape you if you don’t actually try it out…. Making a track is a dynamic process ultimately and playing the demo out live is “as” important as playing it back in studio…

Luca: We much prefer to play them when they are just about finished. Of course it’s very important to us to road test any project in a club before they see the light of day, as the feeling you get in the club is essential for us to settle on the final mix down. it’s very important to us though that the track has to sound proper already so unfinished tracks without even a home mastering are generally a no no for us.

WWD: Are you protective of your music library when it comes to sharing promos with other artists? Is it important to have a selection of secret gems in your pocket?

Luca: Lol. Definitely. Ask Anthony (laughs) he wouldn’t even share his own tracks with me. ahahah! But on a serious note though. Although it’s very important to us to have some tracks that are unique to our sets, if somebody from the scene is asking us (nicely!!!) to share 1 or two tracks they’ve heard during one of our sets we’re happy to oblige. After all we do the same when we’re out.

WWD: You have been working together creatively for well over a decade now, what’s the most recent “new” thing you’ve learned about one another?

Luca: Anthony had a sex change when he was 18 years old. His name used to be Vanessa. The things you learn…. (laughs)

WWD: You mentioned recently that 2017 saw you reconnecting with each other on a level that allowed you to really flourish as artists. How have your personalities changed since you first met in East London in 2002? What made 2017 so special?

Luca: I can tell you what hasn’t changed since 2002. We are both very stubborn people. 2017 was almost a make or break year for us and that truly opened our eyes and made us realised what was truly important to us. Our partnership is based first and foremost on our friendship and the ability to overcome almost anything when we put our hearts and souls to it and there is true respect for one another. We’ve shared so much together and we’ve gone this far that we’ve renewed our partnership in a way that made perfect sense to carry and do it all over again.

WWD: Could you share with us what you feel are the 3 key elements to maintaining your relationship and your longevity?

Luca: Trust, because without it there is no foundation. Patience, because without it there is no longevity and Passion, because without it there is no motivation.

WWD: Flying Circus events and label have gone from strength to strength in recent times. Where do you see yourselves innovating in 2018?

Luca: Actually we are working right now on a total re-design and re-shape of the whole brand. We are about to give it a new fresh look with a concept based around the perfect sync between the artists we book, a much higher emphasis on decoration and the endless pursue of the perfect venues for us. I won’t reveal much as we want to be a surprise but soon you will see what we are talking about.

WWD: Outside of music – one change you hope to see in 2018?

Luca: we have been working on a special project for the past few years with a specialist bespoke watch company called Titan Black and a ocean conservation foundation called Pelagic Life, which will see the light of day this year. Together we have created a beautiful watch with the ultimate goal of raising awareness towards conservations of our oceans. A good percentage of the sales will go towards Pelagic Life which has been pivotal in saving sharks in their natural habitats, through drastically change the habits of fishermen and people who depend on fishing as their main livehood. The major changes we would like to see (and in most part initiate) is to be more aware of the environment around us. Use less plastic, eat less meat and generally be less selfish really. which is quite easily achievable without making major changes in our every day lives.

Anthony: Would love to see this planet wake up and grow some …. lol But seriously I wish that (outside of the perfect, beautiful little love bubble we call music) we find our way towards a more compassionate united existence … with better politicians. Is that too much to ask?

WWD: From Supernature to Maison D’Etre and Flying Circus, you’ve become well accustomed to operating in the label game. With the way things are going, is it the concept of label becoming solely an additional tool as opposed to a viable business?

Luca: It’s funny you said that because for a while we had grown disillusioned with the world of record labels.. No matter how much hard work we put towards them and the love we received from fans it only seemed to be an exercise that ultimately didn’t really give us the return we expected. for that reason, two years ago we put both Maison and Supernature on hold and concentrate solely on Flying Circus for a while. But this year we’ve decided that it would be a great idea to re-open all of them and give each of them a unique direction. To us it’s extremely important to showcase new artists and music and we now feel motivated and gained enough experienced to be able to run all of them simultaneously. it’s gonna be a great challenge but certainly a fun one.

Anthony: The concept of a label is an interesting one… I think that it can function on so many levels and isn’t restricted. For me, Our move towards a single (FC) label was very much about consolidating everything under One name, as many people just weren’t getting that all these projects were “us”. Having finally got that message across now we feel like we could actually “wake up” the other two sleeping beauties…I think that for example Maison was a project of love and the Underground. It was something that fed me (creatively) gave me energy and inspiration in a non lucrative way. It’s about art (music) for arts sake. That has GOT to be as valuable to a musician as anything else. What I’m trying to say is that whilst yes , a label is a tool (as most things are) that it’s value to the individual (and their business) is not necessarily and Inherently in its financial output. It’s a business card for sure….but it should be so much more!

WWD: Looking ahead to the Ibiza season. It’s an ever-changing landscape on the Island. How is your affinity with the island right now?

Luca: we’ve always visited and managed to keep part of the ever changing landscape since we first set foot in there. It’s been a great challenge to be relevant, especially in a scene that is greatly motivated by numbers and money more than the actual music but with the advent of new nights like Woomoon, for example it has given the scene the much needed breath of fresh air that was so needed to give it a switch. Let’s see what sort of changes this year will bring.

WWD: Have you thought about how you will approach things for the coming season?

Luca: We have indeed but so far we’d like to keep it under a veil of mystery.

WWD: From a music perspective, what else can we expect from you over the coming months?

Luca: Music music music. tons of it. We are working on loads of remixes and original material for both our labels and for some friends too. If you’ve come to any of our shows recently you’ve probably heard a few of them being played out.

Follow: Audiofly // Flying Circus