From left to right: Matteo, Charlie and Katta
There’s something fascinating about DJs and producers that can work together in a studio and at a venue complimenting each other’s style — especially when they all come from the same place. You’ve seen the Swedish House Mafia in action proving that three heads can be better than one. Now meet Swiss Official made up of Swiss DJs Matteo, Katta and Charlie. With a new track released on Laidback Luke’s MixMash Records Jan 31., and one soon to be released on Size Records, Swiss Official is making moves and dropping tunes. We caught up with Matteo of the trio to fill us in on what they’re all about. See the interview below and make sure to listen to their new single “Sing Sing Sing.”
Where are you guys from and how did you all come together?
We come from Lugano, a small town in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, right close to Italy. Being a really small town everyone knows everyone, and if you’re really into something particular like House music you tend to get along. But besides that, Katta and I (Matt) have been really good friends for ten years almost. Charlie came along a couple of years ago.
How would you describe your style?
This is a hard question. Let’s just say we love all type of music. A good track is a good track, whether it’s Lady Gaga or Bob Dylan. Regarding us, we really love big housish-progressive tracks – at least that’s what we are currently producing. But as I said before, we’ve produced all sorts of tracks, from funky house, to house, to progressive, dubstep, electro, etc.
Who are some artists and producers you look up to, and whom would you like to work with in the future?
There are so many good producers out there. It’s really hard to say. We really get geeky on how people make their records sound. A few weeks ago we were mastering one of our last tracks and kept listening to Swedish House Mafia’s “One”, and we just kept repeating, “Wow, this sounds fucking huge!”
Sound-wise, their records just pop out of the speakers! Incredible! So definitely we would love to work with them soon or later! But also artists like Dirty South, Bingo Players, Thomas Gold, Chris Lake, and obviously Luke. Of course it would be a dream to work with some of the greatest of all time: Erick Morillo, Tod Terry, Rick Rubin, Quincy Jones… Haha! Ok, now we are exaggerating!
How did Swiss Official get picked up by MixMash and Size Records?
This is a funny story. Laidback Luke was gigging in a club close by, and we gave him a USB stick with a few of our records. A few months later he e-mailed us saying that he wanted to sign “Sing Sing Sing”. Regarding SIZE, let’s just say we managed to get in contact with them, and sent over a track. They immediately signed it! We’re really hyped for the release on SIZE. I think they are doing an amazing job with everything, and probably is the hottest label around.
Have you been touring at all, and will you be touring? If yes, where?
We’ve started gigging as Swiss Official last Saturday (1/29). We played with Avicii at Vanilla Club, in Switzerland. We’ll definitely start touring in the next months. Right now we are getting the show together. Since it’s three of us, it really needs to be something special.
Does the whole group travel together and DJ?
Yes. Charlie plays live synthesizers, and Katta and I DJ. Let’s say it’s a live-DJ set where 90% of the tracks are either ours, or bootlegs and edits made by us. It’s pretty cool, cause its something you are not going to hear from any other DJ. It’s really personal and unique.
Do you guys all collaborate on productions?
Yes, we all collaborate on productions. Charlie plays the keys, and Katta and I work on sounds, edits, we all chip-in with ideas.
Where is the sample of “Sing Sing Sing” from?
It’s a Benny Goodman record from the 30s!
What are your hopes for the future of Swiss Official?
Be able to do what we love – make music, tour, and luckily work with great artists!
What has been your best party this year?
No doubt Masquerade Motel in Ibiza. INSANE. The vibe that builds up Mondays in Pacha is just incredible!
What do you expect of WMC Miami?
We definitely want to meet up with some people from the music business, listen to some new fresh tracks, see what’s new, and of course party Miami-style!
Swiss Official – Sing Sing Sing (Original Mix) by SwissOfficial
