After catching his Love Family Park warm-up set alongside Gregor Tresher last year at Cocoon Frankfurt, this veteran of house and techno grabbed a permanent spot on my radar. Nic has been putting out dance-floor driven beats for years, most notably (for me at least) his collaboration this May with Subb-An on “This Place” and his remix of Loco Dice’s “Definition” in March.
Fanciulli has also provided a textbook look at how to run an underground label with his Saved Records. In the past five years the UK imprint has released widely successful work from the likes of Robert Dietz, Danny Serrano, Medno, &ME, Alex Tepper, Jay Lumen, Pirupa, Uner, Sean Miller and of course, Nic’s younger brother, Mark Fanciulli.
This Thursday, Nic will be playing at one of Miami’s newest and most popular parties, Kontrol at Mansion. The night will feature music by both Nic and collaborator, Subb-An with opening support by one of Miami’s finest, Johnny Cruz.
In anticipation to Thursday’s party we got a chance to chat with Nic about everything from his recent double disc mix for Balance, his label, Saved and partying in Ibiza.
1. You came out with a compilation on Balance recently. The first CD consists of mixes you did of tracks by various artists and the second showcases the artists from your record label, Saved. What did you enjoy most about working on this mix?
I really enjoyed working with the free reign that Balance had given me. The direction of the mix was completely left up to me, so it was great getting the chance to search and explore such a wide range of music. Choosing the tracks to be included across the two discs was a long process but a thoroughly enjoyable one. Being able to showcase the sound of my own label on CD2 was a fantastic thing too. When they approached me about the idea I was immediately onboard as it gave me a great chance to showcase some of the amazing talent we currently have on Saved. Guys like Alex Tepper, Robert Dietz, Philip Bader and Andrea Oliva gave me exclusive tracks for this cd and it was great to be able to highlight all these amazing producers that we’re lucky enough to work with at Saved.
2. Saved Records has done extremely well and is home to a group of very talented up-and-comers as well as very established artists. Do you have criteria when choosing which artists to sign? What is the key to owning such a successful record label?
I think the key to running a successful label is being able to stay relevant but never changing your ideals to do so. Our ethos is simple really – if we like the music and want to play it out, we will think about signing it. We don’t want to release music because we think it fits in with a certain sound that is the cool thing at the moment or anything like that. We just want to share the music and the artists that we believe in, so that is what we stick to. Having a great team has also been important for the label too.
3. Three of your original tracks and remixes are currently on Beatport’s top 100 overall tracks and are in the top ten tech house tracks. How does it feel when your music is so well received?
It’s always great when you see music connecting with the audience, especially after the amount of love and effort that goes into each track. Music is now really just a business card for DJ’s – an expensive business card!
4. A few of your tracks appeared on the Space Ibiza 2012 and the Sensation albums. Can you tell us about the upcoming releases you have, whether it’s an album of your own or part of a compilation?
Upcoming I have a remix alongside Davide Squillace of Philip Bader – Amir Loves You, which is coming out on Saved next month. The original is such a great record and it was nice to tackle it alongside Davide. Then I think I’m going to take a little break from the studio for a little while to spend some time with the family.
5. It looks like you’re pretty busy the rest of this summer, with a lot of dates in Europe. What do you enjoy about playing festivals over clubs and vice versa?
Festivals are great because the vibe is also so special. It’s pure escapism. People have left their normal lives and jobs behind them for three days of pure enjoyment and that creates an amazing atmosphere. The fact that they are outdoors makes them even more special. Another cool thing about festivals is that if you have some spare time, you can go check out some of the other bands etc. that you really want to see. Clubs however, usually allow for longer sets, so you can really look to build something. That in itself gives you a wider scope and freer expression.
6. You have played in Ibiza countless times over the years. What do you enjoy most about it and how has it changed over time?
Ibiza is like my second home, I love the feel of excitement when you step onto the Island. I also have a lot of friends there since I’ve been going for so many years now. I’m playing with Carl Cox at his Revolution night again this year which is always so much fun – The whole vibe in the club is amazing – everyone just wants to have a good time and party, whether it’s the door staff, the clubbers, the DJ’s, the bar staff – everyone’s having fun which is why I love playing there as it creates a great atmosphere. Space is also such a special club that it’s an honour to go back again.
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