Over the past few years, Italian artists have been making a greater and greater impact on the worldwide d&b scene, you may remember our features on Neve and Dabs for example, and Rome based Maztek is another who’s surged into the Uk spotlight recently. After launching his own Subculture Recordings back in 2005, he’s since risen through the ranks on a variety of labels before landing a release with UK behemoth Renegade Hardware in 2012. After the success of that release, Galactica/Odyssey he’s now had a large hand in the labels forthcoming Reanimation EP.
Italy seems to have become a hotbed of d&b talent in recent years, particularly dark, gritty sounds. What do you think it is that’s inspired the countries love of this music that seems to almost juxtapose the sunny, beautiful peninsula?
I think it is because we live in a major metropolitan city and like all metropolitan cities there is not only the sun but also a very grey urban reality. I’m from Rome as well as Dabs and Aeph (who lives in london at the moment). To be honest I prefer to produce during the winter when it’s cold outside and it’s raining rather than during the summer, because as you say I love to enjoy the beautiful peninsula.