Doubtless, his essential disco sound continues to be as lush and fluid as it is blissful and it’s nice to know that the good sound is around to be enjoyed despite the split. Letting bygones be bygones, Deluca gives some insight into what he has been up to more recently. “I’m home. In fact I’ve just been on a tour of the USA. I got a little sick – which is a bit boring, but I’m still working, so things are all good.”
In fact, Deluca has been getting his act together on his own imprint – Aeropop. “I’ve just received the test pressings and it feels great. I’m taking it easy though because tomorrow I’m going to Romania for more shows. But it’s great – these are things that I want to be doing.” In between, he adds he wishes he could give up on the coughing and sneezing – other than that things are still on the up and up.
So in 2012, Deluca is still enjoying the lifestyle in his native Brussels – a place he describes as a ‘neutral city’. “It’s awesome for travelling and you can find everything if you know what you want and need; if you compare it to London or New York where everything is constantly in your face, it is a lot more relaxed. The music scene is great there and a lot of people are making good music.”
Today, the Aeroplane name continues to be associated with feel good music that is more about quality than quantity. His discography is extensive but has been built carefully over the last half-dozen or so years. And his studio is getting a fair bit of his attention for various reasons: “I’ve got a lot of great gear in the studio, but it is a slightly interesting space – the acoustics in the room are weird in the lower spectrum, which can give me a hard time, but apart from that, it’s cool.”
Indeed, the We Can’t Fly LP was the first album from Aeroplane and firmly placed the name in the hearts and minds of punters everywhere, and more recently, We Can’t Fly – The Remixes was released as a means of encouraging people to rediscover that album. “I did it because I thought the remix cast for the album was really amazing,” explains Deluca. “We added some awesome exclusives for the remix album too – songs like Joakim’s remix of Caramellas and Cassius’s remix of We Can’t Fly. Also, the long awaited Oliver’s remix of We Can’t Fly will be out on a compilation for the ten years of Eskimo Records that will be released soon too.
“In terms of production, I’ve been making some music for my label Aeropop and working with many people. I prefer to keep the specifics of that a surprise because it could change at any moment, but that’s the advantage of having your own label! It’s all good stuff; I can say though that it’s different and not really something people would expect. In terms of remixes, I just did a remix for Kimbra and there is another coming on Owsla, Skrillex’s label. I also remixed a Giorgio Moroder classic and did one for Boyz Noize Records. They’re all different though. The next step for me is another album. I’m just getting the label started first and then I’ll jump straight into it. I have a more precise view of the way it’s going now but it will definitely be more focused and electronic.”
And with that, Aeroplane has received some pretty big props from some pretty big names in the business, yet despite all the attention, the lad remains grounded and focused. “I obviously didn’t expect any of this to happen. I was in New York playing for 800 people and I remembered when I was younger, I would have never even thought I would go somewhere like that. It was inaccessible. I only hope that I can keep making music and making a living out of it for as long as possible – that for me is the real dream.”
To celebrate, the distinct Aeroplane brand is heading back Down Under for a series of dates around the country, and as always, expect a performance straight from left field. “I play the records I like and do it without any real boundaries. Sometimes there are songs that you can mix together and other times there are some that you can’t – but it’s ok. I feel I’ve evolved as a DJ but I’m still pretty old school. There are no pyrotechnics yet and I have to step up my skills as an MC but who knows what I’ll come up with between now and then?”
Not surprisingly, the fans are standing by – and the anticipation is building.
BY RK
