Mowgli

A word of warning from the illustrious Italian DJ and producer Mowgli aka Michele Sevasta: Get ready for disco to make a comeback, but only for a short while, because that’s precisely the nature of dance at the moment, a case of music following fashion and trends coming and going almost on a monthly basis.

Not that any of that really fazes Sevasta, having long established his own brand of bass-heavy beats that have seen him championed by the likes of Armand van Helden and Tricky. In 2011, Sevasta returns to Aussie shores to remind us that “everyone’s got a dirty side.”

“I think disco is going to be predominant for all of 2011,” he shares ominously; “I think it will become even bigger. Then, eventually, everyone will be fed up with it and looking for something new all over again” he says with a laugh, “But it’s always the single, charismatic individuals that usually show us the new direction which everyone follows. As for 2012, I bet on techno becoming big again next year.”

It’s probably a safe bet from a man who’s been heavily immersed in London’s club scene since his relocation some five years ago. And while the move proved a fruitful one at the time, Sevasta claims that in 2011 it’s time to shift to greener pastures once again, perhaps Australia?

“I don’t know, I’m just a bit tired of London,” he claims. “I want to go somewhere else but I don’t know where exactly yet. When I moved over here in 2006 I was super excited, I was just very curious about everything. I just can’t say, man… London sure did help me with making connections but I’ve realised that ultimately it’s the music that puts you on the map. Talent is the same wherever you are. There are many, many successful producers that never ended up leaving Italy.”

For Sevasta, making the trip back home for the holidays recently served as inspiration and motivation to continue forwards. It also allowed him the chance to get a little nostalgic and get back to his roots. “My dad was the one that got me into music in the beginning,” says Sevasta, “Well, he loved black music in general, so lots of funk, jazz, blues and especially rhythm and blues. I remember hearing artists like Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin non-stop in the house; I think I know every single release from those artists. I still love hip-hop and sometimes I still write hip-hop beats just for fun. But I do mostly house now. What I retain from rap is the love for black music – you can apply that to any genre.

I started DJing when I was about 22 or 23. I used to do live sets before with a lot of machines, all midi, no laptop or Ableton Live whatsoever. It actually didn’t even exist at the time. They were very exciting memories about my live sets” he tells before pausing to laugh, “There were also some bad memories of having to carry all that gear in a van to all the rave parties!”

Sevasta has come a long way in a short amount of time professionally, yet, according to the producer, nothing has changed personally despite the success he’s had thanks to release like the ‘Club Life’ EP. “I’m still the same guy,” he claims. “We are still the same people [label Touchresponse]. We are still focusing on releasing good quality house music – we have no particular plan to conquer the world or anything. I don’t want to have a massive label. I just want to be able to have fun with it, to experiment with it and, more importantly, to be independent.”

Mowgli [ITA] plays The Late Show at Revolver on Saturday January 22.