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Interview DJ Anthony D’amico

March 15, 2012

Interview with Anthony D’amico

by John Mitchell

You are Anthony D’amico, you have been in the game for over a decade. Tell us how you first found EDM.

Wow… I guess it has been awhile, time really does fly when having fun. I actually had my first glimpse in to electronic music about 16 years ago, when I was just 12 years old.I stumbled upon some live mix-tapes that my older brothers use to bring home from the old-skool parties like Better Daze, Dose, Syrous & Liquid Adrenaline.

It definitely was one of those “love-at-first-beat” type of things for me. Soon after I traded in my guitar and keyboard for a pair of Technic 1200’s and never looked back…

Your company I/O productions does events in Toronto.. How did this come about,and what is your philosophy with the brand?

The brand started a couple years ago… but before that I’ve been a long-time fan and genuine music lover. Having been part of this scene over the years, I got to experience everything good, bad and indifferent with our city’s underground community. One big thing I noticed over the years was that it became less about the music and more about dj’s guestlist sizes, egos and the politics that come with it. I began to witness the demise of this scene, which made me question if we truly lost sight of our love for the music and the scene as a whole.

The philosophy behind I/O Productions from day one was to bring back “the vibe” and create something for “music lovers” by “music lovers”.

For those that may not know what I/O stands for, can you explain what it
means?

Well the word “I/O” technically refers to an input/output or in/out. It’s commonly seen on speakers, computers and audio equipment. It basically provides sound or any other function an input/output is needed for. Which is necessary for anything to work properly, you can’t have one without the other.

What the I/O brand stands for as company is built around the same principle of
what you put in to it, you will get out of it. If you don’t love what you do, you can’texpect anybody else to either. I/O Productions main focus is about creating a familyatmosphere with positive vibes, where the music comes first and the politics don’t exist.

Tell us about London Music, your record label…

I see it as another avenue to give back and contribute to this scene, which gave birth to my passion for this music. It gives me a chance to expose new artists locally and internationally, helping put their music within reach of dj’s world-wide and music fans alike.

Any new artists releasing tracks on London Music we should be on the lookout for?

There are tons of artists to look-out for from the London crew, both internationally and locally. The artists that having been lighting it up for London lately are Luis Sastre, Iron Mike, Ovi M, Nat Civello, Fresque, Ovidi Adlert, Peyya, Albino, Ted Dettman, Borce Panov and so many more up-and-comers to watch for in the near future.

Are you in the studio at all these days yourself?

Actually… I just got back in to the studio after putting it on hold to focus my energy onthe label and events for the past couple years. I’ve recently started on a new 3 track E.P., which I hope to release later this year. I’m setting my focus on putting out a distinctivesound first and foremost, by producing a style similar to what I play in my live sets. So far I am pleased with the direction it’s going and look forward to evolving my sound.

Your biggest influences musically?

I am a fan of all things music. My influences are drawn from every genre to trip-hop,rock, jazz and everything in between. My biggest influences though come from my loveof live music… having seen countless acts such as Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Muse, Portishead, Morcheeba, Nas, Sade all the way to Booka Shade, Trentmoller and Daft Punk. I appreciate music in all its forms and that’s what creates my on-going sound as an artist.

Recently, Toronto had some warehouse parties that were a throwback to the 90′s rave scene. Something this city has been lacking for quite some time now. Would that be something you might consider in the future?

It’s definitely something that I would consider. I was lucky enough to be one of those people that got to experience Toronto in the late 90’s and early 2000. It would be great to bring back that warehouse party vibe for today’s generation, where music was about music and the word P.L.U.R. (Peace, Love, Unity & Respect) was fully embraced by all who attended.

The mainstreaming of “electronic dance music”, good or bad for the industry in the long run?

Good or Bad? That really is a question that remains to be told, as history has shown only time will tell. What I can say is that every genre of music has had its fair share of going through their “mainstreaming” stages. I think dance music will go through similar stages (if it hasn’t already started) and hopefully prevail and evolve as most other genres before it have done. Ultimately I’m not sure if it’s good or bad, but definitely inevitable!

Boat cruise season is just around the corner, and popular more than ever. You had one of the best cruises on the water last summer. Going to be hard to repeat. Any hints as to who you might have in store for us this year?

Last years first installment of the “Cruise Control” series was certainly one to remember. We were lucky to have kick-started the series with good friends and super-talented artists Edu Imbernon, Uner & Coyu from Spain. Just two months prior they graced the decks of Space (Ibiza) as a trio debut for the very first time. So we were extremely honured that their second ever appearance as a trio was for the city of Toronto. It will be hard to repeat as you say, but I/O is always ready to deliver whether in the clubs or cruising on the water.

As for what we have planned in regards to this coming boat cruise season, we can’t say just yet… but as always stay tuned!

Where is Mr. D’Amico in 5 years?

Hopefully still spreading the love of music one-way or another… through my events, dj’ing/producing or simply being an advocate for all things music.

John Mitchell