Italian techno powerhouse Sisko Electrofanatik, born Francesco Fortuna in Rome, celebrates two decades of a thriving electronic music career with the release of his debut album ‘Starboy’.
Photo credit: Sisko Electrofanatik – Official
A prominent figure in the global techno scene, Sisko is renowned for his peak-time techno sound and genre-fluid productions that encompass progressive, acid, electro, and downtempo styles.
Released on his own Gain Records label, ‘Starboy’ is a 15-track journey that reflects Sisko’s sonic evolution. The album showcases his versatility and commitment to club-ready yet emotive techno, featuring vocal collaborations, acid-tinged beats, and hypnotic cuts. Beyond music, Sisko continues to elevate new talent through Gain Records and its sublabel Gain Plus, while performing across Europe and serving as a sound designer and radio collaborator.
In this interview, Sisko reflects on his 20-year milestone, the making of ‘Starboy’, the challenges of the modern music landscape, and his vision for the future of Gain Records and techno itself.
EG: Hi, Francesco! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Sisko Electrofanatik: Hi, it’s my pleasure to be back here on EG. Right now, I’m in my hotel room for a weekend gig in the Netherlands.
EG: Let’s dive in! Congratulations on the release of your new studio album, ‘Starboy’! You must be stoked to finally be able to share this one. What are some of your initial thoughts? What has the reception been like so far?
Sisko Electrofanatik: Thank you, yes, I was really stoked to share it! The album has received massive support from people like Carl Cox and Joseph Capriati. Tracks like ‘Syntagma’ have already climbed high in the techno chart on Beatport, and the album’s got a good response from the streaming sites.
EG: More than an album, ‘Starboy’ is a landmark, celebrating your 20-year career. Again, congratulations on such a massive feat. Looking back, were you expecting to be involved with music for such a long time when you first got started? Have you achieved what you wanted to yet?
Sisko Electrofanatik: Thanks, yes, I’ve achieved lots of the things I wanted to, as my record label is very successful, and I’ve travelled the world as a headline DJ. I have also released my music on some amazing record labels, and met so many incredible people. I’ve always loved electronic music, and I’m honoured to have made a career out of it, but I still have more things I want to achieve.
EG: Now, diving into the record, what can your fans expect to find on ‘Starboy’ throughout its 15 cuts?
Sisko Electrofanatik: ‘Starboy’ is a real journey, totally dedicated to the club, and is a mix of techno genres including peak time, raw, underground acid, and melodic vocal tracks. Every track means so much to me, and I spent a long time refining every detail.
“Many people burn out before they find success”
EG: And what was the recording process like? Did you have a clear-cut vision for ‘Starboy’ from the very beginning? What was it like collaborating with Lory and Leah Rose?
Sisko Electrofanatik: I started thinking about the album because I wanted something that would celebrate the 10 years of my record label, and my 20 years career as DJ/producer. I made around 40 tracks, and selected the best ones for the album.
The collaboration with the singers were amazing, and very inspirational! ‘Get lost’ was born when I invited Lorena aka Lory to my studio, and she recorded some lyrics she had written. We have made a few tracks together, and I decided the album was the best place to release our first collaboration. I wanted the album to have a mix of styles, and a melodic house sound for ‘Get Lost’ was perfect for this.
The track with Leah Rose, ‘Elements’ started as an instrumental, then I discovered Leah, and she had an idea for a vocal, which took the track to another level.
EG: And ‘Starboy’ is available via your own Gain Records, which must also be a high point for you, personally. What can we expect from Gain Records moving forward? What would you like to accomplish with the imprint in the next 5-10 years?
Sisko Electrofanatik: I always wanted to release my album on my own label. Gain Records is one of the most successful peak time techno record labels in Italy, and I want to owe a big thanks to all artists and fans that follow us. It’s their belief in my sound that has made it such a successful project, and they inspire me to keep pushing it forwards.
Gain is an outlet to express my interpretation of modern-day peak time techno, and in the next year we will present a new compilation, which is dedicated to the evolution of techno sounds. The sister label, Gain Plus is for the techno sub genres, and there is also a special vinyl series, plus some showcase events that I will announce soon.
EG: Now, stepping outside of the studio for a bit…What do you see as the biggest challenge for established and rising artists in the next few years?
Sisko Electrofanatik: The biggest challenge to emerge within the music scene is this “Social Media Pot.” Established artists have social media accounts with a lot of followers, and that helps consolidate their fans. Big artists have a lot more visibility and can use their own pages as promotional tools. It can be hard to invest time into making social media content, and still find time to be in the studio working on music. So, lots of the big artists pay someone to look after their social media accounts for them.
Rising artists normally cannot afford to pay someone to manage their social media, and it’s very hard to build an online following, while also spending time making music. I notice that many people burn out before they find success, and people can get mental health problems as a result. I wish that it was like the old days, where you just had to make good music, but these days you need to be good at making music and also good at social media. This makes me sad, as it’s so much harder for new artists to find success, and why Gain has a focus on helping new talent.
“I’ve always loved electronic music, and I’m honoured to have made a career out of it”
EG: Looking forward, what can we expect from Sisko Electrofanatik? Where can your fans catch you next? What are your next scheduled shows?
Sisko Electrofanatik: You can still expect me to release as much quality music as I can, and after the album I’ve got a busy schedule including both original music and remixes.
I have original tracks signed to OFF Recordings, and Rave the Planet. I also have a collaboration with an “old-school” artist that I will announce soon. Later in 2025, I will be curating a remix package of my album, which will come out at the end of the year.
You can also catch me all over Europe this summer, as I’ve got lots of gigs in Italy, Spain, Greece, and Germany, that I will soon be announcing dates for.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Francesco! We wish you all the best in the future. Take care!
Sisko Electrofanatik: Thanks, we are what we play, and I hope people enjoy my new album ‘Starboy’, which is out now on my record label Gain Records.
Sisko Electrofanatik’s ‘Starboy’ is now available on Gain Records. Stream and download here.
Follow Sisko Electrofanatik: Soundcloud | Spotify | Instagram | Facebook
