For DJ and producer Ilario Alicante, all recent successes come down to one thing: he started clubber, still considers himself a clubber, and he will always maintain that vital link with the dancefloor.

Ilario’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. A record-breaking Time Warp debut at the tender age of 15, acclaimed productions for Cocoon Recordings, Cécille Records and SCI + TEC Digital Audio, and famed sets over the past two Ibiza seasons, have all firmly established him as one of the scene’s most serious new contenders.

We recently caught up with Ilario to talk about his recent release ‘Luce’ EP released via Cocoon Recordings.

EG: Hi Ilario, thanks for your time to chat with us. How’s everything going with you?

Ilario Alicante: All good, thank you! I’m here in the studio listening to music for my upcoming gig at Movement Festival in Turin, will be a big one.

EG: Congratulations on winning ‘Best Techno Artist’ at the DJ Awards this year. How did you feel when you found out you had won?

Ilario Alicante: I was really really happy. It means a lot to me. I’m in Ibiza every summer for a long time and I’ve worked really hard to improve myself. This award made me proud of all the effort that have I put through the years. I consider this as a part of a journey and not an arrival.

EG: You recently released an EP entitled ‘Luce’ on Cocoon Recordings, where did you draw your inspiration from?

Ilario Alicante: I actually wanted to do something more melodic than my previous EP’s. The track ‘Cocoon’ reminds the old label’s releases back in the days, this is where I took the inspiration from.

EG: Can you explain the process of creating ‘Luce’? How long did it take to complete?

Ilario Alicante: Not too long. I don’t like to be stuck in tracks for many days. Normally I finish an EP in no more than one week. I dedicate one day to each track, and then the other days I go back to them to adjust the mix and pre-masters.

“I am in Ibiza every summer for a long time and I have worked really hard to improve myself”

EG: Do your experiences as a DJ translate into your work as a producer? Has it provided more of an insight of how you want things to sound once you get in the studio?

Ilario Alicante: 100%, I always try to produce what I would play in clubs or festivals. Lots of times when I am in the clubs I think, I would love to hear this and that… and when I go back to the studio I always try to reproduce what I had in mind.

EG: This year you played at Printworks in London as part of the ‘Cocoon’ showcase, what was it like playing at that venue for the first time?

Ilario Alicante: Wow! Printworks London is one of the best venues I have played in the last few years. I love the industrial feeling mixed with an amazing light system and visuals. The sound system is ace… Can’t wait to be back there!

EG: Can you mention some of your favorite venues to play to date?

Ilario Alicante: There are a lot.. just to name a few: Awakenings, Kappa Futur Festival, Spazio 900, Amnesia and DC-10 Ibiza.

EG: How was the Ibiza season this year? Any memorable moments worth sharing?

Ilario Alicante: I really had a good summer. Lots of amazing gigs and good vibes. I enjoyed playing at Paradise at DC-10, Resistance and Elrow parties. Of course, also Cocoon and Ants were amazing. Ibiza, as I have told many times, is really important for me, so I’m really happy that is getting better year by year.

“Printworks London is one of the best venues I have played in the last few years”

EG: Cocoon moved to Pacha this year, was it different to play there?

Ilario Alicante: Pacha is way different that Amnesia, I don’t mean better or worse, it’s just different, it has another concept of clubbing. I have to say that I love both clubs, each one for different reasons. The sound system in Pacha is really good and I really enjoyed to play for Cocoon this season. All the team is lovely and they brought their same party-spirit to the new venue.

EG: What can we expect from you in the next year?

Ilario Alicante: I am finally back in the studio so I will prepare more new productions. I will focus on my label Virgo and I will continue touring around the world, trying to make more and more people smiling and dancing with my music.

Ilario Alicante’s ‘Luce’ EP is now available. Grab your copy here.

Follow Ilario Alicante: Facebook | Soundcloud