There’s nothing ordinary about Federico Gardenghi. With the stamp of approval from legendary acts such as Joe Smooth, Kevin Saunderson, and Carl Cox, the seventeen-year-old DJ and producer has been playing to crowds of thousands strong for years, taking center stage at events and parties he himself wasn’t (and still isn’t) old enough to attend.
Federico Gardenghi now roams the common space between Techno, Trance, Tech House, House, and Pop, both with his bass-driven productions and signature live sets. He is exclusively signed to Armada Music, performs at events in over twenty countries, plays alongside industry hotshots, and holds a weekly residency at Italy’s biggest radio station (M20).
Today, Federico releases his third-ever single called ‘Hold Me’, a collaboration with the production team The Melody Men. Here’s our chat with him about his life in music, career evolution, and his latest production.
Electronic Groove: Hi Federico! It’s a pleasure to have you down for a chat with us. How are you doing? Where are you based right now?
Federico Gardenghi: Hi there and thank you for your invitation! It’s my pleasure to chat with you. All is fine, it looks like we are going in the right direction to go back to a sort of normality. And hopefully, this will bring us back to the festivals and the clubs! I am based in Milano now. Just ended my third year at high school and ready to enjoy the Italian hot summer.
Electronic Groove: So, 17…that’s mindboggling. Tell us, what were your first connections with music? How did you end up in the house/techno spectrum of things? It’s a bit rare, given that at your age, most that do happen to be into electronica find themselves listening to EDM, right?
Federico Gardenghi: When I was a really little boy, I asked my father who was the number one DJ in the world and he said it was Armin van Buuren. I then looked him up and since then I discovered an entirely new world. Armin, Carl Cox…those were the first ones I started to love and in my extra time, I was stuck watching hundreds of their live sets.
Actually, I learned how to use the decks by watching their hands very carefully, that when I touched a CDJ for the first time, it was like I knew it since ever. My first ever interest was trance music and then passed on to the house and techno. I felt like I could express myself so openly by playing that music. It was like I was feeling free playing it!
And yes, you are right, most of the guys my age love EDM, but mainly between 14 and 16/17. After that age, there is a wide young crowd who listens to house and tech-house. I’ve always played tech-house, and then I was so happy when some masters like Martin Garrix and David Guetta started doing tech-house too!
Electronic Groove: And how did you learn to insert yourself in the ‘music industry? Was it hard to navigate at first? Did you have any help with the ‘business’ end of things?
Federico Gardenghi: I have been listening to music and have not stop playing since Santa brought me my first Gemini console when I was 6. Then, during an Après Ski, I pestered the DJ with a lot of questions and he was so surprised that I knew what I was talking about, that he let me try the decks myself. And then the incredible happened; I knew how to play the decks even though I had never touched them before. I had seen so many tutorials on the web that I knew all buttons and sliders by heart.
That night someone took a video and posted it, and it became viral. And all started there, in December 2012.
It was very hard at first. I was so little that it was normal that people were skeptical. Someone even went under the decks to check if I had a prerecorded set connected. I was a little boy in an adult world … but it never stopped me and I kept going and playing. My parents decided to let me follow my passion, they understood that it was not a ‘touch & go’ kind of thing. Together we have faced a lot of envies and obstacles, but fortunately, we have also met beautiful people who understood I really had a great passion, and above all, they have discovered the ‘talent’ in me by letting me play.
One day in Ibiza I met Carl Cox by chance on the beach. He listened to me playing, so he went to my mom and said to her: ‘Let him play. The way he puts his little hands on the decks is crazy. Don’t ever think that music is not a job.’ That was a really inspirational moment!
Electronic Groove: Do you remember the first gig where you felt like you had taken a step up? What went through your head at that moment?
Federico Gardenghi: Yes, it was in Sicily. In Catania! The guy who organized the event wanted ME to play. I did it and the crowd was amazing, the feeling was so incredible, they were all there for me. It was so strong and so emotional. That video today has over 10 million views. And to me, it is a million energy boosts. I remember that moment as if it were yesterday. And that was in 2014! In my head, there was only one thought: music is what I want to do in my life.
“One day in Ibiza I met Carl Cox by chance on the beach. He listened to me playing, so he went to my mom and said to her: ‘Let him play. The way he puts his little hands on the decks is crazy. Don’t ever think that music is not a job”
Electronic Groove: Speaking about your productions, you’ve got a new collaboration coming out in ‘Hold Me’. Is this your first time working with The Melody Men? What were the experience and processes like?
Federico Gardenghi: It’s my first collaboration ever. I loved their voices. ‘Hold Me’ is a song I started working on in June 2020 during the first lockdown. Then I looked for the most appropriate vocal until I found the best one I loved. The rhythmic project was an inspiration that I had during the never-ending lockdown days. When the three steps all got together; piano riff, vocal and rhythmic, I thought it was the right time to propose it to the Armada crew. It is a 122-bpm track and it has got a more pop rhythm compared to my previous projects. It is clubby but radio-friendly at the same time. I love its drop and the hook. For me, this was the first time that I worked with other artists, as I said it was my first collaboration. Obviously, it would have been much better to work in person but also through FaceTime it was still a great experience. But now I can’t wait to go back to the studio with them and meet ’em in person!
Electronic Groove: What was the driving force behind this one? Where do you usually find inspiration?
Federico Gardenghi: It depends, inspiration can come from a moment, from a song, from a mood. One thing I learned is that when I am inspired, I need my laptop immediately.
I need to put down my thoughts in notes. I need it. Music is the soundtrack of every single moment of my life.
Depending on how I feel I listen to different, totally different genres, from trance to classic, from Einaudi to Drake, from Jamiroquai to CamelPhat, from Dire Straits to Italian trap songs.
Music accompanies me from the moment I wake up till the last minute I go to bed. Every type of music gives me a different mood and a different sensation but all of them are somehow inspiring. And maybe … sometimes they also inspire me for new ideas for my tracks.
Electronic Groove: Despite your young age, you’ve been doing music for a long time now…Do you think you’ve found a signature sound? Do you feel you’ll stray away from certain things with the passage of time? What other music are you into that is not necessarily reflected in your own tunes?
Federico Gardenghi: Not really, I think I am so young I can still experiment … I love to find new ideas and new paths to follow. The good part of having started so early is that I have a lot of time… And, as I said before, I listen to so many genres … and I still have too much to listen to and to learn.
Electronic Groove: How have things changed for you since signing with Armada? Do you model your career after someone you look up to? Is there someone there with previous experience that you go to for advice?
Federico Gardenghi: Sure things have changed. Before Armada, I was like a container full of ideas sitting there… Now they tell me ‘Hey, show us what you are doing’ and I send them what I like most. They are great advisors and are helping me get the experience that I don’t yet have.
“They are great advisors and are helping me get the experience that I don’t yet have”
Electronic Groove: What’s in store for Federico for the rest of 2021? What can we look forward to?
Federico Gardenghi: Right now the release of my third record. Soon more to come … and hopefully, the next time we talk, it will be IN PERSON and ON A STAGE!
Electronic Groove: Thank you for sitting down with us Federico! We wish you all the best! We’ll be watching closely!
Federico Gardenghi: Grazie mille!!! My pleasure.
Stream and get your copy of Federico’s ‘Hold Me’ via Armada Music here!
Follow Federico: Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram
