How did ALEXANDER ROBOTNICK escape Stalin?

Imagine yourself at a warehouse party. Maybe Detroit, Chicago, New York. Some place dirty, the kind of building that makes you wonder how you got there...and more importantly how you're going to get home at 6am when the dancing is done. The crowd is thick with young people, many probably not even 21 years old, basking in their own piece of 2008 disco history with their hands held high. So many people that its hard to make out who the DJ is, regardless you need to know. The sound is infectious, a rare moment where hundreds of people seem to just lose themselves to the music.

You fight your way through. Many people to smile at, dance with, drink with, among other things. It takes you 20 minutes to get to the front of the room. Once you there you can't believe your eyes. There's a fifty something year old man, no shirt, yelling in french over a microphone behind the dj booth. He's having more fun than any twenty something in the room, and to top it off the tracks hes playing are some of the most danceable that you've heard in years.

That's Maurizio Dami up there, AKA Alexander Robotnick. The Italian producer/dj known for his cult classic disco hit "Problemes De'Amour" (1982). In the early '00s Robotnick revived his electro-disco sound upon popular request, after a long string of world music projects, film scoring, and more experimental music making. His popularity is as big as ever if not bigger, and his sound, the one he created way back in the 80s is now in vogue. Robotnick is a non-stop force. A lifelong pursuit of fulfillment through music and dancing that has earned the admiration of many around the world. Dance Boy Dance!
 

AB: What was the first music project you took seriously? What year was it? What kind of music was it?

 Robotinick: It was “Avida” (1981-1982) It consisted in a trio. Maurizio Dami (vocals-el.guitar), Stefano Fuochi (electronics), Daniele Trambusti (drums). Stefania Talini was the visual designer. All the songs were sung in Italian. It sounded like a kind of dance-cabaret, mostly ironic. Recently Creme Organization released an album by Avida that includes tracks unreleased before

 AB: When did dance music become important to you?

 Robotinick: Since the beginning. I always liked to dance. First of all I’m a dancer ; then I’m also a DJ and a producer. The first time I went to a “discoteca” they played “I can get no satisfaction”, that was dance music at that time. In the mid 70s I loved disco-music. Although my friends considered that music “fascist”, I liked it.

 AB: What is the importance of vocals in your music? What do you usually like to write about lyrically?

 Robotinick: I’m no longer good at lyrics. I have problems with languages, and also my inspiration is a bit too dark. Often it doesn't match the mood of clubs.

 AB: Do you have a favorite city to play? Why?

 Robotinick: Dublin. I feel good there, nice audience, great city.

 AB: What do you feel is the going to be the next big style of dance music in coming years?

 Robotinick: I don’t see that much new coming out now. It’s a kind of swing : hard electro, electro disco, New Rave, Minimal forever, New Acid, new everything etc.etc. But in the end, unfortunately, the winner is always house-music. Everything tends to come back to house, in its negative sense, that is repetitive music.

I don’t care about styles anymore. I use them just like colors.

 AB: Do you still use analog gear to create your music?

 Robotinick: Yes, definitely. Tb303, Korg MonoPoly, SH101. They are integrated in a computer based studio.

 AB: What artists are you really interested in right now?

 Robotinick: I usually listen just to singles in record shops, I’m not really interested in a single artist. Anyway I like the Dutch electro scene (Legowelt, Alden Tyrrel etc.) even if I don’t play often that stuff in my DJ-sets.

 AB: What do you do when you aren't making music? Are you involved in any other creative projects outside of music?

 Robotinick: My girlfriend and my mother (very old) take a big part of my time outside the music. I’m getting into video now too. I’m learning how to use a video editing program and having a lot of fun.

 AB: Robotnick means worker in Polish and Russian. Is there a reason you chose this name?

 Robotinick: I had many different jobs in my life, I was also a worker for a while. But I also like playing characters, so to me Alexander Robotnick was a Russian refugee in Paris, escaped from Stalin. That’s why he sings in French.

 AB: Where are you living now? Whats popular there?

 Robotinick: I’m living in a wood on a hill, near Florence. Don’t ask me why, it’s too long a story. Here what’s popular is “Chianti” wine. Many vineyards all around. As for my Djing, I don’t have many occasions to play here, so I don’t know the scene. Still progressive-house, techno and minimal, anyway.

 AB: Are you working on any new recordings right now? What do they sound like?

 Robotinick: My new project is called “Return to Kamchaka”. I want to release one track each month for a year, just digital release, and look for licences on vinyl. It sounds more like “Rare Robotnick’s” but it’s also dance.