Steve Forest-

Starting your career in Italy and in the bloom of your career
 in London, how does the EDM scene of the 1990's
 compare to 2012? 

The 90’s was a big era in dance culture for the super club explosion but today we have a different
 scene which is built on big festivals, diverse line ups and also various different artists all
 working together to bring a newer, fresher sound to the scene. 
The underground is now a popular scene with many big names crossing over to the mainstream.
 It’s exciting because dance music has become a household name around the world and today
 the scene is finally respected as a serious creative industry and creative and talented artists,
 not just djs playing other peoples records.

Nicola Fasano has been your partner for the last 12 years
—working together at your production studio 
"The Stradivari Music Production" ,
 running the Jolly Roger label and together having sold 
 5 million + records worldwide .
  What has been your most intense moment together as 
studio partners and DJs?

When we had no money and we were living off thin air, this was our most testing time together! 
But what does not kill you only makes you stronger and for us this is so true! We survived our
 most stressful movement and this has built a strong bond in our friendship – 
its guaranteed for life now! Today things are a little different and we can enjoy life more because
 of it but we never forget those hard times and use this experience to work harder for the future
 of our music and dj shows.

Which production has been your favourite?  '75 Brazil Street” 
or "Modern Times"? 

To be honest I don’t feel we have made our best track yet, i feel we are still on the path to 
making this happen!
 This is why I continue to work tirelessly in the studio on that future classic record that 
will define us as producers!

What's on the horizon for your next production? 

We are working on creating something that reaches a wider audience of fans both
 in and out of the clubs.
 Hitting people from 3 to 70 years old with a melody that is recognisable, as made by the teacher
 that is David Guetta!

Do you have any pre-set rituals? 

My only ritual is to have a quick shot of vodka before hitting the stage

If your music was a cocktail, which drink would it be?

It would have to be that beautiful tasting Mojto, 100% my style!

If you had to choose tomorrow one place to live for the rest of
 your life, where would it be and why?

I am convinced I was born on an island somewhere, so it would have to be somewhere
 idyllic with the perfect paradise setting. Which island I do not know because I can’t
 remember which one I was born on...?! 

What was your best memory as a DJ? 

For me it was of my teacher, Andrea Gemolotto, an italian underground DJ of 90's.
 I learnt so much from Andrea and I carry that knowledge with me everywhere.

Do you have a favourite club? 

I love so many that’s impossible for me to answer. 

Do you have a current talent that you admire the most? 

Pitbull is somebody who I admire because he has shown the world in such a short space what an
 incredible artists he is and what you can do if you work hard and are creative with your music. 
I think he will only stand to get bigger and bigger this summer and for next year. 
He is a true global star to me!

-- 

Nicola Fasano  -

You are a man of great talent.  Being both a DJ and a Producer,

which of your hits your favouriteor that you are most proud?

Thank you for your kind words; they mean a lot! I am proud of all my music so singling one out above

all the othersis always going to be difficult but I think its fair to say that the track we did with Pitbull

is that one that changed my life forever.

So this one has a different sentimental value than the others.

Where do you find your inspiration or who inspires you the most?

Through travel and working with my studio friend and label partner Steve Forest. We have a great rapport and

this is something that fuels us both to make good, quality house music which we can be proud of!

Life is about exploring and challenging yourself and this is what we do when we’re on the road.

Where do you find your inspiration to create so many successful tracks?

This is just something which comes from inside. I work hard to understand the technique of the studio equipment

I am using but putting it into practice is something that just has to happen naturally, sometimes these ideas work

and more often than not sometimes they don’t. Being true to what you believe in musically is what matters.

What do you have in the works production wise?

We have a huge body of new original singles lined up, plus we’re working with Crystal Waters and Toni Braxton

on some collaboration work.

If your music was a cocktail, which drink would it be?

Humm I’d like to say a Long Island Ice Tea because we try and have a distinctive flavour to our music

and one that packs a strong punch on the dancefloor..much like that cocktail!

You split your time between Venice in Italy and Miami in USA. 

How would you comparethe two different music markets?

Massively different! Italy is a lot more underground with its dance music scene, techno and house music

have been the two main styles here for years but its not as popular as say in the UK.

We don’t have as many clubs or festivals regularly supporting artists and new music.

America has been a part of dance culture for years, house music was born there, but its only now starting

to wake up to the wider reaches of dance music – or EDM as many Americans are now calling it.

Las Vegas and Miami are like their own versions of Ibiza and then they have so many other big cities all feeding

into the buzz of electronic music right now. America is a very exciting place to be right now for DJs and producers.

Do you adjust your styles of music as you travel to different countries

and cultures?

Not so much these days. Clubbers and different dancefloors are very familiar with new music and styles

, so the freedom to experiment is there globally.  It is nice however, going to places in say South America or Asia

and playing a lot deeper compared to say Miami which is very big room sounds.

Which DJ show has been the most exciting in your career so far?

We recently played Dubai for the first time and that was amazing but Turkey is the place which is the most exciting

for us. The scene there is so hot and happening right now!

Do you have a favourite club and why?

Pacha in Ibiza is a place which continues to impress me!

Do you have fun story to share about one of your tours?

Recently I was at the airport and a producer friend came over to say hi, whilst we were chatting another guy

I know who is a DJ also came over for a chat. After a short while of talking about music and tracks the DJ guy

start bitching about a particular track and how much he hated that track and the person who made it.

What he didn’t realise was the guy who made that track was the producer friend of mine I was chatting with.

It was a cringe worthy moment and I’m sure he wanted the floor to just swallow him up

when he realised what he had said!!

BIO

The formation of Nicola Fasano & Steve Forest’s partnership in the studio, and more recently behind the decks, is simple

– to deliver a club sound that recreates all the spirit of the underground with a crossover twist that could just as easily

ignite the latest pop chart, as it could the sweat drenched confines of a dusty warehouse rave.

First coming together back in 2007, Nicola and Steve gave birth to a new project: Jolly Roger – Sound of Pirates;

their own record label and production company. The duo have long strived to utilise the label as a new musical avenue

for merging club sounds with pop flavours and in turn build the label into a genre defining output for electronic music

with has garnered much support from key DJs like Axwell, Little Louie Vega, Kenny Dope, Martin Solveig and David Guetta.

Since its inception the label has released a number of key singles of which include Pitbull’s ‘I Know You Want Me’,

Steve Forest ‘Freed from Desire’ and Nicola Fasano vs. Pitbull’s ‘Oye Baby’.

However, it wasn’t until 2010 that the pair decided to forge their partnership behind the decks. Having worked together

on the label for several years and frequently DJed alongside one another, the marrying of their DJ talents was a natural one.

As producers their dynamic energy can be felt within their tracks. You only have to listen to the rumbling bass driven sounds

of ‘New York City’ to absorb the true spirit of a Fasano and Forest production. In only 3 short years the duo have released

numerous club anthems such as ‘Can you feel it’ and ‘We can do it’ Creatively they have collaborated with artists like Pitbull,

Ultranate, Kat Deluna and rap maestro Fatman Scoop.

Individually the duo has been just as successful. A classically trained musician in his own right, Nicola has a back catalogue

punctuated with releases on labels that include Sony, Universal, Strictly Rhythm, Subliminal, Juicy Music, Defected, Stealth

and Ministry of Sound. Catching the attention of a breadth of artists, Nicola was soon collaborating with the likes of Joey Negro,

Jocelyn Brown, Robbie Rivera, Thomas Gold, Lee Cabrera and Ian Carey, while remixing many of his peers such as Bob Sinclar

and Erick Morillo.

Nicola’s crowning moment came to pass when his rework of Pitbull’s ‘I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)’, titled ‘75, Brazil Street’,

went multi-platinum and earning him a nomination at the 2009 Latin Music Awards. That same year he (together with co-writer

Steve Forest) also picked up an Ascap Latin Award for ‘Best Urban Latin song’, Ascap Pop Award for ‘Best Pop song’ and

a Ascap Rhythm & Soul Music Award for ‘Best R&B/Hip-Hop, Rap and Gospel Music song’, to date Nicola’s music

has sold in excess of 5 million units worldwide.

The musical Ying to Nicola’sYang, Steve Forest first come to fore back in 2009 with his club smashing ‘Modern Times’,

collaboration with Chriss Ortega, on Strictly Rhythm. Steve then followed this hit with a catchy remake of the hit 90’s

classic from Gala ‘Freed from Desire’, which solidified his name across Europe with DJ and radio tastemakers alike.

A prolific remixer, Steve has amassed an impressive list of remixes to date that include Armin van Buuren & Sophie Ellis Bextor’s

‘Not Giving Up On Love’, Chris Willis' ‘Louder’, as well as remix cuts for Roger Sanchez, R.I.O. and Alex Gaudino.

With all eyes fixed on achieving their driven ambitious to divide cool, credible house music with the more mainstream

elements of pop culture, Nicola and Steve have an exciting 2012 ahead of them with the duo schedule to work with a

multitude of artists from Shena, Chris Willis, Kat Deluna, Katherine Ellis, Max C, Tommy Vee,Fatman Scoop and Pitbull.

Links: www.soundofpirates.com | www.nicolafasano.co.uk | www.djsteveforest.com