Chico Fadelli was born in Buenos Aires in 1984. His relationship with music began in a rock band as a bass player at the age of 15. He started musicalizing his fathers restaurant at the age of 16. In 2012 he became a part of the booking agency Soul Agency, where he started to play at different gigs around Buenos Aires and other parts of the country, in different clubs such as Crobar, Pacha Bs. As., The Bow, Niceto Club, Bahrein Bs. As… sharing gigs with a lot of international djs. Some of his tracks were released in big labels such us Tzinah Records and Mirifique Music. His music is characterized with hypnotic minimal sounds, reaching the deepest Minimal Tech. In 2013 he created WallMapu, a well known underground label, with the purpose of reaching a different experience and bringing out underground sounds. Dubtil, Sepp, Cesar Merveille, Vinyl Speed Adjust, Anthea, Oshana, Lowris, Lamache were some of the international guests of his label.
Chico Fadelli on Facebook
Tzinah Records: To start with, please, recommend us something to listen to while we go through this interview. It can be anything.
Chico Fadelli: I highly recommend while going through the interview to listen to: Eastern – She is warm, full album.
Tzinah Records: Could you remember when and where have you felt it for the first time that you were to become a music artist?
Chico Fadelli: I felt it, a long time ago. After I studied bass at a music school, in the year 2001, when I was 17 years old. In that moment I used to work at my father´s restaurant, which had a private saloon. And all the weekends there were parties, birthdays, weddings. All these events were covered by the same dj called DJ Raulo. I remember him bringing all the equipments for his Dj booth. Before the events, I usually played some time with all the set. Until I decided to buy my first cd player Numark CDN32, a mixer Numark DM3002EX, and 2 soundspeakers of 15” Selenium (that I still have) from Dj Raulo. I arrived home, where I used to live with my mother and I put all of the equipments in my bedroom. And that day I decided to be a dj.
Tzinah Records: Why did you choose to create and play this particular type of music? Are there any artists that touched you deeply while developing your own style?
Chico Fadelli: It was a long way until I got here, into this kind of music. I started to listen to trance music in 1999. And when I became a Dj, I played trance music for 3 or 4 years. After that I played techno. And then I played different styles of techno: minimal techno, dub techno. All those years were an influence for me.
Tzinah Records: Please, briefly, describe for us, the current state of the underground music scene in the place you come from. Is it any good?
Chico Fadelli:Regardless the isolation because of covid19, the underground music is not having a good time in Argentina because of the economic situation. There are not too many labels who promote our music as we would like: with the proper soundsystems and all the conditions that the Djs need. But in the other way, we are expanding our music very well to the rest of the world. Because we have very good producers, most of them are very young.
Tzinah Records: Without giving out too much about your secret weapons, please tell us how does the magic work in your production routine. Software? Analog? What does your DJ set-up imply?
Chico Fadelli: I`m very simple when it comes down to create music. I have my midi keyboard, my monitors, and my Ableton live. The only thing that I use a lot is the mic of my phone to record a lot of things, I sample a lot. My Dj set up is a Xone 92, with 3 decks and one turntable, because I have some jewles that I don’t have in digital. And i need 3 channels most of the time.
Tzinah Records: What are the aspects of your daily life that are influencing the shape and sound of the music that you currently make?
Chico Fadelli: I have different moments during my day. It depends of my inspiration. Sometimes I listen to a lot of new music, or sometimes my inspiration tells me that I need to open the Ableton live to create music. And it all depends also on what I had been doing before. I like to separate the activities, like a break.
Tzinah Records: Which underground house DJ or producer would you love to take out for a summer picnic? With which artist (from any music genre) would you spend 24 hours stuck in an elevator?
Chico Fadelli: I would love to take out Cleymoore, for a summer picnic. And I would love to spend 24hs in an elevator with Jim Morrison.
Tzinah Records: Have you already played in your most-dreamed about venue? Which one is that?
Chico Fadelli: No, I did not. My most dreamed-venue is Ponton Casa Baraj, Văliug, with the party Bipolar. I never played there, I wish someday I will.
Tzinah Records: What motivates you to be an active part of the underground movement?
Chico Fadelli: To do things for their real reason, and not for an economic one.
Tzinah Records: What’s your favorite type of breakfast?
Chico Fadelli: My favorite type of breakfast is Mate (a typical argentinian hot drink) and toasts with butter and sugar.
Tzinah Records: What do you do when the music is not playing?
Chico Fadelli: It is really unsual to have that moment, but… when it happens I drink wine (listening to music on the background without it been the main thing).
Tzinah Records: What’s the story behind your Tzinah Family Podcast? How did you record it and are there released or unreleased tracks?
Chico Fadelli: I used a Xone 23, and two cdj 900nxs. I used new stuff that I bought on bandcamp, old stuff, and stuff from Tzinah. And own productions.
Tzinah Records: Are there any of your plans/upcoming projects that you would like to share with us? Where can we see you play next?
Chico Fadelli: I would love to share with you my most recent label: WallMapu Records, on bandcamp. There is a first VA with all the producers that do WallMapu. And we will have a lot of guests, and one release of mine soon too.
Tzinah Records: Supposing you come back reading this interview in 10 years from now; could you try saying something to your future-self?
Chico Fadelli: Enjoy the road without worrying about the future too much!