OTTONE SCAMMACCA

-Who are you?
I’m a human being (ahah sounds like out from a dramatic movie)…formally I’m targed as “Ottone Scammacca, a 21 years old Italian guy from Rome” ..but yes, I’m a human being with big passion for music…


-Why do you make Music and what does it mean for you?
I make music for my own, and that’s what it means… It makes me feel good, feel relaxing, and if people like it that means they feel the same too and I can just appreciate it! I think that behind every well elaborated track and every work made with passion there is part of me because it came from heart and all feelings, emotions, life memories or everything else, involuntarily influence my music…as every artist I think



-You have been chosen as  the winner of the contest by Tristan Prettyman, do you wanna talk us about this experience?
It was a great experience that I will never forget this was the first time that I joined a contest and to my surprise I won for my remix for an American artist with a crazy voice! As I wrote my intent was to give more importance to singer's voice and emphasize the melodies of the organ and guitar accompanying them with a very addictive rhythm of drums and continuous and at the same time broken by a strong bassline. Anyway i am really proud to my name, even if in a small way, as producer of a track in releasing on Capitol Records, the label that has produced so many artists that I admire and that the only name gives me the creeps (nothing is signed then it says little for good luck haha).

-What do you think of the italian musical situation?
Many many artists worthy of the name, a few that are worth much less than those under contract ... It 's full of people that has no passion, coping styles and songs just to make money and so behave many record companies who prefer a safe gain to quality music ... We are rich of talented artists, you just have to find them! But and in my humble opinion maybe it's better than some of the music remains a niche! Too much money could ruin it...

-What tools do you use to compose your music?
Then the operations center is the PC via programs quite affordable, two of production and one of mastering. To this i connect a keyboard controller and a sound card to whom i connect the microphone (for recording acoustic instruments, sounds, noises etc..) guitar or synthesizer.

-When we will listen to your debut EP/Album?
My first EP, "Personal EP", was released on Trynacria Records, a label owned by the group Berlin Big Jam Promotions thanks to Salvatore Battiato who I send a hug to, (including "Freaky Juice "is over on some compilation of Ibiza and Latin America) ... then again in 2009 I had the great honour of seeing" Samarcanda "published on Gardenia Records of Smilax Publishing for which I must thank Dario Piana and Riccardo Sada . In the future we hope the best ahaha!

Plastic String 

-Tell us about the "Plastic String" project.
Then Plastic String is a project created by me and my "partner" Benedetto Fiorentini. We want to create an online magazine of experimental electronic music and not only offering interviews, reviews and columns, at the international level, in the footsteps of a few other online magazines, blogs, etc. I know Soundwall (regarding club, electronic techno etc,) CheapSound (which focuses particularly on the Roman scene niche), your Indie's Way Magazine etc... I take this opportunity to thank our staff as Vittoria, Massimiliano, Giuseppe, Pietro e Andrea.


-Where and when did you start learn to play ?
I started my neverstarted carreer..mmm…like 5 years ago, I think…I never learned to play ahahah..I ‘ve just brought out my ideas! And computer music helps a lot in that kind of stuff…obviously now I’m trying to combine analogic to digital, but I started with computer music and controllers.

-What's your favourite artist and song?
Mmmm very hard to answer…Depends on periods, I have many favourite songs and many favourite artists…for example right now I’m listening a lot of Dandy Wharols and Kiss (their moves are sooo cool!)!

-What genres and artists did influence your music?
I listen to a very wide set of music genres and styles; downtempo, electronic, trip hop, new wave, techno, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s music, rock, house, rap, chill, brit pop, nu-disco…from Tangerine Dream, Genesis to Kraftwerck, Seven Lions, Chris Liebing, Gotye, Carl Craig, Inner City, Florence and The Machine, Deep Purple, Jefferson Airplane, Kollektive Turmstrasse, Biggie, Brandt Brauer Frick and Rocketnumbernine…you know it could be a very big list! Ahahah..I like everything I think is made with passion, everything I think a kind of experimental work and that may give me some ideas and inputs!



-How much the live element matters in your Music?
I think live element is the key for the perfect production… I think music is the instinctive expression of what we have inside, you know, feelings, emotions etc. So, live music, spontaneity, is the only way to perfectly and deeply bring out what you really want to express with a track!

-What do you think about Music industry nowdays?
Mmmm thaat’s a long long matter so I will answer as shortly as possible: music is becoming a prostitute, most of people in music business prefers a certain profit to music quality and this fills international musical overview with bullshits, tasteless and passionless productions…I honestly would like to talk about a ..musical decline, even if, obviously and fortunately there are many “exceptions to the rule”!

-What is the message that you'd like to express at the people Who listen to your Music?
I may would like to say too many things with my music ‘cause maybe I feel and think too many things in my head…so all I can say that now comes to my mind is just, enjoy your life with awareness, do everything makes you happy and follow your passion.

-Who do you think are the most relevant musicians nowadays?
All people that produce music with passion and fill it with real feelings…even if nobody knows you (as me), just go on, continue what you do and never stop it, because the important is that this makes you feeling good. 

-How would you define your sound?
Experimental, contorted, complicated, insane and mine.


-What is your favourite book and movie?
I like adventure, action and catastrophic novels (Clive Cussler, Dan Brown etc)…In my best movies top ten we find: “Intouchables”, “Man on Fire” “Avatar”.. but, in general, I love Denzel Washington, Jim Carrey, Eddy Murphy, Nicolas Cage and Will Smith movies.


-How and where do you see yourself in ten years from now?
Ahaha I really don’t know…and to be sincere that scaries me a lot! I can only hope for the best!



-Beatles or Rolling Stones?
Beatles Stones