(Roma, 27th October 1970)
Prodamkey records / Plasmek records / Electrix records / Truckstop 76th
Style : ELECTROTECH A FUSION OF OLD and NEW SCHOOL
Technic, scratch and eclecticism:
these are the words to describe Max Durante, veteran DJ and music producer of the Italian electronic music scene.
He starts his career as professionist dj in 1987, he is one of the most appreciated italian djs.
Respected for his mixing-technic and for his ability to mix groove and experimentalism…
His first impact with electronic was in the 80's with the Kraftwerk's music.
Electro was Max first passion, this was his first step into the music.
Hip hop/electro was important in his dj experience, in the 1985 he starts to scratching and cutting, and this have influenced his way of mixing of today as a good turntablist too.
Consider one of the best european electronic dj, his dj sets are brilliant, for this reason he has been named "the wizard of the decks"!!!He starts his djs profession after his radio experience in 1986 in a private local radio in Rome. From 1987 he begins to work in clubs, mixing underground music, in the 88/89, expecially acid house (another old passion of Max) and electro/ freestyle of Brooklyn. From the 1987 to the 1990, he has worked in particulary in the clubs of Rome : Histerya, Mithos, Bolido' ( Black Out ) , Luxuria , Nisida (this was his first club, he was the resident DJ in the 1987). From 1991 he dedicates himself completely to big parties mixing good technogroove( UR / Plus 8 ). Here he reaches the exposure for taking part in importants italians festivals / raves. In september 1992 he released his first record "Roman's Attack" for the roman Hot Trax rec (Acv sublabel). The record was co-produced in the 1991 with the D'Arcangelo brothers (today on Rephlex rec.), together they builded up the project called Automatic Sound Unlimited, under this name he released 3 records on Hot Trax label between ’91 and ‘94.
From the 1994 to the 1998, Max was busy to perform his DJ show around the Europe.
In December 1999 he build up together with others three friends the label project called ‘’Prodamkey rec.", where he released a limited 500 copies ep immediately sold out. The label in the near future will be a net-label, you will be able to buy records only by internet. In the 2000 he produced together with Anthony Rother a track for Psi49net records released in march 2001 and in the same year he starts to produce together with Keith Tucker (Aux 88) a record project called Fuzion, from Detroit to Rome. In 2002 he co-produced with Dj Hell and Tuxedomoon some new tracks of the group, one called '' Lether Bliss'' was released on ''Gigolo Compilation 6'' and on the SonarFestival compilation, the others tracks unfortunately will be momentanly unreleased, for problems of the band. In 2003 he did a Megamix for Gigolo records, released as bootleg format, an ep for the Swiss label 7B, he released on Electrix records UK the record with K. Tucker (FUZION , from Detroit to Rome), ecc… This record collect good critics from the most important djs/producers and music magazines:
DJ Rolando (Los Hermanos/UR) - “Digital System is slammin’.”
Laurent Garnier (F-Com) - “Beautiful stuff on both sides - great release.”
Plump DJs (Fabric) - “Very competent electro - late night rather than mid-set.”
Tiga (Turbo) - “Amazing record…manages to stand out even in the over-saturated electro genre. Fusion Theme is a killer old-school techno jam. Digital System - electro hit. Love it. The Hacker (Gigolo) - “I love it, especially Digital System - I play it and put it in my monthly playlist in Trax, the biggest French techno magazine!”
Glo3 (Trust, Austria) - “My favourite is definitely Digital System -
gritty, funky, old school Detroit-tech. Excellent. B2 is nice as well.”
More comments check on www.rocketsciencemedia.com
But there’s a lot more to come so keep your eyes on him!!!
Koffeebuzz CLUBS/EVENTS/STREET PARADES
MAX DURANTE
Max take part of the most important central european events:
"+8 records tour" '91 Roma,''Xtc'' '91 Roma, "Total Confusion" '92 Sulmona, "Energy 92" Zuerich, "Energy 93" Zuerich, "Cubik 94" Roggwill, "Cubik 95" Roggwill "Supernova" '95 Basel, ''Balelec 96" Losanna, ''Atlantis 96'' Neuchatel, ''Freaks'' '96 Ginevra, ''F.M.P." '98 Bordeaux, "Grey Planet Festival" '98 Zuerich,"Kozzmozz 21" Gent, ''Electrobuzz'' Zuerich, "Distorsonie 1999" Bologna, "Distorsonie 2000" Bologna, "Mix 2000" Belgium,'' Bios Festival 2002'' Athene,'' Distorsonie 2002 ''Bologna, '' Dissonanze 2002'' Roma, Electro_experimental club 2002'' Madrid, ''Distorsonie 2003'' Bologna, '' Bit:z Festival 2003'' Roma, ‘’ Synch Festival 2004 ‘’ Athene, ‘’ CCC Contemporary Culture Convention IV ‘’ 2004 Berna,’’ Electroma ‘’ 2004 Roma, ‘’ Stereolized 2, 2004’’ Paris, '' Pixel 04 '' Strasbourg, etc…
He also performed together with Prefuse 73 at Dissonanze 2002, great show!!! As well as his brilliant performance with the father of italo disco Alexander Robotnick at Distorsonie 2003, side by side with Blaine Reininger from Tuxedomoon at Distorsonie 2002, and during the same festival showing up with Anthony Rother too!
In 1998 Lilian Fellmann journalist from the swiss newspaper , Neue Zuercher Zeitung wrote about him: “his hands are so fast that it’s hard to follow his moviment, his scratches are balm for the eyes and the ears”.
In 2000, the italian fanzine Orbeat, describe his performance at the festival Distorsonie 2000 @ Link in Bologna : “his dj set with 3 turntables was amazing, keeping the crowd 'till 6.30 clapping all the time"
He was considered by “The Wire” one of the best act at the “Bios festival “ in Athen, where he performed in 2002.
clubs : Ultraschall - Munich, Cave - Salsburg, Rote Fabrik - Zuerich, Douala - Ravensburg, Gothic - Zuerich, MS Stubnitz - Rostock, Wasserwerk - Bern, BOA - Luzern, Case A Chocs - Neuchatel, Dynamo - Zuerich, Nitsa - Barcelona, Link - Bologna, Sputnik - Napoli, Classico Village - Roma, Forte Prenestino - Roma, IT - Roma, Ex-Magazzini - Roma, Goa - Roma, Juno' - S.Severino Marche, Neusteheimat - Stammheim, Kraftfeld - Winterthur, Gaswerk - Winterthur, Egocity -Zurigo, ISC -Berna, Miroir- Athene, Akab - Rome, Fabric - London , to name a few...
And parades: Street Parade '95 (Zuerich), Paris Parade '98 (Paris).