Justin Kleinfeld is always sending me great content to share. He represents some of the biggest names in dance music and is always sharing the latest and greatest in electronic dance music. Then he went and joined Lawrence Lui on a project called Bampire. Putting these great minds together, they have started working with some incredible talent, as well. When Lawrence reached out about Gianni Blu, I wasn’t familiar with this work. But now I can’t stop listening. Gianni is based in Chicago and is a DJ, producer and songwriter producing some unforgettable tracks. Dancing Astronaut described Gianni as a, “rising future house phenom.” After listening to him, you’ll see why. I was so impressed with this guy, I just had to learn more. It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to Gianni Blu.
You are from Chicago. I know there is a big underground scene in the Windy City. Tell me more about your time there and what some of your favorite clubs are.
That’s right, I was born and raised in Chicago and the city has obviously had a huge influence on my music and my life. We have a ton of different scenes here especially with dance music and hip hop as I’m sure you know.
I’d have to say my favorite clubs in the city are PRYSM Nightclub, The MID Chicago, which I’m so sad to see go, Sound-Bar and The Underground Chicago. S/O to Tao for opening up in Chicago two months ago. It’s definitely going to change the club life in the city!
You’ve worked with a lot of rappers over the years. Who are some of the names you’ve worked with and who are some up and comers that you’ve excited about?
I’ve worked with people like Lil Bibby, King Louie, Sasha Go Hard and Katie Got Bandz. I really started producing rap music and there’s so many dope artists in the city I’m really thankful for those early opportunities because they helped establish myself in the industry. Going into this next year you can expect some hip-hop collaborations again for sure.
Shout out to Joey Purp and Kami from Chicago. They definitely are building crazy momentum in the city for sure, and it would be great to work with them. A couple other people I’ve been wanting to work with are Mick Jenkins, Valee and Smino.
You’ve been playing violin and the drums since you were a kid. Why were you drawn to those instruments over others?
My mom put me in Suzuki violin at a very young age. At first I didn’t really dig it but in retrospect I’m so thankful she pushed me to stay in it. That’s where I learned all my music theory knowledge, understanding keys, and overall reading music. When I started middle school I joined band because I had always dreamed of playing the drums so that’s where the inspiration for that instrument came from. Those early days of playing violin and drums had such a massive impact on me as a musician. Shout out to Mom.
Tell me more about your new single “Work it.”
WORK IT WORK IT!
So I actually started “Work It” about 3 years ago and initially came up with the hook and one of the drops. I ended up putting it to the side for a few years because I didn’t know exactly where I wanted to take it, and then this past spring I was looking through old sessions and stumbled upon it again. I knew from the jump there was something special but it was just figuring out how to use what I had originally came up with in the right way.
Once I reopened the session the first thing I did was remake the drums. After that I came up with this Latinesque vibe and once I had that it just clicked and I immediately knew the direction I wanted to go from there. I basically scratched everything from the original idea and made it all new and fresh. Last thing I did was add in the vocals and that was it. Now the song is out and going crazy. Hope you like it!
You are Italian-Haitian. Tell me more about your heritage and how that has shaped the DJ/producer you are today.
My mom is Italian and Haitian and my dad is Italian and Venezuelan, so as a child I grew up speaking English, French and Spanish. I was fortunate enough to travel a lot during my younger years and was exposed to a ton of different cultures and parts of the world. Those experiences as a kid have stuck with me my entire life and I have such an appreciation for different cultures and art, music, food, etc. I like so many different types of music and you can hear the Spanish, Latin, European and Caribbean influences in all of my music.
Your work has seen support from some pretty big names including Martin Garrix, Hardwell and The Chainsmokers. What does it mean to have support from some of the biggest names in dance music?
It really is an inspiration to keep pushing and keep producing song after song. I know if the songs can reach some of the most respected people in the industry that they can reach millions of more listeners. Consistency is key with all of this so I make sure that I am continuously producing and pushing my boundaries and creativity. But you know those artists are all people that I respect and love their music so to be supported by them in any way is a blessing. I’m grateful.
The video for “Work It” is great. Where did you shoot that and who are all these girls you featured?
I shot pretty much the whole video in the city and sprinkled in some footage from when I was in Jamaica traveling. Then we basically took footage from some of my recent shows and used them to create the starting point for the concept. I didn’t want my video to just be another video where its just DJ scenes the whole time, like everyone has been to a festival we all know what that’s like and it feels like that’s what so many videos are these days. Huge shout out to my videographer Berny Echeverria for helping bring my vision to life. He’s a master behind the camera and I can’t wait to make more dope stuff with him.
You are also a songwriter. What is your songwriting process like? Do the songs just come to you or do you sit down to work on a new release? I am always curious where songwriters find motivation for a new single.
My songwriting process starts once I hear the beat. It’s real quick and consists of a lot of free styling. Have you ever seen videos of rappers in the studio where they just spit whatever comes to mind and then continue to build on what they’ve put down? My process is basically that. I usually will lay the beat down as a skeleton and work on it until I feel the vibe or see where to go with it. Then I would start recording vocals on top of it. I work really fast. I’d say that 80% of the songs I write take less than an hour for me to get through, but then I’ll spend hours changing melodies, changing words, rewriting certain parts etc. But I try and lay as many melodies down as possible when the inspiration of that moment is happening.
Las Vegas is the center for dance music in the United States. Do you get to Sin City often? If so, what are some of your favorite places to see a show?
To be honest I’ve been two times! It’s definitely the dance music capital in the USA without a doubt and I love the Wynn Las Vegas and the OMNIA Nightclub. Those clubs are just one of a kind and both very unique in their own ways. I really want to get out there more so hit me up!!! I’m ready. (Laughs.)
Who are some of your biggest influences?
Diplo, Major Lazer, Kaskade, Afrojack, Skrillex, Calvin Harris and Tchami to name a few in dance music. Outside of dance music some of my biggest influences I would have to say Kanye West, Sean Paul, Coldplay, Sade and Ozuna.
It seems like every DJ has a podcast. I listen to podcasts all day long. Any plans to produce a podcast in the near future? What podcasts do you listen to?
It’s funny you say that because it’s something I have been thinking about starting for a long time actually. I had initially started a mix serious last year entitled “ADHD Sessions” but I wanted to rebrand it into the podcast/radio show format that many DJs do. Definitely going to revisit the idea in 2019 and who knows maybe you’ll be hearing something from me around then.
“Work It” is your first single on Spinnin’ Records. Tell me more about working with them and can we expect more releases in the neat future?
Actually, “Work It” is my 2nd single with Spinnin’ Records. I released a single called “All I Wanna Do” with them last summer and really love that record so go check that out too! I mean I always dreamed of releasing songs on Spinnin’ and It has been great working with them. They have one of the biggest dance music infrastructures in the world and I’m really excited to work with them on some upcoming releases!
What’s next for Gianni Blu?
I have this record called “Magic City” with several big international afrobeat/dance hall artists I’m excited to release in 2019 and I am also finalizing 3-4 records that I think people are gonna love. I’ve got some house/club vibes some dance pop vibes and some other sounds I’m experimenting with so stay tuned. I’m trying to stay constantly busy and producing more than ever. This has been the year so far I have put out the most releases.. But going into 2019 I want to double it.
Thank you for doing this. In all of the interview I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk to you! I appreciate it. Go add “Work It” to your Spotify and Apple Music playlists. Follow me on Spotify for all my new releases and on Instagram and Facebook to see what I’m up to! Oh yeah, and look out for “Magic City” early 2019! Peace.
Connect with Gianni Blu:
Website: https://www.gianniblu.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GianniBlu
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gianniblu
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/GianniBluWorld
