Italian Remixer Giangi Cappai talks about his projects for Madonna

Here’s an article that our dear friend Valeria sent us from the Unione Sarda newspapaper. It’s an interview to Giangi Cappai that as MadonnaTribe announced a while back has remixed with dj Tracy Young the song Easy Ride from the album American Life.

From what Cappai says he has a new contract with Warner now that includes two club remixes of songs included on Madonna’s next album.

When she learned that he was from Sardinia she had a smile and said that it was just another good reason to become a member of her Team. Maybe because Madonna recalled her youth days and her appearance at the Eurogarden in Assemini on October 26, 1983, or more easily she recalled her days in Ogliastra shooting the remake of Swept Away. Who knows. What’s for sure is that Giangi Cappai, 35 y.o., who lives in Oristano, a suitcase always ready to travel the world, is now one of the dee-jays and producers that will remix and tune for the dancefloor what the Queen of Pop presents in her albums. And then it happens that the Easy Ride remix (in the stores soon) signed by Cappai will be the one – maybe one of two – of his mixes to be included in the new project of the American singer.

Cappai, how did the collaboration with Madonna come to life?
“It comes from the strong relationship I have with the Miami-based dj Tracy Young. She has just opened a new lable, called Ferosh Record, and I will be taking care of the most part of the productions there. Tracy has been working with Madonna for years, she remixes her songs, she spun at her wedding, she’s somehow part of her entourage.
She was asked for a new dancefloor remix if Easy Ride, a song from the American Life album. This should be part of a project called Greatest Remix that focuses on those songs that were not really hits and gives them a new twist, new rhythms and arrangements. Each song has been given to an international reknown dee-jay.
Tracy wanted me to be on her side. We met in Italy and we worked on the song together. Madonna listened to the final result and she was very excited.

And now?

Now I am signed to Warner. My cotract includes club remixes for two of the tracks that are going to be included on Madonna’s next Cd. I will work on one all by myself, and will work on another with Tracy Young.

How did you move from the local to the international scene?

It’s all thanks to one of my first records. It was called Rapido and it has been published under the Alma Matris name. It was a hit in the house music scene, it was sold in several countries and received a remix treatment by several fellow dee-jays, including American dee-jay Ralphi Rosario.

This song was also the inspiration for a bi-monthly party that takes place in Bruxelles. It was indeed called “Rapido” and has seen in the booth artists like Ralphi Rosario himself, Tracy Young and David Morales. And I was asked to spin at the opening and closing events of the season. I felt myself rushed into an international setting and you know how it works: from one contact to another…”

Which steps happened before all of this.

“I started as musician, a short but very intense carreer. I started studing piano and organ at five. Then I was dee-jaying in the clubs of Cagliari. In 1996 I started as a producer. In 1997 I made the fist big jump with Musica Electrica, 10.000 copies sold in Italy only and the first place in the DJ PArade of Radio DeeJay [note: one of Italy’s leading music radio stations].

Are you still dee-jaying in clubs?
“Yeah, but a very few in Sardinia. A US based management agency is taking care of my agenda lately, that includes a residece in Bologna, but it makes me travel all over the world for the rest. Now I’m leaving for Tel Aviv, then I’ll be back in Bruxelles and the heading to Miami. I’ll be in brasil in February.”

Why aren’t you playing a lot in your homeland?

“I don’t know, you should ask this to the local promoters. Maybe it’s because they consider me as a “regional” dee-jay and when it comes to spend some money they like to give some space to guests from abroad instead. In some way, I can understand that”.

How can you describe your latest trend in music?

“I’m very attracted to those house and electro sounds that are very popular in the international gay community that has been setting the trend on the dancefloor for years. Disco was born in gay clubs and so did garage and house. It’s a very trendy market, the place were all the leading trends start and then become popular to the general public. Those gay-friendly parties – open to both gay and straight people are the most popular and that’s were the international record industry looks for something new.

The sound I play comes from this setting – even if I’m not gay”.

From an article by Francesco Abate on L’Unione Sarda
Thanks to our friend Valeria from bringing this article to the attention of Madonna fans through MadonnaTribe.