Italian duo we.amps discuss Trend release

Hailing from Varese, Italy, we.amps is the dynamic DJ and production duo comprised of Andrea and Fabio. Since their debut in 2016, they’ve captivated audiences with their unique sound, a fusion of raw, old-school rhythms, acid, disco, and modern electronic energy. Their musical journey started when they both became residents at This is Not in 2012, discovering a natural synergy during back-to-back sets that led to the creation of we.amps—short for ‘weird amplifiers’, a nod to their eclectic influences.

The duo continues to make waves across the electronic scene, with releases on respected labels like Trend Records, Solenoid, and Funnuvojere, and performances at renowned venues, including the iconic Panorama Bar in Berlin.

With a philosophy focused on quality over quantity, Andrea and Fabio are committed to creating music that reflects their true artistic identity, avoiding trends and staying true to their roots in house and techno. Keep an eye on this duo as they continue to evolve, always pushing boundaries while remaining deeply connected to their Italian underground origins. We caught up with them ahead of their latest release on Alessio Colina's Trend Records to learn more...

Hey guys! How would you introduce yourself to people you’ve never met before?  And if you were to introduce someone to your music, what track would you choose? And why?

Hi guys, we amps here, Andrea and Fabio from Varese, Italy.  We simply are a passionate and devoted music lover. Our icon Track? “Unknown Brother”. We released it last April on Funnuvojere and it exactly explains who we are, both as producers and Djs. A sweet & sour mix of rhythm, groove and old school taste with unpredictable (or maybe we have to say ‘weird? eheh) arrangements.

‍
We’re really loving your latest release on Trend Records, Big Muffin especially. Can you tell us more about the concept behind the release and how it came to life?

Big Muffin came out quite easily. Fabio had the idea while Andrea arranged it in around one hour. It was one of those day full of inspirations, when you feel confident of the flow choices, and you enjoy dancing in the studio while producing. Fabio focused on creating a simple and strong piano melody, peppered with some dreamy synths, giving a touch of garage drums that have been part of our recently productions. Then, Andrea managed to make the track ‘dancefloor oriented’ by giving a touch of unpredictability with the arrangement.

Alessio from Trend is a real key figure in the Italian house and techno scene. How did your relationship with him develop, and what makes Trend Records a great fit for your music?

We have never physically met Alessio unfortunately. We just have a close friend and colleague in common, Samuele de Santis, who has released on his label a few times.

Trend reflects Alessio's dedication. He put a lot of effort into enhancing every single track and this is not so common anymore. Releases often end up in the huge “sink” of digital and physical platforms and after a while they get lost. We definitely love his taste and his approach to music, 100% we.amps vibes!

Italy has a rich history of electronic music. Which local Italian acts or scenes have had the biggest influence on your sound?

We can definitely nominate Dude, a club which was based in Milan. High quality selection for real ‘connoisseurs. Second of all, certainly the party which we have been residents and collaborator since 2012. This is not has always been a wide, varied, and nuanced pool of artistic choices. This certainly gave and still gives us the opportunity to evolve our sound and knowhow.

We’d love to know how you two originally met. What sparked the decision to start collaborating as we.amps back in 2016?

We met when we both started to play for This is not, in 2012. Fabio was (and is) a huge fan of the raw and old school sound while Andrea was more eclectic and towards electronic vibes. Although we had two completely different tastes, during some sporadic b2b, we found an affinity on shaping our selection quite naturally, creating solid sets. The decision was almost natural, ‘weird amplifiers’ (shortly, we.amps), also indicates the different sounds we come from!

You've been residents at This is Not since 2012. How has that residency shaped your growth as DJs and producers over the years?

We’ve had the pleasure to opening for artists as Paranoid London, Answer Code Request, Matt John, Massimiliano Pagliara, Crazy P and Dan Shake, just to name a few. Every single “warm up” shaped us, we think It’s one of the most valuable and important phase for a dj. That’s the time to read the dancefloor and create the right atmosphere for the “heart” hours of the party.  A great responsibility.

Playing at Panorama Bar is a dream for many artists. Can you tell us a bit about how your upcoming gig there came to be? And do you feel any extra pressure performing in such an iconic venue?

Guys, we still get chills. It is one of the highest and dreamy venue for a DJ. It is all happening thanks to a release on Funnuvojere, the "Unknown brother EP” and Massimiliano Pagliara, the label owner, who invited us for his label night.

Pressure? Honestly no, we are extremely excited, grateful and full gas of having the opportunity to share our sound THERE.

.How do you approach your B2B sets together, and how do you ensure your individual styles complement each other so well?

No secret recipe. We make our selection individually after sharing just the general direction we want to keep, but then it's all completely improvised. Buying same records and discovering it during the set is commonplace. Ehmm is it a secret recipe?!

The Suck My Oblivious EP on Solenoid Records was a real standout release too. What was the inspiration behind that project, and how did it reflect your evolution as producers?

Suck my oblivious is an EP that includes two of our tracks and two from the master Erta Ale (Also Known as DJ Fresh), personally, an outstanding musician and owner of the label. Perhaps It is one of the releases we like the most, due to its structure and research of individual sounds. While producing we thought a lot about expressing our concept of sound related to clubbing, exploring sound design, sampling and especially our passion of the analog sound. It does comes up in Suck My Oblivious EP.

You seem to prioritise quality over quantity when it comes to your music releases. Why is that important to you, and how do you stay true to that philosophy in today’s fast-paced music industry?

It depends. We manage to spend consistently time to our studio sessions. Once we are ready with some hot stuff, we share it around as much as possible among the labels that we think are best suited.

When you're in the studio, what does your production process look like? Do you each have specific roles, or is it more collaborative and fluid?

Fabio is the creative. He usually has the first idea and then he drops four bars with the right “attitude” and “character”. He is able to put “instinct” into his production process. While Andrea is more inclined to work on the arrangement and mixing, spending time on each single sounds, hours and hours and hours and hours and hours.

Your music spans from house to techno, with influences from acid and disco. How do you manage to blend these genres while maintaining your unique sound?

No strategies or plans, it comes naturally to us. Surely, being open to listening to all kinds of music, at home, in the vinyls shops or at the club helps us, as well as daily studying at the studio.

What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a duo, and how have you overcome them?

There have been many difficulties we have gone through together, more related to our personal problems actually than to the project itself; it’s a very difficult world, where you can get easily demoralised and, at some point, make you give up. Each of us has experienced it but differently, and maybe the difference in feeling made sure that we persevered in our goal, try to work with music (which has not been achieved yet)

Since starting we.amps in 2016, how do you feel your sound has evolved? Have there been any major shifts in your approach or influences?

Yes, many, but always keeping our DNA, which is quite visible over our production and DJ set.

You’ve collaborated with some great labels, from Trend Records to Solenoid. What do you look for in a label, and why are these partnerships so important to your music?

We don't like label owners who are just looking for "numbers", we are mainly looking for synergy, collaboration, music culture and understanding of what he/she is going to release.

The dance music world can be fast-paced and ever-changing. How do you stay grounded and focused on making music that reflects who you are?

We simply think about our business and what we want to do at that specific time. Knowing and being aware of the evolution of the market is certainly correct but should not then influence the creativity and the attitude. Trends are not we.amps stuff.  

Who are some of the newer artists or producers that you’ve been inspired by recently?

Chaos in the CBD are definitely a big inspo for many reasons. We had the pleasure to play with them two years ago! We love their attitude, style taste and their approach to not take themselves too seriously is totally aligned with us.

You’ve been a part of the electronic music scene for years now. How do you keep pushing your creative boundaries while staying true to the roots of House and Techno?

Really focusing to our roots and most of all by remaining faithful to our nature. Once again, trends are not we.amps stuff.  

If you could give one piece of advice to up-and-coming DJs and producers trying to make their mark, what would it be?

Be passionate but without illusion. Unfortunately, the amount of effort is sometimes not directly matched by the same results, and results often took time. Focus on your goal and go go go go.

What can we expect next from we.amps? Are there any upcoming releases or projects you can share with us?

Of course, we are always cooking! Next year will see a Vinyl release on System error, a single on Miura records, an EP on our Friend’s label U’re guay rcords and a remix of Ron Brown on this is not label. We hope also something else…

Finally, where do you see yourselves and your sound going in the next few years? Are there any particular goals or dreams you’re aiming to achieve?

We wanna follow the flow by not thinking too much ahead. Our big dream is simple and very common: living with the music. Let’s see where our groove will lead us!‍

Buy/listen to the release here

Listen to our premiere of Big Muffin below

‍