"Hold Home" was one of the most charted tracks of 2009. Meet the Italian man whose technical skills got him involved with many artists. He's now working with Timo Maas as Mutant Clan. Sante Pucello aka Santos, Seventies disco fever was the first source of inspiration to Italian born producer Sante Pucello aka Santos. It took him 20 years before he set up a small studio together with a friend in 1992, where he used to spend lots of hours composing his music. Two years later Santos made his first record. A short glance at his Discogs page tells the story of what happened next.
His productions and remixes in numerous music styles got support from DJs worldwide and so did his many collaborations. His technical skills got him involved with many artists including fellow Italian Alex Dolby who hired him to engineer his album "Psiko Garden". Just recently Santos' work with Timo Maas as Mutant Clan started making waves. Last year one of Santos' tracks stormed the charts. More than enough reasons to find out more about this talented producer. And we did :)
Your track "Hold Home" has been voted #1 at Resident Advisor and #5 at Beatport for most charted track of 2009. Now that's a great start of 2010!
"Ciao! Sure it's a good end of 2009 and a good start of 2010! I have been in this position a lot of times in my life :) I always feel very much concentrated on my work and on experimentation with sounds - but having a number one track is a great sensation each and every time."
What do you think makes "Hold Home" stand out from all the tracks that came out last year? What's more important to you - that your producer/dj peers like it, or that the fans like it?
"Hold home was produced in March 2008 but it got released in June 2009 because it was very hard to find a label ready to release something different. Doing my job in the studio I'm always concentrating on the crowd - my target was to have a totally different track to be played in face of people by DJs around. This is my motivation and push. Fans and DJs maybe know me from 15 years of my music. I never repeat myself and release different sounds track by track - waiting for the next one."
SANTOS HOLD HOME by santositaly
You've been around for quite some time and your list of productions is as endless as it is diverse: house music, breakbeat and techno. What's your preference?
"I'm just attracted by something I don't know - so I spent years in the 90's around dirty house music and techno. Then I touched electonica and breakbeat for the next four years, just because I was totally bored to produce 4/4 music. I just changed kick drum programming and was tagged under breakbeat or alternative - whatever you want! Following my emotion in the studio, I then again came back on 4/4.
"That it's the reason of it all. Emotion-adrenalin-trip!"
Tell us more about your favorite music. Who are your musical heroes?
"This always is a hard question! Hmm, a lot actually - from Mozart to Moroder to Chemical Brothers to Johnny Cash to Radiohead to Orb to David Bowie to Kraftwerk to Romantony, and more. There are a lot of Heroes in my background. I love music at 360 degrees and I take in my soul just those tracks that are good to give to me an adrenaline-emotion-trip :)"
What role played Italy in the music you're producing at the moment?
"That's a funny question, because for 16 months I'm living in Germany on the country side, 20 meters from Timo Maas' house - so I actually don't know about the role of Italy in my recent music :) I don't like living in the middle of chaos, so no big city for me. I love staying secured in my bubble to record my emotion - and then try to sell it. But I love to go to Italy to play gigs and talk Italian :) and for sure I love the good food!"
You've collaborated with a lot of people in the studio over the years. What's the reason you're working with others?
"Just to be clear, I love working alone for 90% of the time - but sometimes collaborations are interesting. I don't work with anyone before I understand the trip between me and the person sitting close to me. It's essential. If the trip is the same, the collaboration comes in naturally - any other way is impossible. But when it's well done it's like an orgasm! Two or three people having the same trip is the best pleasure."
You and Timo Maas are on fire lately! All the Mutant Clan tracks have these amazing grooves, elements of percussion and it keeps building and building! Which part of the tracks is your input and which part is typically something Timo brings in?
"Timo is the sort of person I just described. We share the same trip and same vision of sound. We work together - talking, listening and eating music every minute possible. Mostly, my job is doing all the programming, equalization, mixing sounds and other technical work, but I know we have the same trip and it's therefore very easy to do. For example, if I have in mind to change the snare - before I start to move the mouse, Timo says, 'Hey we have to change the snare.' So perfect! We have two studios - one for production and one for listening. With Funktion One system and 7500 watt of Club sound, hehehe."
How do you experience working on the Mutant Clan project in general? How are you guys performing live?
"You can consider the Mutant Clan project just a baby right now, we have more and more in mind for the near future. For the moment we're doing danceable experimentation with it - and live, we play together with two mixers and eight CD players creating a fucking amazing trip I have to say :) "Next future: You'll see!"
If you had to pick one remix that you're really proud of which one should that be?
"Emhh ... remix? "Drop The Hate" by Fatboy Slim - my mouse was shaking all the time during the work!
What kind of equipment do you work with in the studio? Any tips and tricks you can share with our readers? (such as your favorite VST plugins for example).
"I use two software platforms: Cubase 5 on PC and Logic 8 on Mac. The first for audio work and the second for midi work. I love real machines so I don't use a lot of VST plugins. I use them occasionally, so I don't have any favs.
But I can say Moog Voyager, Juno 60, Supernova2, both Korg MS-200 and MS-2000 are my favorite machines."
What are your plans for this year? Any new collaborations? Any new tracks coming up?
"Full of plans :) Collaboration for sure with Timo Maas and friends and the label Rockets And Ponies finally starts! More gigs too - so it will be more easy to go listen Santos this year.
"Some of my recent tracks are "San Fransisco/Burner King" (January, Noir Music), "Rom Controll/Metal Boogaloo" (February, Saved Records) and a remix for Steve Mac on that same label. Mutant Clan released "Back to the Old School" in February on Figure Records and Timo Maas will release "Kick 1, Kick3" on Rockets and Ponies this year."
The man is busy! Good luck Santos!
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