Luca Ricci is the man behind a number of tasteful house tracks such as "The Love you Need," "Una Historia de Amor," and "The Inside That Counts." Luca was born and raised on a small island named Ischia located in the Gulf of Naples. When Luca was a young teenager he would observe DJs spin at a local club. After spending hours upon hours of watching and studying the DJs, he decided to venture into a life of music. It was a video of the DMC World Championships that was responsible for beginning his journey into the life of dance music. After countless days and nights of practicing and watching the video, you could find Luca scratching and mixing to the sounds of Run DMC, the Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy. His passion for music never wandered and in 1998, Luca moved from the tranquil island of Ischia to the lively city of London; there he networked with some of the most venerated DJs and producers from the area. As time went on, his tracks became more pronounced. In 2003, under the pseudonym of "When is Dark," he created the underground house classic "The Love You Need" (Renaissance, Stereo, Re-Vox). When asked to describe his sound he states," …music is an art form to me, music for body and mind, music is freedom!"
Jon Viera: Where did you get your start as a DJ?
Luca Ricci: In Ischia (island in the gulf of Naples), where I grew up and where I
live right now. I started going out on Sunday afternoons to a small club spending time
looking at DJs, seeing them as they were working!
JV: Who influenced you when you were younger?
Luca Ricci: I guess many things, all the environment here, nature, animals, arts,
theatre. Cinema, sports, and music in general. From classics to pop to
disco classics. I started playing guitar at age 9, my grandfather
bought me one. Music has been always in my life.
JV: Where did you first start to DJ at?
Luca Ricci: Private parties at my friends' houses.
JV: Do you remember your first DJ gig?
Luca Ricci: Yes, of course. It was at my friend's house, I was spinning tape
cassettes and I had one turntable belt driver. It was so hard to get
professional turntables and mixers, so I managed to mix from this big
radio/cassette player. I found a way to slow down and pitch up the
speed of the tracks I was playing. I also had my own lighting setup,
mirrorballs and flashlights with a customized box full of knobs as a
controller.
JV: How would you describe your sound?
Luca Ricci: Dance music with feelings. Music is an art form to me, music for body
and mind, music is freedom!
