RS: Did you produce Ingrid's "Tu Es Fouto?"
Benny Benassi: No, Ingrid is my good friend, and she works
in the same studio where I work. It's a big recording studio and
there are three recording studios with three different musicians and
different producers. In one there is my cousin Palo, and we work
together, and in the other there is another musician and he is the
producer for Ingrid. So when Ingrid first finished the project, my
friend's producer asked me 'hey Benny, do you want to do a remix for
France?' And I said 'Yes, why not.' She is my good friend. And we
made a remix, but I'm not the writer for song.
RS: OK. Did you work on Black Box's 'Ride on Time,' one of the
remixes several years ago in 1995?
Benny Benassi: Yes, yes. I'm very good friends with Daniele Davoli,
a DJ from Black Box, and we did a remix for this track. And now
perhaps I would like do one other remix for it but I think the a
cappella for Black Box, a lot of DJs have used it, but now I think
it's too late for a new remix.
RS: What are you working on right now in the studio?
Benny Benassi: Now I am in the studio two to three days a week with
my cousin. I am lucky because my cousin, a relative, is a musician,
he's in front of the computer and he does a lot of groovy bass. And
he called me, 'Benny, where are you?' And I say 'I am in America.'
And he responds, 'OK, I send to you an mp3 for a new bass.' I
receive, I listen and I tell you 'OK, for me it's good for this, it's
good for this,' and now I'm a sort of a line producer.
RS: One of your big remixes was Outkast's "Ghettomusick." Was it difficult because of the different tempos?
Benny Benassi: It was a bit difficult because it's a sort of
break-y, but it was fast, like a house track.
RS: The Royal Gigolos copied your sound… How did you react
the first time you heard it?
Benny Benassi: I'll be very honest with you; I understand, it's a
very commercial situation. When we started with our sound, we had a
new and cool sound. I think Royal Gigolos is not cool, it's a big
f*king sample. If you put a rock band in my sound it's good, like
Moby, like Outkast. But if you take a sample for all the track… I
have to apologize when people say 'hey Benny, good production for the
Royal Gigolos.' It's not my production, I'm sorry. But I completely
understand the point of view, because it's different guys, different
point of view. I'm happy for this guy because he's a big success in
the world, but I think he needs to stop with the Benassi sound. For
me, it's an old sound. I'm a DJ, sorry.
RS: What advice do you have for up and coming DJs and producers?
Benny Benassi: Passion for the music, that's important. Don't be a
DJ just for a girl or for fashion, this is not good. DJ for music,
this is the best. And work for people, not for yourself, because the
DJ in reality is a selector of music for people.
RS: What would you like to say to all of your fans out there?
Benny Benassi: Thank you very much. Thank you, thank you very much,
I'm very happy.
