A big vocal collab drops onto AVA as Torio and Bigtopo & Omar Diaz make their AVA debut with "Fall For Me". Searing vocals and big peak time arrangements push and pull together for a package designed for maximum club impact.
Buy/Stream: ava.choons.at/fallforme
We are glad that Torio has accepted the challenge to answer our questions for an in-depth truly revealing interview that you must read from start to finish.
Dimitri: When did you start your involvement with electronic dance music and which music style you are more affiliated with and why?
Torio: I started DJing in 2008 and I think that people mostly associate me with Vocal and Progressive Trance. Every thing I release has vocals. I consider my self more of a song writer than a producer of tracks.
Dimitri: Did you had the opportunity to attend any kind of music production course or are u completely self taught? Do you consider that is essential for any artist to complete any production course?
Torio: I never took any lessons in music. I started playing the guitar as a child and taught myself multiple instruments through out the years. I don't think production lessons are necessary but they can help certain people.
Dimitri: In which label was your first ever release and how did you manage to attract the attention of the label?
Torio: My first release was on a label called Blinded Records in 2010. Some one connected me with the A&R at the label. My first major release was "Be Without You" on Ultra Music in 2012.
Dimitri: Would you like to pick for us your Top 5 tracks that you have produced and you consider them as being highly important for the progress of your career indifferent if they were commercially successful.
Torio: "Ever After" was a collab with vocalist Polina which went Top 10 on Beatport and I named my radio show on di.fm Ever After Radio Show (#EARS).
Other big tracks for me would be my official remix for Tiësto of "Just Be",
My remake of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time"
and originals such as "Ascending" and "The Twin Paradox" both on Magic Island Records,
.
Dimitri: Let's focus on your latest release. Please tell us from where did you got the inspiration for the track?
Torio: I actually started the track as a Big Room Progressive project back in 2015 and then put it on the shelf for awhile. In 2017 I started talking to Bigtopo and Omar Diaz and we discussed a collab so I took it off the shelf and we turned it into Progressive Trance.
Dimitri: How long it took you to produce it and was an easy or difficult process?If you have faced any difficulties please tell us about them and how did you resolved them?
Torio: It may not have been finished without Bigtopo and Omar Diaz or it would've taken on a different form at least, since I was stuck on it for a while.
Dimitri: Which was the biggest challenge that you faced during the production of this superb track?
Dimitri: Can you describe to us the steps that you went through the production of this track and of any other track?
Torio: I started with the chords then wrote the lyrics and melody with the vocalist who sang it before connecting with Bigtopo and Omar Diaz for the make over of the track.
Dimitri: When the track finished did the label accepted it as it was produced or did the label recommend you to do some changes or fix certain things?
Torio: Bass volume adjustments and vocal eq
Dimitri: Is this track an original composition or is it based on a template from another track produced from you or another producer?
Dimitri: Is the quality of this track higher than your previous one? If yes in what ways this track sounds better than your previous one?
Torio: I wouldn't say it's better or worse but it's different. This track was darker sounding than my last track.
Dimitri: Do you have any friends or relatives that you send them the track before sending it to a label or if you are DJ did you test it in your gigs? If yes did you have to do any alterations as a result of the crowd reaction?
Torio: When I was a resident at The MiD and Sound Bar in Chicago I used to use those rooms with their big sound systems as ways of testing tracks but this one didn't get any live tests now that I think about it. I felt confident it was going in the write direction with Bigtopo and Omar.
Dimitri: Please describe to us the studio that you have produced the track? What is your favourite hardware and software set up? Do you have in mind any new gear that you wish to get in order to raise the quality of your production?
Torio: I'm lucky to have some pretty good gear. I use Logic X and I have an Apollo 8 rack mount interface. I have a Neuman TLM-49 Microphone for recording vocals as well as a pair of Universal Audio 710 pre amps.
Dimitri: Do you master the track yourself or the mastering is task for the record label? Do you understand mastering as being essential?
Torio: It depends on the project but this one was mixed and mastered by an engineer who gave it a bit more volume and energy.
Dimitri: There is a growing trend of vinyl coming back for good. Would you like to see this track released on vinyl or any other of your future tracks? Do you prefer digital files or vinyl?
Torio: I don't see any point in bringing back something as inconvenient as vinyl.
Dimitri: If the package of the track includes remixes please note down here your opinion for each remix included.
Torio: We may release a remix pack towards the end of the year.
Dimitri: Do you have any future releases planned and when will be released?
Torio: I have a release called "Lost In A Dream" coming on Magic Island Records in the summer. June I believe. Currently I am finishing some other projects as well.
Dimitri: Can you please tell us here your Top 3 best DJ gigs so far and the reasons that made them so special?
Torio: I used to have some of the best residencies at the biggest clubs in Chicago such as The MiD, Sound Bar and a club called Enclave which is no longer around. I was fortunate to open for some of the biggest talent in the world. I would have to say my 3 favorite shows would be when I opened for Nadia Ali at Enclave, opening for Emma Hewitt at The MiD and opening for Blasterjaxx at The MiD. The energy for the Blasterjaxx show was one of the most intense I've ever experienced and both Emma Hewitt and Nadia Ali are 2 of my favourite vocalists.
Dimitri: Do you have any more DJ gigs planned for the next few months?
Torio: I am in the process of moving from Chicago to Florence Italy so I hope to be playing around Europe this summer.
Dimitri: Do you produce a radio show/podcast as well? Please tell us here all the details about it.
Torio: I host my Ever After Radio Show better known as #EARS every Friday on Di.fm/club at 3:00 PM CST/9:00 PM UK Time. It airs right after Above & Beyond Group Therapy. Cosmic Gate's WYM is the first show of the day followed by ABGT and then my show. I've had 177 episodes as of this interview and I've had some huge guests on the show such as The Chainsmokers, Steve Aoki, Gareth Emery, Ferry Corsten and a whole lot more.
Dimitri: Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career so far and best tip you learnt recently to make your tracks better.
Torio: I think the best advice I ever got in the music business was to not take rejection personally and to just keep working on improving your sound.
Dimitri: Please give us here your tips or more elaborated advice for any new artists who may read this interview and wish to get involved with the electronic music industry.
Torio: Believe in yourself but take constructive criticism. Surround yourself with positive people but also be sure to have people who will be honest with you. No one gets better without working on improving things that others may be critical of.
Thanks very much to Torio for this interview. We wish him all the best in his career.
Thanks very much to Torio for this interview. We wish him all the best in his career.
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