Italy born producer and modular synthesist David Castellani is an aficionado in all things modular with a focus on driving, contemporary techno. His sound, fuelled by an array of analog hardware, showcases the intricate aspects of modern music production, while staying true to the fundamentals.
Having formerly cut his teeth in a DJ/Producer duo, David has already built a category of healthy releases, collaborations and remixes, while sharing the decks with industry heavies including Nastia, Mark Broom, Dense & Pika & Vril, to name a few.
Now based in LA by way of Chicago, Castellani launched his record label Noetic in 2021, cultivating smart & dynamic techno with a focus on synthesizers and analog hardware. The label has curated eleven releases from Castellani so far, featuring remixes from Redshape, Matrixxman, Voiski & Etapp Kyle.
Castellani’s journey in music has been marked by two guiding principles – passion and learning, including exploration of world cultures. He uses the didgeridoo, part of ancient First Nation Australian culture which he respectfully acknowledges, in his live sets. He was taught drums by respected Afro Cuban percussionist Juma Santos, who featured on the legendary Miles Davis album ‘Bitches Brew’. The experience of working with Santos has stayed with him till this day.
“It was one of the most vivid memories of my youth. We just spent hours playing drums together and then we’d indulge in some cannabis while Juma would share stories about hanging out with Miles Davis in the 70's. I was about 17 and remember travelling home, thinking how excited I was to start this new journey in music. And most of all, this helped me understand the value of education via a proper teacher within music.”
Castellani would go on to be an educator himself, thriving as a teacher at Chicago’s respected Columbia College, where he’d teach for almost a decade. His passion for educating is something that stays with him till this day, involved in running modular synth workshops in LA in collaboration with the RE/FORM crew, with whom he holds a residency. He also volunteers with the Jazz Angels, an outreach program that sees him go into schools and help children record and learn about music.
His passion and curiosity for all things learning, creativity and technological development has seen him create his own sequencer module, the Precision Disrupter. His background in graphic design also sees a collaboration with clothing brand After Infinite, responsible for designing all their rave wear garments.
A magnetic live performer, recent highlights include a special 360-degree audio-visual performance in LA alongside Colin Benders and ONYVAA; a coveted spot playing Chicago’s Arc Festival and the release of his collaborative project ‘Hysteria Dichotic’ with AnnMarie Arcuri, which combined techno, contemporary dance, modular synthesis and film.
Castellani wishes to acknowledge that First Nations Australians are the traditional owners of the didgeridoo, a wind instrument he uses in his live sets. He pays his respects to all First Nations people.
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