Enrico Sangiuliano Drops ‘Physical Change’ And Talks His Philosophy When Making Music

It’s 4 a.m. The smell of cigarettes and weed hangs in the warehouse air, strobe lights color the dancefloor and people groove to music rumbling over the subwoofers. This is the perfect environment for a techno rave. This is the ideal setting where Enrico Sangiuliano performs.

The artist’s sound can be described as detailed, layered, deep and voyage-ready, proving that he is one of techno’s most respected contemporary producers. His warehouse-ready sound is best showcased on his latest EP, Physical Change, out today, May 5.

The two-track body of work boasts pounding basslines, slithering and tinkering synths, catchy lyrics, cinematic tunes and melodic sounds. Physical Change is about the inevitability of transformation, Sangiuliano says. Whether it’s the dynamics of sound, emotions or the pronunciation of languages, it is inexorable. He adds that even notes played on an instrument differ from both the previous note and the following one, making each tone unrepeatable due to the pressure of your fingers and how you touch the musical equipment.

“Change is present and happening whether we want it or not, constantly,” the sound designer says.

The title track kicks off as a filmic ambient record before slowly progressing into a more electronic sound, one that is psychedelic, hypnotic and progressive, Sangiuliano says. The same synth is played for the entirety of the song in the same note, but it differs each time—further showcasing the tastemaker’s intention to showcase the idea of change on the EP. In addition, the topline says “physical change” and “chemical change,” which is repeated to show that a mutation is in process.

The other tune, “Pulse of Progression,” is the B-side to Physical Change on the release’s vinyl. The song is an “ever-evolving, very colored, melodic techno track,” the producer says. “Pulse of Progression” is dynamic and changes over time, starting closed before blossoming. Then, enters the central breakdown, where every element begins to play softly before developing into a crescendo explosion. Certainly, Physical Change proves to be ready for the dancefloor, and it will undoubtedly have people stomping around to the beats of stripped, aggressive and functional techno.

Sangiuliano’s philosophy when making music is to tell a story, which is the catalyst for him launching his time-limited record label, NINETOZERO. The ephemeral imprint will be composed of 10 releases that count down from nine to zero, and once it hits zero, the label will shut down. His goal for NINETOZERO is to be in control of musical narratives and to have a space to express them. He adds that having his own platform allows him to be completely free to shape the dialogue from his perspective. In addition to storytelling, his approach to producing music includes thinking about what he’s missing on stage as a deejay.

“What is the next secret weapon,” he says, “that I could shape for my next shows in a club, in a festival or [in] a rave? The same happens when I deejay. While I play music that gives me inspiration and ideas [of] how it reflects on the crowd, [I] think of what I could create next when I’m in the studio. Deejaying and production are two very symbiotic systems in my life—essentials for my balance.”

Linked to NINETOZERO is his SOLO event series, with each show revolving around a release from the imprint and providing audiences with the ideology of ‘90s club culture through Sangiuliano’s immersive records. Once the Italian producer began playing open-to-close sets—which is when a deejay performs for the entirety of the show—he found he was more dynamic and able to control the situation in an in-depth way than if he performed a short slot on a lineup. He adds that deejaying for an hour and a half to two hours is challenging as “you have to condense yourself in a short amount of time and be as powerful as possible.” Performing all-night-long sets allows him to take attendees on an expedition through several genres and speeds, such as starting with beatless music before accelerating slowly into deeper and harder tunes.

“It’s a whole journey into sound that brings the listener on a path that is very rare to experience,” Sangiuliano says. “[It] allows me also as a deejay to play a lot of material that I would never [be] able to play with a standard deejay slot shorter than that. You can feel it. The vibe and the energy between me and the crowd is insane. It’s like, we are one thing. It’s a very interesting thing to experience.”

The Emilia-born and bred artist recently worked with his wife, techno queen Charlotte de Witte, on producing “Reflection.” The single, featuring pounding bass, memorable lyrics, alarm sounds and slinking synths, proves to marry their distinct sounds. While Sangiuliano says the process was fun, it was also challenging because they have different approaches in the studio: Sangiuliano explores infinite possibilities of melodies while de Witte knows exactly what she wants and immediately seeks only those beats.

“The result is a bit more raw compared to my style [and] a bit more stripped down as [de Witte’s] style,” he says. “But you also feel that there are…some moments of crescendo, which is typical of my style, [and] a bit more sound design, which is typical of my style.”

The lyrics “What’s your reflection? Find your direction,” touch on contemplating oneself in addition to tying into sound reflection. The single went No. 1 on Beatport, with every other NINETOZERO track hitting the same achievement.

While Sangiuliano’s favored release changes frequently, his favorite song at the time of this interview (April 26, 2023) is an upcoming NINETOZERO tune. He says he falls in love with different tracks as they each represent a period of time where he enters a creative dimension. He adds that he never creates a “filler” record.

The tastemaker initially entered the world of dance music when he was recording tracks off the radio at the age of seven. He lived in Northern Italy at this time, and there was a famous local station that live-streamed from a hit club dubbed Number One, located in Brescia. He would record those sets and separate the recordings by genre: techno, trance, hardcore and drum’n’bass.

“Those four genres were the first main inspirations that shaped my future,” the sound designer says.

These styles of music that launched his interest in music proved to be a pivotal point for the producer. Since his initial interest in dance music, Sangiuliano has gone on to dominate dancefloors around the world. Indeed, he proves to be one of the top contemporary producers in techno at this time.