Dummy: Why did you choose Technoboy as your DJ name and not one of the other names you produce under?
A lot of people think that it’s something that has to do with techno and a lot of people still ask me why I call myself Technoboy because I don’t play techno. It’s actually fairly simple why I chose this name. The answer is much more simple then the question. It sounded good. But to go into a little more detail; we were producing a lot of stuff, a lot of tracks and of course we needed a different name, a different alias for our various productions. And then, it was in October 1999, we finished two tracks on our label Titanic and we had to find a good name for that. I was searching and it needed to be something cool, something short and easy to remember. Techno and boy together sounded good and so I said ‘let’s use it’. Basically this is why.
Has it ever happened to you that you were booked and started your gig and people were expecting techno because of your name?
Ah well no. I mean I have to be honest. My first gig as Technoboy was in Holland and then I already had clear ideas about what they asked me to play and what I wanted to play. So never something to do with techno, the real techno sound. Of course in the beginning the sound was a little bit more mixed so certain tracks were a little bit more techno. But not really anything that has to do with the techno scene. And people caught on to Technoboy and knew what sound I represented and therefore people never expected techno from me. At least nobody told me so!
actief: The hardstyle sound has changed a lot over the past eight years. Which musical era do you prefer, 1998 – 2002 of 2002 – 2006?
I like both periods. I mean, I was producing then and I’m still producing now. I was playing then and I’m still playing. So that means that I still enjoy it. I do what I like doing and if I didn’t like the sound nowadays I wouldn’t be doing it anymore. Every release, every track has a specific meaning for being produced. Four years ago the sound was created with different machines and with different elements in a track. The sound has just developed. For me as a producer, a player and also a listener it’s a natural thing. So to get back to the answer: I like early stuff and I like present stuff and I am curious to see where the future will take us.
You said a little while ago that today’s hardstyle is much harder than it used to be and you even confessed that you didn’t like where it was going…
Yeah that’s exactly what I still think. The good thing about hardstyle is the fact that it’s been influenced by a little bit of everything. It can be more techno, it can be more melodic or trancy and it can also be rougher and a little bit more hardcore orientated. But in my opinion there must be a limit, a border that you don’t cross as to not invade other music styles. If that happens then for me there’s no reason to still produce hardstyle and there wouldn’t be a reason to call it hardstyle anymore. I do like to mix a bit of everything in my tracks, but within a certain limit.
I remember being at Defqon and at the end you played a remix of The First rebirth and people that like the hard stuff were enjoying themselves and people that go for the harder stuff as well. Do you like different styles coming together?
I have to be honest, I didn’t choose The first rebirth, it was the final track and Q-dance put it on to coincide with the fireworks. But it was an excellent choice. I like it a lot when there’s a lineup where artists from different styles come together. In my opinion that creates a perfect atmosphere for the night or day. Of course you can’t please everyone all the time. There’s people coming just for the harder stuff and there’s people that enjoy the softer styles and there’s people that like variety. I am one of the last. I like to listen to different styles during an event.
Knits / warezguy: As a producer you are responsible for practically all Italian hardstyle labels. Red Alert, Green Force, Dance Pollution, Bonzai Italy en BLQ are the biggest and they all fall under your The Saifam Group. 30 aliases, 14 labels and hundreds of releases under the name Cristiano Giusberti. What’s the use and difference between all the different names?
First of all, it depends on which people are involved in the project. Eighty percent of what gets produced is done by Antonio Dona and me. We try to give the right sound to every alias. But sometimes it is difficult to give a real personality to one alias. It’s also a matter of creativity and you never really know what the end product is going to be. But the goal is to make sure that people recognize the sound and know what name is connected to it. Sometimes afterwards you think ‘that was not a success’ but we do try!
On the 12th August you’ll be playing at the Street parade in Zurich and after your gig there you will fly, by private jet, to Rotterdam to play at FFWD and then you’re off to Nijmegen to spin your records at the Matrixx. Where does it end? Don’t you ever think ‘This is just plain crazy and why am I doing this’?
Well, if I must be honest…..the airports and waiting and the many delays are not the nicest part of my job. I think nobody likes to be in an airport for sometimes twelve hours because your flight is delayed. So yes, that is the downside to it all. Because I am a frequent flyer I get privileges in airports like the opportunity to wait in a separate lounge where I can lie down, but it’s still not very nice. But it’s worth it. The moment I reach the venue where I’m playing the memory of all that disappears and I’m happy to be there and please the crowd.
What are the names in hardstyle that will make it big in the near future?
Well, I personally think that Valerio Mascellino alias Tatanka is going to be big. As a producer and as a dj. I am proud to say I suggested his name to my booking agency one year ago. Everyone can see what’s happening around him. Even with few performances. I think he’s really going to make it.
And then as a producer I don’t want to forget to mention Gerardo Roschini alias Zatox. He is an excellent producer. To be honest I have never heard him perform so I can’t say anything about those skills. But it’s definitely someone to keep an eye on. Yes, those two for sure.
In August you’re one of the names in the line up of b2s’ Decibel. As you know they have a new location and it’s next to the zoo. Which animal describes you as a person best?
Which animal?! Ah, that’s nice….haha. Ok, a bird for sure! Considering the number of hours of flying. A nice tropical bird.
You said a couple of years ago you were thinking of buying a house in Holland, still walking around with the plan to do so?
No, not really. It would be easier and to be honest I have a lot of friends here in the Netherlands and the number of people I know here is for sure ten times higher then the number of people I have contact with in Italy. But you know what I still like the excitement of actually flying abroad and the fact that I get booked in a different country. If I was to live in Holland it would become too much of a normal routine. As long as I still get excited about it I want to keep it this way. And perhaps I am a little bit spoiled by the weather in Italy and the food. But let’s meet in two years…..
Yes or no?
Is Italy the deserved world champion?Eventhough I don't really like football I have to say that I think Italy is a deserved world champion. And yes, I did watch the match.
The Dutch party crowd is better then the Italian crowd. YES! In capital letters!
Taking a fan back to the hotel after a gig is all part of my job. No certainly not.
Technoboy is very vain?Yes!
Decibel is going to be my last big gig in Holland for a while. Yes.
This last answer implies something! Are you stepping out of the spotlights?
After the summer I will finally have time to fulfill all the international requests that have been pending for the last years. I will have to visit a lot of countries in a short period but I am really looking forward doing it. It will also mean that I will not have time to be in Holland in the next half year. I am very sorry for this but it is an unique opportunity to promote hardstyle in a lot of new countries. But be prepared; there will be some surprises!
At the same time I will be working very hard in the studio as you may already have noticed at Defqon and Sensation Black. Besides that I have a new logo and there will be a new website in the end of July. This way I want to keep everybody updated on my adventures all over the world.
You were the first foreign dj to have a member account on Partyflock. Do you have a message for you fellow community members?
I love Partyflock! I remember surfing on the net, finding Partyflock and then thinking ‘what’s this all about?’. I wrote an email to the founder and they created a dj profile for me. I learn a lot from Partyflock. I find out whether people liked my performance and I discover what to do better or different. So, thanks for existing!
