Italian duo Hunter/Game, known for their deep and emotive electronic sound, are entering an exciting new chapter. With the release of their recent EP, Stars, and their highly anticipated upcoming album, VISION, set to drop in October, they continue to push the boundaries of their music. Reflecting on their journey, they said, “We always felt the need to have our own platform to release music; to have the freedom to express ourselves the way we feel, musically and artistically.” Their path has been punctuated by their significant relationship with Fabric London, one of the world’s most revered clubs, where they will perform a rare and special live show on June 8th.
Hunter/Game, consisting of Emmanuele Nicosia and Martino Bertola, have been at the forefront of the underground electronic music scene since their inception. Their label, Just This, has become a platform for new talents to showcase their music and culture, reflecting the duo’s commitment to artistic growth and community.
In our interview, they share their thoughts on their upcoming album VISION, the creative inspirations behind their recent EP Stars, and the significance of their forthcoming show at Fabric.
photography by Artist press kit
You will play June 8th at Fabric London. One of the rare shows with both of you playing. What can we expect from this Live show and what does playing at Fabric all these years mean to you?
Fabric has always been one of our favourite clubs in the world, it’s a long love story with the club since 2013 when we played for the first time in room 3. Since then we have experienced all rooms and we have performed DJ and live sets several times. For us, performing at Fabric is always an important deal as the club is an institution and a major partner in spreading the underground music culture.
Emmanuele, you’ve decided 4 years ago to step back from touring to focus more on the music side and management of the project. What personal or professional factors influenced this choice?
We are 2 parts of the same apple, and each of us have our own talents. Let’s say I’m more able to support the team for our label Just This and the management, and Martino is more feeling the club vibes at the moment. We are trying to build our platform and keep it solid giving space to new talents to showcase music and culture. I feel it’s more my destiny to support the team growing and spreading art in all its forms.
Martino, how has the transition to perform the Hunter/Game project solo been for you and how did the audience receive it?
Performing as a duo is always a mixture of feelings. Two minds always have different moods and artistic interpretations of the night. Since I’m performing alone I can express myself better during the shows, and I can have a direct relationship with the crowd which I’m always inspired by. It took a few months to settle in and for the world to understand the shift we made, but since the last few years it’s working out great.
“We are 2 parts of the same apple, and each of us have our own talents… I feel it’s more my destiny to support the team growing and spreading art in all its forms.”
Martino, what strategies will you use to manage the demands of touring and performing independently?
We have a good team behind us, so things run smoothly. I try to eat and sleep as well as possible, take in the sites of every new city I visit and connect with the locals. I later bring that energy to the club in my sets.
You have recently released the Stars EP on your label Just This leading up to the the upcoming album due in October. What can you tell us up the release plan, and what is the theme behind the LP?
We always felt the need to have our own platform to release music; to have the freedom to express ourselves the way we feel, musically and artistically. Our new upcoming LP VISION has the theme of our imaginary world and relates how our music feels in this moment. We have the necessity to make something out of the frames of what’s current, and try to do something timeless. We are very focused on communicating to our listeners this imaginary world we created for VISION, a world coming from dreams, lights and a romantic relationship with music and the listeners.
“The most important thing in life is to enjoy it every step of the way; this is our VISION.”
I have noticed the visuals that supported the music for the last release. What inspired it and can we expect to see these in a club setting?
Our single Stars has been very important to set up our imaginary world. It clearly comes from dreaming stars and building a sky of our own, as the song says.
We have been lucky to connect with Valuart and Giorgio Fazio, which is the visual artist and the studio behing our concept. They perfectly understood the message we wanted to communicate.
The visual art of VISION aims to break time and space of the moment and give the listeners and the viewers a moment to enjoy music and art at the same time, without being subject rather being part of the show, part of the dream, and part of the VISION.
What do you both enjoy doing outside of music that contributes to your creativity and well-being?
Art is the vital vein of our world. Traveling for years, we have experienced art in so many different cultures and perspectives. For sure getting this magic influence is the key our our personal success in growing and sharing the experiences we have lived. We love the outdoors, mountains, lakes, snow – which helps us clear our heads and solidify the way we want to move forward.
The most important thing in life is?
The most important thing in life is to enjoy it every step of the way, this is our VISION.
Follow Hunter/Game for more:
www.instagram.com/huntergamemusic
www.facebook.com/huntergamemusic