We’ve been fans of EDM DJ/Producer Benny Benassi for years! His songs have been in our playlist and when enjoying his music, it’s all good vibes and energy.
We had the pleasure of having Benny as our DEC ISSUE #60 cover back in 2020, with a virtual shoot that took us all the way to Venice! It was great to connect with him again during the first weekend in May for the drop of his latest album, Feel the Bass! During that weekend, he DJ’d a number of events from radio stations, taking over Times Square, being at Marquee and even DJ’ing while biking the TD Five Boro Bike Tour! As we went to a number of events we had the chance to chat with him at various times to talk about the album, his NYC rollout as well as touring internationally!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Great set last night Benny!
BENNY BENASSI: Oh yes, yes I saw you last night amazing!
AM: I was taking footage with my Meta Glasses so I had to be still, but inside I was dancing!
BB: Thank you for coming!
AM: It was also great to have you as our DEC ISSUE #60 cover during the pandemic as we shot you virtually while you were in Venice!
BB: Oh yes, thank you!
AM: It was cool to be able to be “in your studio” all the way from NY!
You have had a busy weekend promoting this album and you have been all over the city! How excited are you about dropping this album?
BB: I’m super excited! I am doing a lot of DJ sets in different places. Like, Fri Night I was at Marquee and then last night, I was at Marquee Skydeck. Tonight I will be at a little club!
AM: We will see you there tonight!
BB: We will have a little block party! It’s amazing! I’m super excited! The public loves me and I love NY!
AM: It was such a pleasure to attend a number of the dates for Feel the Bass album drop while you were in NYC! What was the inspiration behind Feel the Bass and why did you want to create this album?
BB: I wanted to make a record that returned to bringing some physical energy back into the club, like when I started out with my first album twenty years ago. It’s a time when music has gone back to being very electro, very physical, and I really loved this sensation of feeling the bass in your stomach again. That’s where the whole concept of Feel the Bass came from.
AM: What was your creative process like when you were working on this album?
BB: It was a very instinctive process. I have a wonderful team of people I collaborate with, a lot of young guys, and I also receive a ton of music from emerging producers who send me their tracks to listen to. So, some things were born outside the studio, while others we developed directly in the studio.
It was a very “easy” and laid-back creative process, in the best sense of the word: we took our time. Whenever we received something we really liked, we worked on it without forcing anything. I think this is exactly what gave the album its unified feel.
AM: What are your 3 favorite tracks from this album?
BB: Definitely Feel the Bass, because it’s the track that also gave the album its title. Then there are some that I personally love, others that I adore playing live because they completely change the energy of the room, and others that are a bit more experimental, for example Chicago Baby with my longtime friend Felix Da Housecat and Superstar with Chris Nasty.
AM: What do you want listeners and/or your fans to know about this album and how do you want them to feel?
BB: I hope people feel that energy I was talking about earlier. I’d like whoever listens to the record to feel pushed to turn the volume all the way up... almost to the point of blowing out the speakers. I always say it’s a bit like when you test drive a powerful car on the track: you go full throttle until you hit the limit. Well, I want people to listen to this record like that, giving all the power possible to their sound systems, whether they are in the car, at a club, or at home.
AM: You came to NY and you really connected with so many people to launch your album! What was it like when you took over Times Square?
BB: It was pretty surreal, actually. I remember when I was a kid seeing Times Square in the movies... it seemed like another world. And then I remember the first time I took my dad there: he was completely blown away by all that energy, by all those people. He is no longer with us today, so being there playing inevitably made me think of him. It was truly an incredible emotion.
AM: You performed at Marquee and then you were also at Marquee’s Skydeck which we attended - what did you love about being at these venues and having it as part of your launch weekend?
BB: I really liked the contrast between the two. Marquee represents the more club-oriented, nightlife, and quintessential New York side, and it’s a place I’ve been going to for many years. Skydeck, on the other hand, is almost cinematic.
You are on the 100th floor with all of New York beneath you... it’s incredible. Just talking about it gives you a thrill, let alone actually experiencing it.
AM: Why did you want to be at the TD Five Boro Bike Tour?
BB: Oh, because I love biking and I think I will do something special for this because I enjoy riding a bike with family. But this bike will let me play live while I ride!
AM: The TD Five Boro Bike Tour was such a fun experience! We chatted with you a bit before you led the 2nd Wave of riders to take on the race! What can you tell us about the bike that you rode on as we didn’t realize that you would be riding as well as DJing!
BB: I honestly think no one expected me to ride the whole thing! But I love cycling; it helps me so much to mentally disconnect. Plus, New York on a bike has an incredible charm, because it allows you to take your time to really look at the city. I want to thank Canyon again for putting together that setup for playing and biking. It was a lot of fun. It was a beautiful way to wrap up the weekend in New York.
AM: The last event we went to was at Mi Casa Studios. It was cool to see other DJs play their sets, enjoying slices of pizza and watching you DJ - why did you want the event to have these elements?
BB: I liked the idea of something very closely connected to the people. Anyone who came really got the feeling of stepping into my own home. Sort of like saying, “come over to my place, I’ll make you a pizza and play you some records.” It was the same thing there: you come in, listen to music, maybe even spin a few records with me... and it was beautiful like that.
AM: You left NY and you hit the road to continue releasing your album - what are additional dates or festivals that you will be participating in as we begin to make our Summer plans?
BB: Usually, in the summer, I focus a bit more on Europe. This year I’ve also added a small tour in Canada and a few festivals there. Then there will be Mykonos, some dates in Ibiza which I always love doing, something in Sardinia—where I’ll be going shortly to one of my favorite clubs— and also a couple of festivals in Italy. I always like to combine work with a bit of vacation time.
AM: When you are not DJing, how do you take time for yourself?
BB: I always look for simple moments. I also really love the lifestyle here where we live, in the Apennines, an hour away from my home. I like taking some time out with my mountain bike or going for a drive in my old Jeep. They are simple things, but they really help me disconnect.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas via SONY Alpha | PG 85 Kimmie Smith |
Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see FEEL THE BASS | Benny Benassi in mag.
