Tony Lionni - Italian Racing Bikes

Tony Lionni tells Pulse about his upcoming album on Madhouse 'Just A Little More'. He also shares his thoughts for the future of music and Berlin, as well his loves of fashion, art and Italian racing bicycles. Currently based in Berlin and well versed in the likes of acoustic music as well as electronic, Tony has had previous releases out on Fatboy Slim's label Freerange Records.

You are going to release a new album with Madhouse soon, what’s the name of it? Just a little more.

You once said that you like to have a special sound, so people would recognize you. Also in the upcoming album, you have this special deepness in your sounds which always touches and seems kind of thoughtful to me, was there something special you were thinking about when you recorded the new album? Thank you, When I write music its time for me to disconnect. The tracks are all a collection of personal memories and thoughts in a sentimental melancholic way.



For your last EP Higher Ground you worked with Freerange Records, now back to Madhouse from Kerri Chandler. For Madhouse it will be the first album release ever, how do you feel about working together with them? Working with Madhouse has been a major honour as Kerri chandler early 90s was one of the people that re-sparked my interest in House music as a black music form after the whole rave thing which saw the whole commercialization of a music which was in its first days a form of black music played in clubs to a largely black population who danced to house music in a totally different way to those who needed stimulants to dance.

You moved to Berlin, does it offer exchange with other artists for you? Yeah Berlins a great city as everyone at some point passes through which allows for easier communication.

Do you think the problems with GEMA will change Berlin and its scene a lot? No Idea.



Besides doing music what do you like to do? I love Art and wanted to be a painter, Fashion, Vintage 1980s Italian racing bikes which I cycle everyday. Music fills my life as I love all forms of music.

Do you go out to listen to other artists? What are your favorite venues? To be honest no, the only time I would go to listen to live music is if they are a real musician who can play an instrument so favour Jazz music. favourite venues Club Yellow Tokyo, Barzilay in Tel aviv, The band on the wall manchester.

After such a long time in the electronic music scene, what still has not changed? The overall quality is still lacking, thus being the reason why I have always dipped in and out of it and preferred acoustic music like Jazz.



In what kind of direction do you see the electronic/dance music scene shifting?No Idea, to be honest probably a further saturation of kids who want to make music and be a part of the scene for all the wrong reasons without doing their homework, i.e studying all forms of black music before attempting to write something. With the demise of vinyl and everything being digital less people will be able to actually make a living from their music. This in return will see more quality established artists lured into the more commercial side of things and networks just to be able to secure bookings in certain territories further lowering the quality of the scene as there aren’t any new names coming along who carry through the true tradition of the music of it being another form of soul/black music.

How do you come to a name for a track? I take references from my own places and to be honest don’t give it too much thought as a name is just a label/ a way of identifying something or someone.



The track Just a little more on the sampler for the new album lets me demand more as it is somehow between relaxed and really pushy, depends how one interprets it, fitting for a sampler, so is there something giving us a little morecoming up we can look forward to? Thanks yes 8 new tracks and 2 tracks taken from the previous 2 EPs on Madhouse.

Listen to Tony Lionni on Pulse Radio.