STEFANO FONTANA
Coloured sounds, eclectic vocation, international profile: this is Stefano Fontana in a few words. Grown-up in Milan at the Plastic Club – main club of the Italian artistic circuit – Stefano has always had a real obsession for that imaginary street half way between turntablism, funky B-lines, hip hop, dance old school and all the plastic world correlated.
Grown with bread and groove, Stefano Fontana blends the scenes of Chicago, New York and Detroit, electro, hip hop, house and techno, re-interpreting them for far away: he takes part to the DMC freestyle championship, rears up with his BMX, he risks his life with tricks on his skateboard, but especially he draws totally from gurus like Arthur Baker, Lil Louis, Derreck May, Richie Hawtin, Rheji & Ronald Burrel, Todd Terry, Roger Sanchez, Dj Pierre, Basement Jaxx, Inner city, Larry Levan, Masters at work, Chemical Brothers without naming generals of hip hop like Public Enemy, Ludacris, Timbaland, Rick Rubin, Def Squad, Wu Tan Clan and Neptunes to name a few.
In a few years, he becomes one of the Italian most hot producers and his first long distance fatigue named Stylophonic is published internationally by Emi: the album Man Music Technology is a crossover of hip hop, breaks and house, absolutely so international that it seems an alien for the national reality. The single extracts arrive in all the European charts, the album sees important featuring and remixes (see Digital Underground, Della Reese, Kevin Saunderson, Chicken Lips, King Britt, Radioslave, etcc) and the name of Stefano approaches the gurus of dance, so much to be renamed the ” Italian Fatboy Slim ” for the same versatility and same kaleidoscope of sounds.
Stefano Fontana becomes on of the most demanded names in the international clubbing circuit: besides the Italian major clubs, Stefano does and undoes the suitcases for sets all round Europe, from England to Ibiza, from Mykonos to France, without forgetting the residence at Magazzini Generali of Milano, the base in which experimenting new colours to dancefloor.
At the same time, Stefano reinforces also his activity of music designer for various brands such us Adidas, MTV, Coca Cola, Dolce&Gabbana (with the incredible collaboration with Hype williams), Diesel creating soundtracks for fashion shows and taking part to various Italian tours.
In such an intensive period, Stefano Fontanta is able to set the basis for the new album Stylophonic: Beatbox Show, of the previous year, is launched by the single Baby Beatbox (remixed by Crookers)– chosen for the European D&G campaign, as well as included in various compilations – and is a further step forward in shakedelia of electro, dance and funk.
Produced by Stefano himself and mixed by the sound engineer of Leftfield, Beatbox Show is the growth to the stylophonic sound: a futuristic soundtrack for dancing as much us for listening, variegated like the next singles extracted, that Pure Imagination that is a thud on radio and charts, or Dancefloor, once more connected to an advert for D&G again with the great director hype Williams, in themeantime he was very satisfied when remixing the French ace Martin Solveig, he discovered the talented Crookers (for which he is responsible of their first production and discographic moves) and he has been chosen by Nike – with people like LCD Soundsytem, A-trak , Aesop Rock and Tomboy for the new project Nike Plus.
He also did a music for the european Citroen campaign “Oh my gold” with Naomi Campbell.
In June 2014 the new album “Jam The House” was launched with the help of Your-army (N.1 uk pier and promotion company).
This new project was really underground oriented, The first single “Girlzzz”, containg an Egyptian Lover’s sample and became instantly a huge club hit, In September the second single “Buddy” was released and it contains a Nina Simone’s sample, “Buddy” was supported by djs and producers like: Mousse T,Fake Blood, Jaques Lu Cont,Todd Edwards,Groove Armada,Funkagenda, Danny Tenaglia, Moonbootica, Bot (ex crookers), Riva Starr, Stereo MCs and many others…It quickly became a worldwide underground club hit.
Stefano spent the last years and half to finish the new album called “we are” with a strong vocal collaboration by a New york based artist called “Kena Anae”.
The result is a superb Album full of songs with a House music/Disco and P-Funk influences. The album was mixed @basshit studio in new york by the mighthy Dave Darlington(Master at work, Adeva, Sting, Ruffneck, Basement jaxx, technotronic, Bob Sinclair, C&C Music factory,etc,etc).
The Album sampler got first support from those men:
Andreas Henneberg (SNOE Music) :: Pezzner (Dirtybird), DJ Zinc (Rinse FM), A.N.D.Y., LCAW, Yam Who (YamWho?), Future Feelings :: Stefano Ritteri (Saved / Pets Recordings), Mousse T, Lost Frequencies, Will Weaver (Weaver Bros / Cirque Du Soul), Future Feelings, Endor, The Supermen Lovers, Hoxton Whores :: Purple Disco Machine, Felix Da Housecat c/o, Lebrosk (Mixmag Breaks Reviewer), DJ Miss Nine (925 Digital), Gerry Gonza (Confession / Toolroom), eNAHS (Elrow / MadTech), Steve Parry (Selador Recordings), Freejak (Spinnin’ Records) :: Horsemeat Disco, Rudimental, Aeroplane, Just Kiddin, Après, Sirus Hood (Under No Illusion / Dirtybird), Bill Brewster, Will Monotone (Boston / ViVa Music / Defected), Bart B More, Betoko (Suara / Get Physical), Watermät (Spinnin’ Records), Riva Starr c/o (Hot Creations), Roger Sanchez, Steve Mac (Rhythm Masters), The Disco Boys, Kokiri, Omid 16B, Dennis Ferrer, Hifi Sean (Defected), The Voyagers (Spinnin’ Records), Shiba San c/o (Suara / CUFF), AC Slater, Treasure Fingers, Nick Catchdubs (Fool’s Gold) and Tensnake.
Stefano is now focused to set his new own label called “Beatraxx records” following the house sound his managed since the day one so Stay tuned for a bounch of new music from Stefano himself and new fellas and remember “keep rocking those Stefano’s beat”.
He’ is working also on a new musical project/company called “Beat Identity” a new worldwide in store & adv musical content company and still running is own company called Sound Identity, one of the first European Sound Branding Company who advised brands like: Valentino, Huawei, OVS, Ferrari and many others.