51 VINAI
From: Italy
Rising star DJ/producer of 2021: “Topic.”
Having been living La Vinai Loca since entering the Top 100 in 2014, the Italian duo of Andrea and Alessandro Vinai used the last twelve months to refocus their energies on their own health. This means, reading between the lines, getting buff, and Insta shows whatever targets they set were well and truly smashed.
It wasn’t just their bodies they were upgrading though, with their studio getting a meaty overhaul too — the centrepiece being a set of giant PMC speakers. Any disruption this might have entailed hasn’t slowed their output. Ending last year with a Le Pedre collab on Spinnin’, ‘I Was Made’ turned the Kiss stadium rock classic into a stadium EDM sing-a-long. Since then, ‘Superman’, featuring Shibui, has shown their ear for a teasing pop hook, while ‘Melody’ with Ray Dalston was even more radio-friendly.
With lockdown easing, their latest clearly has its eye back on the floor — ‘Hideaway’, with LA Vision, unashamedly channelling ‘90s euro-dance to inject some feel-good nostalgia.
How was your first gig back after lockdown?
“It was a festival in Macedonia, and it was just insane. The feeling that we had, the energy, the production, everything immediately gave us goosebumps.”
How have the last 18 months changed how you view your work/life balance?
“It definitely changed our approach to everyday life. We are now able to plan and schedule more things, as well as have a regular day by day life, something that it’s very hard to maintain when you have to travel to a new continent every weekend!”
What’s the best bit of tech you’ve added to your studio or DJ setup this year?
“We rebuilt our studio. It now includes big PMC speakers — the quality is mind-blowing.”
What’s the best album you’ve heard this year?
“Probably ‘F*CK LOVE 3: Over You’ by The Kid Laroi.”