Q&A: This is Davide Perico

“My approach is so close to that of cinema. After all, when we watch a film, each of us experiences different emotions. That's the point. My desire is to evoke emotions at all costs.” - Davide Perico

It was a pleasure to recently interview Davide Perico, a man of many talents! We discuss his musical beginnings, his work across music, film, and design, his incredible musical output, and his favorite foods (loved that response)! Be sure to check out the playlist below at the end and continue to support his future work!

How did you get started making music? 

I started as a child, studying and playing the piano, an instrument I fell in love with the first time I heard its sound. In fact, I began creating my first original piano compositions around the age of 10. 

You work across many industries from music to film to design.  How does being part of so many different industries affect how you craft your lofi hip hop music?  

Thank you for this question. These early experiences have deeply influenced my lofi music and, in general, any type of music I create. It's essential for me to always tell a story, much like in a film, so I always start with the song's title. The title is evocative, a source of inspiration, and almost immediately, a story forms in my mind, and that story becomes a melody. Once I have that, everything else falls into place.

Do you create the artwork for all of your singles?

I create the artwork for all the singles I self-release. Sometimes, even with tracks released through labels, there is a back-and-forth, an exchange of ideas and suggestions to arrive at a satisfying result for everyone. 

Having released over 30 songs this year, how do you stay so prolific with your output?

Now, here's something that might sound incredible, but on average, I complete two or three songs every day. It's a bit crazy, but it's the result of a well-established and studied workflow. Every day, I work on three or four different projects, constantly switching from one song to another. I don't think it's a good idea to spend too much time on a single song. The risk is that you might miss many details or get tired of the song. Returning to a song after working on another one immediately shows me what's wrong or what's missing. In the end, after months of work like this, I end up completing more than one song a day.

What are some emotions or themes that you want the listener to take away from your music?

My approach is so close to that of cinema. After all, when we watch a film, each of us experiences different emotions. That's the point. My desire is to evoke emotions at all costs. I'm not satisfied with a good drum loop or repeating a cool sample for a minute; I need to create original melodies, I need colors and nuances, to engage and transport the listener into a world of sounds and images.

Can you name a few films that you have worked on? I would love to check out more of your work.

A project I hold dear is "Darkness Within" by Frances Rose Padunan. It was my first venture into a soundtrack, and being recognized for that music gave me confidence. I realized that I could truly make this dream come true through hard work.

Tell me about your latest single "Whispers of Cinnamon"? Great title by the way!  

Thank you! For some time, I decided to incorporate orchestration into my beats, and this single was one of the early experiments in that direction. I want the use of strings and the interaction between electronics and classical instruments to become the distinctive feature of my future production. This song, with its lush, inspired sound reminiscent of green cinnamon plantations where I imagined walking, slightly intoxicated and dazed by the spice's aroma, is a good example of that.

How do you keep things interesting when making lofi hip hop music?  For example, do you collaborate with other artists to keep things fresh?  

Trying to tell stories through my beats and not settling for just a relaxed mood or a pleasant sonic selection inherently helps me create very diverse songs. In this sense, collaborating with other artists is fantastic; they have so many experiences and stories to share. I try to involve them in my workflow. The first thing I ask is, "What title shall we choose?". Sometimes, they think I'm crazy and say, "Hey bro we don't even have the song yet!". Haha.

We first connected when I featured your song "Fluffy Flakes".  With winter right around the corner, what is the perfect winter day for you?

I love snow, just as "Fluffy Flakes" portrayed. The perfect day is calm, cold, with snow falling heavily. There's nothing more magical.

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Hmm... I'm Italian; you can't ask me this question! So many foods are sacred to me! I can give you a few options: gelato, fish, burrata, pasta... but now I'm getting hungry. Can we talk about something else?