Younger Than Me: The ‘Shine A Light On’ Mix

Milanese duo Younger Than Me are on a mission to bring back smiles to the dance floor. Children of the 90s, they are inspired by the early rave scene and times where hedonism and free-spiritedness reigned supreme; where people took themselves a little less seriously. 

As producers and DJs their music explores some of those styles prevalent during the heyday, and has taken them to labels like Bordello A Parigi, Tusk Wax and XXX, in addition to a wealth of remixes for different imprints. Earlier this year they revealed they were the minds behind the rave-inspired 90's Wax project, which is also a sub-label of Tusk Wax. 

With plenty more releases penned for this year and next, including a remix for Insult To Injury, our R$N sub-label ran by Timothy Clerkin, we invited them on board to show us what YTM are all about. Check out a rave-fuelled live recording from their set at this year's Sziget Festival…

Please introduce yourself… Who are you, where are you and what are you

Hi we are Francesco & Marcello, two Italian guys, longtime friends and ravers first. This last point is important to understand what we do and what Younger Than Me is. We come from different backgrounds, cities and situations, but we both come from the dance floor and this was our first point in common. Four years ago, maybe five, we started this project and step by step, working every day, we are trying to give a real and different identity to Younger Than Me. We wanted to bring back the smile on the dance floor; we are sons of the 90s, with all its facets, and the way to approach clubbing at the time was with a smile. We are mainly inspired by the UK Rave scene. After long time work, now we think you know what you can expect if you come to listen us.

What does your music sound like?

From the beginning to now we aren’t focused on only one genre, music is music, we have no rules on that. We’re trying to build a link between the old rave party sound and new influences from the European club scene.

Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us (an image from the old internet is acceptable)?

Where was the mix recorded?

We recorded this mix on 10th august for our gig at Sziget Festival 2019! It was a great experience and we would like to mention the guys from Secret Fusion Rec that invited us! They are doing great work with the label, parties and related.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

Under the stage at a Festival (lol) is the right place, but if you can’t, maybe with an iced beer and a good mood before a party! Fun we need more fun, we take ourselves too seriously sometimes and our work is to make people have fun (in a good way) with good music but the point is the same: make people have fun!

What should we be wearing?

Whatever the very first track of the set inspires in your soul <3

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location/system/format?

During an extended set (min 4hrs) in a European club. We love to play, we love to feel the people in front of us and take them with us on our mindtrip.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

The last one, it is an anthem from the 90s Italian progressive house scene, that track gives us a very perfect flashback of those years.

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

Sooo hard question, can we choose two or maybe three? We listen a lot of mixes, we think that one of the important things for a DJ is to listen to other DJs live, recordings or podcasts.

Andrew Weatherall, The Hacienda, Manchester, 1993

Ewan Pearson, Panorama Bar 15.3.13

Vladimir Ivkovic, Dekmantel 2017

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

Francesco Farfa!

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

Two Technics SL-1200 + Behringer / two Technics SL-1200 + Allen and Heath

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

Both! The start track helps to introduce you and the end one leaves the best memory of you.

What were the first and last records you bought?

Francesco: Nirvana (13 years old) and the last one was H.A.N.D. 05 label from Sound Metaphors record shop in Berlin. 

Marcello: Sono – Keep Control and last one Bedrock – Voices (Part 1)

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

If it was an animal what would it be?

Cerbero

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

We love to collect unmixable records, but one of them is for sure Spiral Tribe – "Breach The Peace"

Upcoming in the world of Younger Than Me?

We are working on 90’s wax number 3 with two special collaborations. We trust a lot in this project, the scope to revitalise, not just the sound but the spirt of those years. This year is still very busy, we made a lot of new stuff, remixes, originals and edits too. Atm we have two upcoming EPs: one for Nein Records, a very dark EBM vibe, and the other one for Dischi Autunno,the new label from Jennifer Cardini and Noura Labbani, Ravy Wavy stuff, so solid tracks! We are planning to work on another two EPs in addition to 90’s wax 3.

In September we’ll be touring in Mexico for the very first time (we’re very excited about that)! In October we’ll move to Berlin, but we’re still keeping a base in Milan too, where we’re residents at a monthly party called Futura in this amazing location with the lovely crew of the cultural center of Tempio Del Futuro Perduto. In our opinion it's one of the best places and situations in Italy.

Anything else we need to discuss?

First of all, thanks for this interview, to Rosie who support our project and music too. YTM will even appear on Ransom Note and Timothy Clerkin's label Insult To Injury as a remixer, so we will be (very small) part of your big family! See ya soon Francesco & Marcello.

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