Tag: Local Suicide

LOCAL SUICIDE Interview

30 January 2026 /

Dina Pascal and her husband Max Brudi are the Berlin based-duo LOCAL SUICIDE who are also two thirds of the disco goth trio DINA SUMMER with Jakob Häglsperger aka Kalipo.

Having issued two acclaimed DINA SUMMER albums ‘Rimini’ and ‘Girls Gang’ as well as an EP ‘Hide & Seek’, Dina and Max returned as LOCAL SUICIDE at the end of 2025 with the ‘Houdini’ EP, their darkest and boldest work yet on their own label Iptamenos Discos.

With their industrialised bass lines, ghostly vintage synths, haunting distorted vocal chants and thumping energy, opening track ‘Obsessions’ bridges darkwave and techno. A collaboration with fellow Berlin resident Skelesys, ‘Submission’ is a declaration of defiance as the call for “Resistance, no submission” runs true in the current political climate. Meanwhile the ‘Houdini’ title song pays homage to the legendary illusionist with an accessible theatrical edge despite the haunting shadowy atmosphere.

Dina and Max chatted to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about the return of LOCAL SUICIDE, the creative process of ‘Houdini’ and their plans for the year.

You’ve had busy a few years with DINA SUMMER and Iptamenos Discos, how has it been for you?

Dina: It’s been really busy but also really exciting. We focused a lot on our second DINA SUMMER album, released a lot of music on Iptamenos Discos and toured extensively. It’s been amazing to reach new audiences and see how people connect with the music – we’re very happy with how it’s all turned out.

How did you decide that it was time to make some new LOCAL SUICIDE music?

Dina: We had very few LOCAL SUICIDE releases recently because the DINA SUMMER album took most of our attention and time. We also didn’t want to overwhelm anyone with too many releases under different projects. Production-wise, it’s been a quiet year – touring, day jobs, and album work left little studio time. The tracks on this most recent EP were actually created during the pandemic, but now it felt like the right moment to finally share them with the world.

So when does DINA SUMMER stop and LOCAL SUICIDE begin, how do the creative processes differ? Some might say a track like ‘In Space We Roam’ could be mistaken for DINA SUMMER?

Dina: There are definitely a lot of common points, since we are two thirds of DINA SUMMER. But in DINA SUMMER, Kalipo plays a defining role in shaping the sound, so his influence is obviously a huge part of that project.

Max: DINA SUMMER was initially planned as a regular collaboration like we’ve done countless times over the years but then it quickly turned into a band after we realised that we are very compatible with Kalipo and get along personally very well. Also DINA SUMMER’s sound is generally more accessible and not as raw/rough as most of our LOCAL SUICIDE releases. I think you can hear our distinctive style out of almost all of our 200+ tracks but as our taste changes over the years you will surely hear a musical development as well. Most of the tracks of the first DINA SUMMER album were written inbetween 2019-2021, which is about the same time that our new ‘Houdini’ EP was produced and all songs of the ‘In Space We Roam’ EP as well!

The ‘Houdini’ EP is a much darker proposition than anything you have done recently? Does the title have any wider significance?

Dina: It is darker indeed. The EP was created during the pandemic, when everything felt a bit dystopian. We’ve always enjoyed dark sounds, but during that time it came very naturally. As a child, I was very fascinated by the story of Houdini and always wanted to make a song about him, so the title also comes from that long-standing fascination.

Max: We had written about 8 tracks with Skelesys in the same time period. The more lighter tracks went onto our ‘In Space We Roam’ EP and our LOCAL SUICIDE album and the dark ones are on the ‘Houdini’ EP. We still got two more clubby ones. We’ll probably release those ones next year.

So “The great Houdini, the big escape”? The title track is a bit more accessible but musically, what were the subtle melodies inspired by?

Dina: We draw inspiration from everything around us – our surroundings, life experiences, and of course other artists. The 80s remain a big influence for us, shaping many of the melodic choices and textures.

Max: Not sure what the melodies were inspired by to be honest. I think we added the lyrics after we had the structure and all musical elements were written already. We were looking for a nice pleasant pad for the break to find a contrast as the track was quite aggressive overall and then found this beautiful organ sound on our Roland D50.

Why did you opt for a three track EP as opposed to an album, was this for conceptual reasons or due to time availability constraints?

Dina: The tracks were already half-finished for a few years, and we just needed the time to complete them. With everything else going on, there wasn’t space to make more. But we’re definitely planning to start working on a second LOCAL SUICIDE album next year.

Max: This EP felt like it’s a round bundle as it was, we are still figuring out in which musical direction our next album will be going. We’ve started a lot of nice tracks alone and with old and new friends but are still waiting for a superior topic that excites us enough to fully dive into the matter.

So what are your ‘Obsessions’ right now and how have they contributed to the track’s deep and heavy mantric sound?

Dina: Oh, there are too many to list, and they’re always changing! Sometimes it’s a track I can’t stop listening to – lately I’ve been revisiting ‘Vienna’ by ULTRAVOX. I also keep returning to AIR, who have been a long-time obsession of mine; their music is something I play on repeat whenever I want to relax. I get absorbed by films too. This year I didn’t have much time to watch films, but on a flight I finally watched the new ‘Beetlejuice’ and it was so inspiring – I even found myself watching certain scenes over and over for weeks after, like the wedding sequence. All of these obsessions, whether music, film, or otherwise, naturally feed into the atmosphere and intensity of our music.

‘Submission’ is a collaboration with Skelesys that has this looming percussive tension to it, what was its genesis?

Dina: We’re very close friends with Skelesys and he’s one of our most frequent collaborators. We really love each other’s energy in the studio, so the process is very open – we just let loose and see what happens. With this track, we initially wanted to do a Nine Inch Nails rework just for fun, but it quickly took a completely different direction.

Max: I think this track – just like the two originals on this EP – is showcasing our darkest and most dystopian side with spooky melodies, repetitive hard bass lines and distorted punkish vocals.

There are reworkings from French electroclash pioneer David Carretta of ‘Obessions’ and Alpha Sect from Greece of ‘Submission’; how do you select remixers and do you set them a brief or does that defeat the objective?

Dina: We’ve been huge fans of David Carretta since we started DJing, so receiving such an amazing remix from him feels like a dream come true. We actually got a remix request for his label and asked if he’d be up for an exchange. We also met him a few times over the past years – he’s incredibly sweet, kind and a true musical genius.

Alpha Sect is a very close friend of ours. We met him years ago when he was still living in Thessaloniki, and since I’m from there, we would often see him when visiting family. Nowadays, we catch up in Berlin or Thessaloniki whenever we’re in the same city. We love him as a person and truly believe in his talent. We had already done a remix for him, so this was also a remix exchange.

In general, we don’t give any briefs – the whole point is to let remixers fully interpret the track in their own way.

What is next for you, in whatever guise?

Dina: Next year, we will release more music as DINA SUMMER, tracks that didn’t fit on the album musically, plus some new material. We’re planning an EP that will come out gradually as singles, and we are also part of CURSES’ ‘Next Wave Acid Punx’ with a collaboration with our buddy Phunkadelica.

As LOCAL SUICIDE, we are working on some exciting collabs with artists like Zimmer, Nick Hanzo, Andre VII, Italo Brutalo, Oh!, Facets, Wiener Planquadrat, Hard Ton, Mike Sacchetti, Silenzi, Bobby Nourmand, OPS, Franz Matthews and NiKiT.

Gig-wise, we’re ending the year with a small Colombia / Mexico tour with two DINA SUMMER live gigs and a few LOCAL SUICIDE DJ sets. In the summer we’ll play Amphi Festival in Cologne, the Out Of Line Weekender in Berlin plus some more that aren’t announced yet and we’ve just confirmed a very special Halloween show in London for 2026!

Max: Also it’s the 5 year anniversary of our label Iptamenos Discos next year so we are planning a vinyl compilation, reissues, label parties all over Europe and got a bunch of EPs and singles by ourselves and friends in the making.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its sincerest thanks to LOCAL SUICIDE

Special thanks to Carina Cheung at Eclectica

‘Houdini’ is released as a 12” vinyl EP by Iptamenos Discos, further information via https://localsuicide.bfan.link/houdini

https://localsuicide.com/

https://www.facebook.com/localsuicide

https://www.instagram.com/localsuicide/

https://www.tiktok.com/@localscd

https://soundcloud.com/localsuicide

https://www.youtube.com/@LocalSuicide

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0oRegIGGmJDXVaVfgWuoz0?si=A8O4YLQnQg2SVZ2wP2RRag

https://iptamenosdiscos.com/

https://www.instagram.com/iptamenosdiscos

https://iptamenosdiscos.bandcamp.com/

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Omar Luis Choomare
30th January 2026

FRANZ SCALA Interview

10 November 2025 /

Photo by Zeyd Ayoob

The Berlin-based Italian DJ and producer Franz Scala has just released his second album ‘Café Futuro’.

Issued on his own label Slow Motion, Franz Scala is a global champion of the Italian Dance Wave sound. A man who has been behind events like Italorama and Self Control, ‘Café Futuro’ is named after the bar he once ran in Neukölln which acted as a gathering point for the Italo and Cosmic Disco community.

Triggering feelings of nostalgia while presenting a modern dance-friendly underground sound, ‘Café Futuro’ differs from its 2021 predecessor ‘Mondo Della Notte’ by diving deeper to feature vocal contributions from international artists resident in Berlin such as FUROTICA, DINA SUMMER and Charlie, as well as Los Angeles-based duo ACID GYMNASTICS.

Featuring tantalising vocals from Argentine duo FUROTICA, ‘New Look’ makes a thumping statement of intent as the album opener while Franz Scala is joined by Dina of LOCAL SUICIDE and DINA SUMMER on equally thumping but more squiggly ‘Saxon Rebel’. Poland’s Charlie provides her enigmatic charm on the jagged throb of ‘Crush Test’ but alongside these vocal statements are his instrumental excursions like the retro-futuristic ‘Bit99’, the emulated nocturnal drive of ‘Echoes Of Love’ and the vibrant Euro-house of ‘Fantasy Bazar’. In addition, ‘Light Year Run’ will please anyone who has ever enjoyed a NEW ORDER Italo disco-inspired instrumental.

Franz Scala chatted to ELECTICITYCLUB.CO.UK about the making of ‘Café Futuro’ and discussed several of the album’s highlights…

What brought an Italian DJ to Berlin?

I first came to Berlin because I had the need to experience living in a big city. Back in Italy, I was already collecting records and DJing, but discovering Berlin was unique and open-minded. It gave me the space to explore different sounds and build something slowly, surrounded by people who were in my same music scenario.

How do you become entranced by what is now referred to worldwide as “Italo”? Were there key moments or tracks for you that started your interest?

My connection with Italo started naturally through record digging. At first, I was more into wave and early electronic records, but at some point, I found myself drawn to the cinematic side of Italian dance music from the 80s. There wasn’t one track that changed everything, but discovering artists like Alexander Robotnick or Klein & MBO definitely opened that world for me. It was music that felt familiar.

Photo by Julius Dettmer

How do you yourself define Italo, does it have to be a native species as some fans dictate or is it more like an attitude, an approach that can be universal?

For me, Italo is not just about geography. It’s a more playful way of production that can go in a different way and at the same time keep the attitude. Of course, the roots are Italian, but the spirit can be anywhere. It’s about how you approach melody, rhythm, and emotion with a certain “easy going” and fantasy. That can exist in Mexico, Japan, or Germany as much as in Italy.

While you have been making music since 2011 first as Franz Underwear, your first full-length album ‘Mondo Della Notte’ didn’t come out until the end of 2021, how do you now look back on that record?

‘Mondo Della Notte’ was a long process. It was a collection of ideas that had been evolving for years. Looking back, it captured a specific time in Berlin nightlife and my own journey through it. I see it as a bridge between my early “Underwear” productions and what I’m doing now. It had a cinematic feel and still dancefloor oriented, while the new album is made more in a storytelling way.

Although ‘Mondo Della Notte’ featured vocal samples, the new album ‘Cafe Futuro’ has guest vocals on several tracks… what influenced this more word-led approach?

During the years after ‘Mondo Della Notte’, I played countless DJ gigs and I slowly got into how voices create an instant connection. I wanted ‘Café Futuro’ to feel more direct, while still keeping my sound textures. Collaborating with vocalists also brings unpredictability, they interpret the tracks differently and add something I wouldn’t have created alone.

The opening track ‘New Look’ features FUROTICA from Argentina, how did you come to be working with them?

I got to know their music first and then we met in person when they moved to Berlin. I really liked their blend of vocal performance, sound, and attitude, very disco and elegant. When I had the idea for ‘New Look’, I thought their presence would set the tone for the whole record. It was one of the first collaborations that shaped the album’s direction.

Photo by Julius Dettmer

How do decide which tracks remain instrumental and which get developed with vocals, are the latter presented to potential vocalists with a much barer structure?

For the ‘Café Futuro’ vocals, I had all instrumental tracks ready to go. Then I sent the instrumental to the collaboration artists. They place their vocal layer on top very naturally. Then I listen back and if needed, I edited a bit the vocal structure or the arrangement so that all the elements blend together. It’s more like a dialogue rather than a feature.

There is a fine underground club scene in Berlin and the new album has vocals by locally resident artists such as Charlie on ‘Crush Test’ and Dina from LOCAL SUICIDE / DINA SUMMER on ‘Saxon Rebel’; so what did you from a production and arrangement point of view to suit their different delivery styles?

Every vocalist has a different energy. With Charlie, it was about creating space and a hypnotic flow where her voice could float in and out, minimal but intense, it feels like a ballad vibe to me. With Dina, the focus was on rhythm and energy, something that carries her natural way of singing. In term of arrangement was more like natural layering vocals on top of my instrumental track than building the track together.

Do you have any favourite production tools? Are you a hardware or software-based man? The press release mentions EMU keys, are there any other vintage instruments in your armoury?

I use both hardware and software, depending on the mood. I like the hands-on approach of hardware because it’s less predictable. The EMU keys, Matrix 1000, Bit 99 or OO6 are central to my setup. I still use software for arrangement and effects – the mix between the two worlds feels most natural to me.

So is the dark thumping instrumental ‘Bit99’ named so because it mostly features that Italian synth? You must like its sounds but what do you think of its functionality?

Yes, the title comes from that synth. The Bit99 has a particular character a bit rough but warm, analogue and FM not perfect in terms of precision, but that’s what makes it interesting. It’s not the most versatile instrument, but when it fits, it gives a strong identity to the sound.

‘Café Futuro’ is released as a double album, is vinyl still the best format for your music? What are your thoughts on the spectre of streaming?

Vinyl still feels right for me because it represents a full work beginning, middle and end. The physical process of releasing and playing it connects people in a different way. That said, I understand streaming is how most people discover music now. It’s useful for reach, but it also fragments the listening experience. It’s good to balance both worlds.

The album has a very international supporting cast and vocals by ACID GYMNASTICS from Los Angeles appear on the bouncy album closer ‘Fase Lunare’, how did you decide on that coming last and compiling the overall running order? Is it like putting together a DJ set?

Exactly, sequencing an album feels similar to building a DJ set. You guide the listener through moods and energy changes. ‘Fase Lunare’ felt like the right way to close the record because it feels a bit more ethereal and more introspective. It’s like the sun rising at the end of the night.

Do you have a favourite track on ‘Café Futuro’ which we haven’t discussed yet? Why is this one a favourite?

Maybe ‘Telephone Boy’. It’s one of those tracks that came together very naturally and sounds very fresh and crossover to me. It captures the cinematic and emotional side of that record with a strong dancefloor oriented attitude. I think it will be one of the tracks from the album other DJs will play the most.

Photo by Zeyd Ayoob

What are your hopes for this album? Any fears?

I hope the album reaches people beyond the club environment, that it can be listened to at home, in a car, or anywhere, and still create a mood. My only fear is that in the fast pace of music consumption, albums don’t always get the time they deserve. But I believe those who connect with it will take the time.

What is next for you?

I’m already working on new material, a couple of new releases already l planned for 2026. There will also be a remix release from ‘Café Futuro’ tracks. Apart from that, I’ll keep playing around and supporting projects that explore that intersection between 80s and modern dance music, the balance I’m always chasing.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its grateful thanks to Franz Scala

Additional thanks to Dina Paschalidou Brudi at Eclectica

‘Café Futuro’ is released as a double vinyl LP and download by Slow Motion Records, go to https://slowmotionrecords.lnk.to/CafeFuturo

https://www.slowmotionmusic.it/project/franz-scala/

https://soundcloud.com/franz-scala

https://www.instagram.com/franzscala/

https://www.facebook.com/italiandancewave

https://soundcloud.com/slow-motion-records

https://www.instagram.com/slowmotion_records/

https://www.facebook.com/slowmotionrecords/

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
10th November 2025

DINA SUMMER Girls Gang

23 January 2025 /

A Berlin union between LOCAL SUICIDE, the Greco-German technodisco couple Dina Pascal and Max Brudi with Nu-disco exponent Jakob Häglsperger, better known by his stage moniker KALIPO, DINA SUMMER follow up 2024’s ‘Hide & Seek’ EP with a new album ‘Girls Gang’ to welcome in 2025.

‘Hide & Seek’ was a fine blend of new wave, synthpop, dark disco, techno and Italo with a cutting Mittel Europa edge and ‘Girls Gang’ is a natural progression, playing on its darker but still club friendly aesthetics compared with the Italo flavoured debut album ‘Rimini’ from 2022.

Setting the scene, the ‘Girls Gang’ title song adopts the hypnotic pulse of BOY HARSHER in a seductive celebration of “girls in black”, of dancing to BAUHAUS and DEAD CAN DANCE in a dedication to female icons such as Morticia, Wednesday, Vampira, Elvira and Siouxsie. A German phrase meaning “sound and smoke”, the equally uptempo ‘Schall & Rauch’ plays with female and male vocals in the second half for some haunted post-punk disco.

Much more intense, the sonic cathedral of ‘Nothing To Hide’ paces down with textural guitar interventions sitting alongside synthetic choirs and a rattling percussive backdrop. Upping the momentum and embracing the outsider, ‘Alien’ throbs gloriously in a manner calling Miss Kittin & The Hacker as DINA SUMMER make demands to “take me to your leader” as “we are aliens!”

Named after the popular holidaying destination in Northern Greece known for its sandy beaches, the comparatively lighter ‘Halkidiki’ is an infectious electronic club tune made for sultry summery nights and shines with bliss before the darker climes that come with ‘Promise Me’; this sees Berlin-based New Yorker Luca Venezia of CURSES guest with his anguished lead accompanied by Joshua Murphy’s six string for a burst of melodic goth rock embroiled in longing.

The gothic theme continues on ‘Hypnotized’ which musically borrows from BAUHAUS and THE CURE as stabbing synths offset the doom-laden bass guitar while ‘Zombie’ continues on a not too dissimilar footing fully in keeping the song’s theme.

‘Disco Goth’ gets back to clubland as frantic throbbing electronics with commentary on how to get that look while the tense ‘FOMO’ continues the action under strobe lights and plays on that “fear of missing out”. The closer ‘No More Tears’ falls under the spell of THE SISTERS OF MERCY and goes for the full Doktor Avalanche blow out although the bursts of synth are the dead giveaway that this is not actually Andrew Eldritch and Co.

Despite its title, ‘Girls Gang’ does actually feature more male vocals than its predecessors while there also are more of the guitar-driven elements associated with goth creeping in which is quite timely given the recorded return of THE CURE. In much as the same was as NEW ORDER have done in the past, the album manages to straddle the worlds of electronic disco and alternative rock. As with acts like DIE SEXUAL, despite the apparent darkness, there’s an energetic thrill that comes from the decadent dance and the willingness to be one of the gang.

‘Girls Gang’ is released by Iptamenos Discos on 24 January 2025 as a vinyl LP, vinyl LP with bonus 12” with remixes, CD and download, available from https://dinasummer.bandcamp.com/album/girls-gang-idi021

DINA SUMMER 2025 Live Dates include:

Berlin Rough Trade (27 January), Berlin Lido (13 March), Zürich KAUZ (14 March), Mainz Schon Schön (20 March), Munich Rote Sonne (22 March), Hamburg Bahnhof Pauli (27 March), Leipzig Conne Island (29 March), Wroclaw Transformator (5 April)

https://dinasummer.berlin/

https://www.facebook.com/dinasummermusic/

https://www.instagram.com/dinasummermusic/

https://www.tiktok.com/@dinasummermusic

https://soundcloud.com/dinasummer

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Katja Ruge
23rd January 2025

DINA SUMMER Interview

13 March 2024 /

Photo by Petra Ruehle

If you’ve ever wondered what happened to good electronic dance music with a grittier impassioned outlook, well it’s alive and well in Berlin in the form of the recent ‘Hide & Seek’ EP from DINA SUMMER.

A collaborative project comprising of LOCAL SUICIDE, the Greco-German technodisco couple Dina Pascal and Max Brudi and KALIPO, the moniker of Nu-disco exponent Jakob Häglsperger, DINA SUMMER opened their account with the excellent single pairing of ‘Who Am I’ and ‘Fortune Teller’ in 2021. The Italo flavoured debut album ‘Rimini’ followed a year after.

Before they departed on their next set of travels, DINA SUMMER spoke collectively to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about their past, present and future…

You produce music in your own right as LOCAL SUICIDE and KALIPO, so how did the idea of working together come about?

We’ve been friends for years before starting collaborating. But the idea of a collaboration started when Jakob (KALIPO) and Dina and Max (LOCAL SUICIDE) were all playing at the same festival. While hanging out at the backstage, Jakob floated the idea of Dina contributing vocals to some of his edgier darker tracks. A few weeks later Dina and Max popped over to Jakob’s studio to lay down some vocals, and things just clicked from there. The creative energy sparked instantly, and before we knew it, ideas were flowing freely, blurring the lines between our individual projects. The musical and personal chemistry was undeniable, and from that moment on, the idea of creating a new live project took root and flourished.

Photo by Alex Gotter

What is the creative chemistry in DINA SUMMER, do you have designated roles?

Our creative process flows with flexibility. While we embrace a collaborative approach without strict roles, each member contributes their unique strengths. Jakob’s background as a sound engineer, a live performer and multi-instrumentalist, cultivated through his involvement with German band FRITTENBUDE and his solo project KALIPO, enhances our sonic landscape. Max and Dina, in addition to their production roles, are experienced DJs too, ensuring our tracks translate seamlessly to the dancefloor. Max’s extensive experience in label management brings valuable industry insight to our projects. Meanwhile, Dina leads lyric writing and takes care of our social media also lending a hand with PR efforts.

‘Who Am I’ and ‘Fortune Teller’ was an excellent first single pairing, were these tracks built up from scratch or ideas originally for LOCAL SUICIDE or KALIPO?

Both tracks were actually created after we had finished producing our debut album. However, we made the decision to release them as our first EP under the name DINA SUMMER to introduce our new project. Our goal was to craft a fresh and distinctive sound by blending elements from our individual projects while venturing into new sonic landscapes.

What do you get from a satisfaction point of view in DINA SUMMER that might not occur otherwise?

DINA SUMMER is our playground for experimenting with diverse styles and pushing creative boundaries. It’s a collaboration that provides a unique sonic space, allowing us to explore new territories and find satisfaction in merging our individual approaches. Currently, we’re in the studio producing a variety of tracks, from dark wave and synthpop to electronic tunes made for the dancefloor.

Photo by Petra Ruehle

How do you look back on the making of the ‘Rimini’ album? Was the sunny Italian flavour intentional from the start?

Looking back on the making of the ‘Rimini’ album, it was a thrilling adventure. From the outset, we intentionally infused it with the sunny Italian flavor, aiming to encapsulate the vibrant and energetic atmosphere of the region. Our shared love for Italy and its music, especially Italo disco, served as a driving force, motivating us to pay homage to its essence. Given Rimini’s significance as a hub for Italo disco enthusiasts, it felt natural to center our album around it.

With ‘Rimini’ you released not one but two remix albums… are remixes a strategy due to modern streaming algorithms or is it something you wholeheartedly embrace… but can it be too much on occasions?

After releasing ‘Rimini,’ we realized that some tracks weren’t exactly geared for the dancefloor, but held serious potential. Thus, we cooked up a ‘Versioni Discoteca’, or Club Versions album, featuring our own club edits of selected tracks. Additionally, we already had some killer remixes for a few singles released upfront, and we loved them so much that we sought out a few more, aiming for a diverse sound. It’s always intriguing to witness other artists’ reinterpretations of your music. Furthermore, we were eager to involve some Italo legends and were delighted to receive remixes by Alexander Robotnick and Daniele Baldelli & Marco Dionigi.

Around the time of ‘Rimini’ although not featuring on the album, you covered THE FLIRTS’ Bobby O produced disco classic ‘Passion’ and FRONT 242’s EBM favourite ‘Headhunter’ as free downloads, what was the thinking behind this as they are at quite opposite ends of the electronic dance spectrum?

We chose to cover tracks like THE FLIRTS’ ‘Passion’ and FRONT 242’s ‘Headhunter’ because they’re both songs we absolutely adore and we wanted to give them a dance floor makeover. Jakob suggested ‘Passion’, while ‘Headhunter’ was Dina’s idea, but we all agreed instantly that we should give them a shot. It was a fun way to pay homage to influential tunes from different corners of the electronic dance scene while showcasing our versatility and passion for diverse musical styles… and with fewer purists around these days and the current wave of Italo Body Music blending EBM, Italo, and new beat vibes, it felt like the perfect time to explore these classics and put our own spin on them.

Photo by Alex Gotter

Do you have any favourite go-to synths for your productions?

Our go-to synths for our productions often include the Moog One, Korg MS20, Sequential Prophet 6, and Moog Voyager, which you can hear in nearly all of our songs.

On the ‘Hide & Seek’ EP, the title song comes in two different versions, had it been a challenge to realise your visions, was there any creative tensions as to where to take it?

Originally, we crafted the original version of the title track for the ‘Hide & Seek’ EP. But with its faster synth-pop vibe, we realized it might not seamlessly fit into our solo live and DJ sets, as well as those of other DJs. So, we decided to create a club version to give it an electronic twist, making it more dancefloor-friendly for a wider audience. This allowed us to tailor the song to fit the needs of club DJ sets while preserving its energy.

As can be heard on ‘Unter Strom’ and other tracks, drums fills are a characteristic of the DINA SUMMER sound which is quite unusual in club music, how did this enter the party?

Since we’ve used drum fills in our solo productions, it just made sense to bring them into the DINA SUMMER sound too. We love how they add a unique twist to our music and have always been about breaking away from the usual club music norms by throwing in some dynamic and unexpected elements.

Anglo-German vocals are another constituent to DINA SUMMER, do you view the voice as just another sound texture or is the lyrical content important as well?

While the voice certainly contributes as another sound texture, we also value the importance of lyrical content. Our lyrics can range from humorous, as seen in tracks like ‘Zig Zag’ and ‘Fortune Teller’ to empowering in songs like ‘Who Am I’, ‘Dominator’, ‘All or Nothing’ and ‘Echoes of the Past’. We also delve into fictional storytelling, as seen in ‘Revenge’, which tells a horror sci-fi tale or we explore specific characters, such as the story of Rimini’s Romeo La Zanza Maurizio in the track ‘Rimini’. Our lyrics typically revolve around topics that we find interesting, important or amusing.

Photo by Petra Ruehle

‘All Or Nothing’ is very energetic and stark at the same time, but doesn’t use hi-hats in its rhythm, how did you arrive at this feel?

This distinctive feel is achieved through a combination of elements: a 16th arpeggio Moog bassline, infectious vocals, and numerous breaks featuring screaming opening filters and a deep sub bass.

‘Excess’ does what it says on the tin and is quite sweaty and sexually charged, is the viewpoint expressed autobiographical or observational?

We were captivated by the tales and visual material of Studio 54, prompting us to create a track that embodies the spirit of this legendary club. Renowned for its hedonistic vibe and lavish gatherings, Studio 54 inspired the birth of ‘Excess’. This track dives deep into the sweaty, sexually charged atmosphere synonymous with the club culture of that era, evoking feelings of unrestrained indulgence and opulence.

The Berlin music scene appears to have a lot of camaraderie, which artists have impressed you recently who are based in or around the city?

In the vibrant Berlin music scene, camaraderie runs deep, and we’re constantly inspired by the talents surrounding us. One artist who stands out for us right now is CURSES; his production prowess, DJ sets, and guest vocals truly resonate with us. So we’re very happy to have a guest appearance by him on our next album too. We also love the work of SKELESYS, FRANZ SCALA, ITALO BRUTALO, MODERNA, RADONDO, NEU-ROMANCER, ZANIAS, KRIS BAHA, and PHASE FATALE, some of whom we’ve also had the pleasure of collaborating with. On the DJ front, we’re particularly drawn to the sounds of Paty Vapor, Caillou, Ludmila Houben, Melanie Havens and Philip Strobel.

Will there be another DINA SUMMER album, does the long playing format have a place in this modern world of music consumption or is another EP more likely?

We are currently working on our album, although we’re not certain when it will be completed. It’s possible that we may release an EP before the album. However, rest assured, a DINA SUMMER album is on the horizon, and we anticipate it will be released either by the end of this year or the beginning of the next.

Photo by Petra Ruehle

What is next for you as DINA SUMMER but also individually?

Right now, we’re deeply focused on crafting our second album as DINA SUMMER, while also preparing for upcoming gigs in Switzerland and Sicily. Furthermore, we’re excited to announce our confirmed appearances at several festivals in Germany and France for the summer season with more to be announced soon.

KALIPO has some exciting releases in the works, starting with an EP set to drop on Ki Records, along with a series of performances at various venues and festivals.

Meanwhile, LOCAL SUICIDE have an impressive line-up of releases coming up. This includes a collaboration with PANKO on U’re Guay Records, an EP with VELAX featuring remixes by Arnaud Rebotini and Andre VII for Record Store Day on Iptamenos Discos, and another EP with SKELESYS later in the year again on Iptamenos. Additionally, they’ve been hard at work on several remixes scheduled for release in the coming months. While their DJ schedule is packed for the next few months, they’re also planning to take some time off this summer in Greece, Dina’s homeland, to recharge their batteries.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its sincerest thanks to DINA SUMMER

Additional thanks to Mirren Thomson at Eclectica

‘Hide & Seek’ is released by Iptamenos Discos, available as a 12” EP or download via https://iptamenosdiscos.com/dina-summer-hide-seek-idi018/

https://dinasummer.berlin/

https://www.facebook.com/dinasummermusic

https://www.instagram.com/dinasummermusic

https://soundcloud.com/dinasummer

https://dinasummer.bandcamp.com

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0s4dIi02iAv3SiJfBrNhHo

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
13 March 2024

DINA SUMMER Hide & Seek EP

21 February 2024 /

A product of Berlin, DINA SUMMER is the collaborative project comprising of Greco-German technodisco couple Dina Pascal and Max Brudi aka LOCAL SUICIDE and Nu-disco exponent Jakob Häglsperger, better known by his frozen dessert flavoured alias of KALIPO.

Blending new wave, synthpop, dark disco and techno, DINA SUMMER opened their account with the excellent single pairing of ‘Who Am I’ and ‘Fortune Teller’. Their new EP ‘Hide & Seek’ embraces synth with a cutting Mittel Europa edge following their more Italo flavoured 2022 long player ‘Rimini’. But around this time, although not featuring on the album, they covered THE FLIRTS’ Booby O produced disco classic ‘Passion’ and FRONT 242’s EBM favourite ‘Headhunter’ as free downloads to show how across the spectrum their musical tastes lay.

With an epic gothic intro, “the clock is ticking” with live sounding drum fills and frenetic blips as ‘Unter Strom’ comes shaped with stabbing synth interventions and a feminine Anglo-Germanic vocal presence for an ecstatic opening. The uptempo rhythmic thrust of ‘Hide & Seek’ offers tension and excitement using real bass guitar and a much more snarly vocal delivery in amongst all the throbbing electronics although its sparkles in a manner that puts all the synthwavers to shame with its elicit spirit. Meanwhile its ‘Club Edit’ matts the shine and takes things deeper and darker at a more steadfast past, drawing sonic parallels to another Berlin-based act NNHMN.

Photo by Petra Ruehle

Even faster but interestingly sans hi-hats is ‘All Or Nothing’; using a high energy formula with deep synthetic choirs and pitch swoops for the required burst of gloom, it is punctuated by feisty and assertive spoken words declaring “I won’t be caged”. Then with the minimal structure of a solid propulsive beat and spacious layers of electronics before a big bang of hypnotically repeating basslines, ‘Excess’ is sexy and sweaty with talk of “high leather boots”, its nonchalant narration providing an alluring incentive to dance and be corrupted.

This is an excellent EP that combines light and shade in a manner that is perfect for the dancefloor or a home soundbar. If you’ve ever wondered what happened to good electronic dance music with a grittier impassioned outlook, well it’s alive and well, and it’s right here…

‘Hide & Seek’ is released by Iptamenos Discos on 23 February 2024, available as a 12” vinyl EP or download via https://iptamenosdiscos.com/dina-summer-hide-seek-idi018/

https://dinasummer.berlin/

https://www.facebook.com/dinasummermusic/

https://www.instagram.com/dinasummermusic/

https://soundcloud.com/dinasummer

https://dinasummer.bandcamp.com

Text by Chi Ming Lai
21st February 2024

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