Fabrizio Marra: “I literally fell in love with this lifestyle”
A veteran of electronic music spanning three decades, Fabrizio Marra personifies the evolution of underground House. Starting in the ’90s with disco influences from Donna Summer and Earth Wind & Fire, he has grown into a versatile electronic music producer who seamlessly blends classic expertise with modern innovation.
Photo credit: Fabrizio Marra – Facebook
His production style fuses traditional house elements with contemporary techno energy. His recent collaborations demonstrate his range, incorporating everything from melodic techno to Afro elements. This versatility has led to releases on prestigious labels including Krafted, Natura Viva Black, and Dear Deer MUSIC.
As he prepares for the release of his new ‘The Night’ EP, EG sat down with Fabrizio to explore his musical journey, creative process, and upcoming projects.
EG: Hi, Fabrizio! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Fabrizio Marra: I have never been better. I am working on several musical projects, and for a few months, I have also been collaborating with some fantastic people with whom I have signed a management agreement. I currently consider myself very lucky.
EG: So, first of all, congratulations on the recent release of your new EP, ‘My Focus Is You’! You must be psyched to have this one out to share with everyone. What are some of your feelings now that ‘My Focus Is You’ has been out for a month or so? What was the initial reception like?
Fabrizio Marra: I’ve always believed in this project, and while I expected a positive response, its success has exceeded my expectations. I aimed to combine multiple styles into one song — house vocals, melodic techno sounds, and a touch of Afro elements. I must first thank the LUSH SUNDAY Label for their magnificent promotion, and equally Paige and Alexandra (HOTSKIN) for their version, which provided the ideal momentum for the track’s current success.
EG: Now, what can your fans expect to find on ‘My Focus Is You’ as a whole? Is there a concept or emotional trigger driving this one?
Fabrizio Marra: I want to be candid: My works are born without specific expectations or a predetermined style. They emerge from my current mood and what I’m feeling and perceiving during that period. A track can begin one way and end up completely different. I’m very open to new things and versatile, much like my approach to DJ sets. To those who follow me and have consistently supported me over the years, I can only say that each project brings something new in terms of sounds, genres, and hopefully emotions, while naturally keeping an eye on market trends.
EG: And now you’ve got your new ‘The Night’ EP incoming. What can you tell us about this one? What was the process of collaborating with Sesmie Deep like?
Fabrizio Marra: This work exemplifies what I described previously. We’re moving from a more underground sound than the previous release to create a tribute to Africa. I discovered Sesmie Deep through my dear friend Leon el Ray (record producer). She’s an artist from Botswana who brings great passion and humility to her work. While the current trend follows Afro sounds and rhythms — though I believe this is gradually evolving — we wanted to contribute to this movement. I believe this release has strong potential. It’s particularly special as it will be the inaugural release on RITU, a new label. The release features two primary tracks plus an additional track that while maintaining Afro flavors, ventures into Amapiano tones with a more downtempo rhythm. It will be available in major digital music stores on November 29th.
“My works are born without specific expectations or a predetermined style. They emerge from my current mood and what I’m feeling and perceiving during that period”
EG: Let’s rewind here for a bit… you have a long career behind, having been a mainstay since the early ’90s. How did you come across electronic dance music? What were those first interactions like?
Fabrizio Marra: This is a question that requires a long answer!
My first steps date back to the early ’90s when house music was in its infancy. My soul is fundamentally connected to black music, hence the love for disco music of the past from Donna Summer to O’Jays, from Earth Wind & Fire to Chic, Commodores, and so on — names that for many emerging artists and DJs mean nothing but who have made history with songs that will remain over time. It would be nice if there was a course to become a DJ or producer of electronic music where they could teach the history of where it all started, a sort of general culture course of house music.
Coming back to us, the step was very simple also because it all started from there, and I was twenty years old and I was in the middle of the evolution. My life was forged following house music; my life is house music. I literally fell in love with this lifestyle, the parties, the clubbing, the music, and the immeasurable charm of that person who by spinning two records makes hundreds of people dance.
The commitment was not indifferent — I have 14,000 vinyls, so you can imagine also economically what all this entailed. The stubbornness and the luck of meeting people who trusted me initially did a lot. Later, with the advent of the internet, the world changed; everything became very fast, and from a simple bar DJ, the ambition began to grow. Hence the need to start making records to make yourself known and advertise your events. The competition became increasingly bigger, the ease in recovering music that once could be exclusive to a few, the technology that helped many to become what before was for a few — let’s also say that becoming a DJ was and is in some cases fancy rather than visceral love for music. A set of things that sometimes make you fall out of love with the art of DJing but that do not scratch the love of old-school purists like me.
EG: And what drove you to becoming a DJ/producer? What was that process like for you?
Fabrizio Marra: I remember going to a club near where I grew up, and I approached the DJ, fascinated by the movements in putting the records, by the maniacal care in dusting the records — yes, because touching a vinyl is a great emotion. It was love at first sight; I felt like the master of the fate of the audience dancing in the middle of the dance floor. I felt responsible for the money that those people had spent for two hours of music. I had to entertain them; it was my job, and I was paid for that. As I gradually became familiar with the place, with the people, and the regulars, I refined my personal taste. Many times it didn’t correspond with the hits of the moment, and consequently, I started to feel burdened by having to entertain people without personal satisfaction. I politely tried to compensate for this personal dissatisfaction by proposing music that I liked and that they might like too. BOOM!!! BINGO! The place on Thursday was really packed, and the compliments were certainly not lacking. At the end of the evening, I had created the right mix. I was only 20 years old, the year was 1991.
EG: And how has your sound evolved since the beginning? Are you making the music you thought you’d be making when you first started out?
Fabrizio Marra: The evolution in these more than thirty years has been remarkable. My luck is that I have never fossilized on what was and could not be, but on what was and how it could have changed. In short, I was born with Frankie Knuckles, and I have continued until now, passing through different musical genres always in the field of electronic music. The next step I had around 2000, and honestly, I can’t even explain it to myself. From the various Frankie Knuckles to Davide Morales or Louie Vega, to name a few, we have moved on to new names, to new music. From that moment, the new generation made me understand that there was something new to discover. And so it was, and so I am currently doing, trying to stay updated on new emerging artists, new musical proposals, the trends of the moment without descending into commercialism. I try to stay at the forefront even though I realize that I am of a certain age, but at the same time, I realize that I cannot do without it.
EG: Now, onto a hot topic… Having seen so many changes to our scene, how do you feel about the rise of AI implementation in music? What’s your relationship with that like? Have you used AI in recent releases?
Fabrizio Marra: In my opinion, it could help improve productions in terms of quality. Honestly, I have not really addressed the topic, even if I believe that like all things, you have to see how it is used. Of course, personal taste remains something I imagine difficult to match through the use of AI. I put myself in the shoes of singers who see part of their work taken away from them. I am curious, I have to be honest, also because I do not believe there are limits in its use and how it can be used. At the same time, I do not dare to imagine how much artistic work could be lost, especially when used in the musical context, even if I have noticed comments from those who already recognize works supported by AI that honestly take away the merit and the artistic vein of those who are in fact called and recognized as true Artists. I will delve into the matter further, and we will certainly address the issue later when I have more knowledge on the matter. However, NO, I have not used AI, but I do not deny that I will have to do so in the future.
“The important thing is to remain humble and eager to achieve the goals, trying to respect the natural stages to get there”
EG: Finally, what can we expect from Fabrizio Marra in the next few months? Where can your fans catch you next?
Fabrizio Marra: I am always on the move, so thanks above all to the Team with whom I work and adore (Elizabeth, Majko, and Sarah, and all the POISE Ag TEAM). You should expect, first of all, a lot of music coming soon and, secondly, following my website recently launched on the web, many events where you can meet me and chat.
I am always available to learn and, above all, to exchange ideas. Despite being in the music field for many years, I have never lost the desire to compare myself, especially with the younger ones who have a wealth at their disposal that we did not have at their age. The important thing is to remain humble and eager to achieve the goals, trying to respect the natural stages to get there — in short, we all did a bit of apprenticeship, right?!
See you in Miami, what do you say? Thank you very much, it is always a pleasure, Electronic Groove.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Fabrizio! We wish you all the best for the future. Take care!
Fabrizio Marra’s ‘My Focus is Yoy’ EP is now available on LUSH SUNDAY. Stream and download here.
Pre-order ‘The Night’ EP here.
Follow Fabrizio Marra: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram | Facebook
