FEATURE:
Spotlight
AZZECCA
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I have put out a few features…
PHOTO CREDIT: Nat Goldie
celebrating incredible D.J.s. These amazing women who everybody needs to know. I interviewed Carly Wilford last month, and she talked about her work as a D.J., producer and artist. I also asked about gender inequality and whether things have improved for women. Whereas there was progress at one point, perhaps there have been steps back in the last few years. The first interview with AZZECCA. I want to bring in revolves around an amazing REALM Records release in 2023. Even though the interview is a couple of years old, it is a good introduction to this talent. She is also asked about imbalances and inequality for women (as D.J.s and artists) and whether things have improved. When We Dip asked the questions:
“Chicago’s hottest talent Azzecca has been making an international name for herself in the last year. A cracking release schedule including tracks on REALM, Higher Ground, a remix of TIBASKO on Another Rhythm, on top of a whirlwind touring schedule (inc. upcoming global shows like EDC Vegas, Halcyon (SF), Hard Summer (LA)) has seen the fiery DJ/producer rocketing to the top of exciting emerging stars you need to know. On top of this, Azzecca still keeps it real in her hometown with her Dirty Disco female-focused events, the most recent with Carlita last month at Smoke and Mirrors. We chatted to her about her latest track ‘Ego Death’, out now on REALM, and just ahead of her next track on the label ‘Mantra’, dropping May 19th
WWD: Can you tell us a bit about the tech process behind this one? Did it come together quite easily or take a bit of time?
Honestly, this one came together pretty quickly. I was traveling through Europe over Christmas and all of my luggage was lost, so I was stuck in a remote village in England with only one pair of pyjamas, my laptop and my headphones. I spent about 3 days working on this at my Airbnb kitchen table while I waited for my luggage to arrive. I found the vocal samples first, made the bassline, structured the track out and all of the other elements just came together. I sent it to my manager as soon as I finished it and we were both immediately super excited about it.
WWD: As well as producing and touring, you also run your own ‘Dirty Disco’ parties. These started off in Chicago, first online in lockdown, then at Spybar and Smoke and Mirrors, and you’re planning on expanding into other locations right?
Yep! Dirty Disco began in Chicago and that will always be the home of the party, but we are now looking to expand the brand a bit. I love the vibe and the message that I’ve been able to create through Dirty Disco and I can’t wait for the opportunity to bring it to other cities. We had a boat party planned in Miami during music week that was unfortunately cancelled at the last minute due to new rules placed by the city, so I’m looking forward to the next opportunity to travel with the party.
WWD: What sort of things do you think events should implement generally to make sure that everyone feels safe and welcome?
I think it all begins with messaging surrounding the club/party. Promote inclusivity, promote safety. Train door staff and security to have a zero-tolerance attitude towards predatory behaviour. Listen to people when they tell you there’s an off vibe on the dance floor. Encourage people to look out for each other.
WWD: Where do you think the scene is at right now with regards to gender equality?
I think it’s definitely moving in the right direction. There is still obviously a pretty big gap in minority representation in the industry, but there are so many amazing collectives pushing for change. Defected, He.She.They, and Femme House are all doing incredible work to bridge that gap. I think it’s still a bit difficult to be a woman in the scene, because there is a frustrating amount of misogyny – from openly discrediting women, to simply refusing to stand up for them, play their music, book them at parties or give them the set times that they deserve. It’s still there and it doesn’t go unnoticed, but I do think it’s improving”.
AZZECCA is this incredible talent who I am quite new to. I am listening to some of her sets and stuff on Soundcloud and really amazing features like this, where she spoke about her current favourite tracks and remixes. I am going to wrap things up when it comes to AZZECCA (real name Allie DeCastris). I am going to move things forward in a minute. However, I will stay in 2023 and EDM IDENTITY. One reason is because it highlights a wonderful and fascinating Dirty Disco series that I wonder whether it is still going and if it is coming to the U.K. A female-driven and safe space that is much-needed and would be favoured here. I know there will be similar events around the country, though I do not hear them talked about too much:
“First things first, we have to touch on the fact that your Other Side EP has been crushing it! With nearly two million streams on Spotify alone, what avenues have this package of tunes opened up, and can you talk about how its success has driven you creatively?
Honestly, the response to Other Side has been super overwhelming. When I finished that song, I sort of convinced myself it wasn’t even good enough to release. I thought maybe it was a bit too dry and quirky. But, seeing how well it has been received has really given me a big boost in confidence in my style and taste, and in the music I’m making. I feel like that release really pushed my career forward and now I’m getting opportunities I wouldn’t have even dreamed of before, so it’s really exciting.
Now, with an eye to the future, you’re getting ready to drop your remix of TIBASKO’s “Still Rushing.” Can you talk about what the original means to you, as well as what we can expect from your rendition?
I absolutely love the original so I was really excited when the TIBASKO guys reached out to have me remix something from this recent EP. I think they’re such a sick act and they’re making big waves, especially in the UK, so it was an honor to get to work with them. The original has this sick rave vibe to it that I love, but with my remix, I wanted to make it into something that would fit a bit more seamlessly into one of my sets. I changed their breaks into more of a 4×4 rhythm and added a pretty aggressive, acid bassline just to give it that dark vibe that you’d expect from one of my tracks.
Speaking of being in tune with the scene, your Dirty Disco event series has a reputation for being a particularly female-friendly space. Can you give us some insight into what makes these events special, especially for women?
I created Dirty Disco because I realized that most clubs had become extremely male-dominated in the city. So many of my female friends and acquaintances had stopped going out to clubs, not because they didn’t like music (they all love dance music), but because they no longer felt comfortable and safe in the clubs. I wanted to change that.
Dirty Disco has really strong female energy and I’ve been very clear through my messaging and marketing since the beginning that this is a night where I want everyone to feel comfortable. Women want to be able to feel sexy when they go out without worrying about predatory behavior, and I want the Dirty Disco dance floor to be that safe space.
I’m incredibly proud of the community I’ve built with Dirty Disco and I think my mission to eliminate problematic behaviors on the dance floor has really worked thus far. I receive so many thank yous and amazing messages after each party we throw… and not just from women. It’s more fun for everyone if the dance floor is full of all different types of people. Women and the LGBTQ+ communities are part of what has always made dance music so special, and I think no party is a success unless everyone feels like they can be themselves and let loose.
In your opinion, what can club owners, managers, and promoters be doing better in order to curb the sexual harassment and assault problems that often occur?
I honestly think the work starts before anyone even enters the doors. Messaging should be clear that no club will tolerate predatory behavior. It trickles down from there. Security should be trained to look out for signs of over-intoxication, distress, etc. Security should also be approachable and should always take people seriously when they say they’ve seen or been involved in an unsafe situation. I’m no professional, but as someone who has spent a lot of time in the crowd and behind the booth, you can just tell when there’s something off and employees at clubs should be keeping an eye out for it”.
I think most of the interviews are from 2023. It is a shame there have not been many (or any) print or online interviews since then. I do hope that there are more for 2026, as AZZECCA is an amazing creator, artist, D.J. and someone who I would love to see play in the U.K. An incredible talent and one of the world’s best D.J.s, she spoke with NOCTIS about her post-lockdown transformation and changes. How many of her female friends stopped going to clubs because they were too male-heavy and unsafe for women. How it compelled AZZECCA to do something about. As a D.J. who would have been exposed to the worast side of club-goers, her female-focused club nights have been so sorely needed. Hopefully compelling the industry to make these spacesm safer for women:
“Inclusivity seems to be a big focus for you, especially with ‘Cosimea’ being a safe space for all communities. Why is this important to you, and how do you see the role of club culture evolving in the future?
House music began as a space for marginalized communities to escape. As the dance music industry has grown and become a massive capitalistic monster, it seems like the core of the industry has been lost in many cases. I want to do my small part in bringing those values back to the dance floor. I want my parties to feel like a safe space for all. It’s also just a fact that non-diverse dance floors aren’t fun. Sharing a collective experience with people from all walks of life is what makes dance music beautiful, and I think we should all be doing our part to create those environments.
Your latest remix of Mindchatter’s ‘Corporate Shakespeare’ is a belter! How do you approach remixing a track, and what can we look forward to with your upcoming remix of Confidence Man?
I love remixes because I get a little peek into another artist’s mind and then get to morph their art into something of my own. I usually decide whether or not I can do a remix based on whether something about the track immediately stands out to me / I get an idea quickly of where I can take the song. Corporate Shakespeare already had a really cheeky, psychedelic vibe so I knew I could do something with it. I switched around the vocals to take on a slightly different meaning from the original and threw a bit of acid in and it was done. Was honestly an easy one to do as the original had so many fun elements to play with. My ‘Confidence Man’ remix was another really fun one and I’m so excited to get that out in January. I took a small part of Janet Planet’s iconic vocals and changed it into a really groovy slightly melodic track. There are moments of hard bassline groove and some really euphoric bits that I always try to incorporate into my songs.
PHOTO CREDIT: Nat Goldie
Your new track ‘IDK’ on Higher Ground has this amazing acid-fuelled vibe. Can you tell us about the creative process behind it and what kind of headspace you were in while producing it?
I wanted to make something really cheeky and fun with this track. I’ve been experimenting with different synths and acid processing and trying to hone in on what exactly I want my sound to be as I work towards making an album. ‘IDK’ was my first attempt at making something that has all of the weird cosmic sounds that I love, while also being accessible enough to exist in the commercial sphere. It’s a tricky balance trying to make really weird things sound normal. I think my next few releases will probably lean a bit more underground so it’s great to have a nice sing-along track out to play in my sets.
Arguably your breakthrough track ‘Other Side’ on Higher Ground blew up with over 13 million streams! What was it like to see that track take off, and how did it change things for you as an artist?
The success of ‘Other Side’ continues to blow my mind. Call it beginner’s luck I guess. This was the first track I finished without using a well-known sample. It came from a place of pure creativity and I guess that’s why it has been so wildly successful. There’s no formula to the structure and I wasn’t thinking about what people wanted me to be making, I just made it because I thought it was fun and weird. I wish I could go back to the days of making music with absolutely no expectations or deadlines. I feel like I spend most of my studio days trying to get back to where I was mentally when I made Other Side.
With so many platforms and ways for artists to get discovered, what’s your take on breaking through in the music industry? Any advice for up-and-coming producers trying to make a name for themselves?
I would say the most important thing is to be authentic. There is such an over-saturation of the same sounds in this industry. I feel like a lot of people currently coming up or trying to break through are following too closely in others’ footsteps instead of just figuring out what they love about music and sharing it. The success that comes from copying what others are doing will be so short-lived. If you want to be an artist in this industry I would assume you really love sharing music with people, and if that’s the case you should want to share something new and fresh. It feels so much better to have your own sound than to try to replicate others.
You’ve got some exciting releases lined up, can you give us a sneak peek of what’s to come and any collaborations you’re excited about?
My next single will be out on DGTL in October – this has been a track that I’ve been playing out for years and it feels really good to finally be releasing it. Making music this year has been a challenge with a really full-on touring schedule, so I’ll be using the next few months to replenish my demo folder and hopefully get some stuff signed to some cool labels. I’m working on a bunch of remixes and collaborations right now as well that will hopefully be released in 2025. There’s also a plan to get an album out next year but we will see – I don’t necessarily feel a ton of pressure to get that finished as I want my debut album to feel really really good and want to take the time I need to finish it”.
This is a mix of slightly older interviews with some new music. As I say, I hope there is a lot of press attention for AZZECCA next year. After one of the busiest and best years of her career, a lot more people have experienced the brilliance of this Chicago D.J. and artist. I love her tracks and I have watched some of sets and she is absolutely sensational. Perhaps the greatest achievement so far was from July 2024 and COSIMEA. Otherworldly club sounds and a chance to spotlight emerging talent – with a ‘cosmic’ vibe – in an all-inclusive space. For that alone, we all have to…
SALUTE this queen.
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