The title says it all!  The only reason today’s guest hasn’t done a brain-melting drum solo on a slice of Italian style Margherita is… Well, he probably has. You should be as excited to meet Dario Rossi as we are!

Dario live in Amsterdam:

Hello Dario, please introduce yourself to our readers!

Hello everybody, my name is Dario Rossi, I’m 27 and I come from Genzano di Roma which is a suburb of Rome.

How did you start in music and when did you start playing on the streets?

When I was a kid I had a strong interest in music and I loved to play any objects which can produce a good sound.
I used to listen to my parent’s tapes, and I was always trying to emulate the same sounds I heard from a track. I started studying percussions when I was ten and then I went for the drumset the following year. I had my very first experience in a rock band in 2001. The first time I played on the street for fun was in 2011 in London, Piccadilly Circus.

What’s the best thing about it?

The street is simply the best and widest spot for an artist. It’s the only place where you are really free to express yourself and to do whatever you want, without filters or compromises.

What inspires you for your performances?

I’m highly influenced by the 80’s new wave, EBM, industrial and old school techno from the early 90’s. My performance is something like a mixture of all these sounds inspiring my music.

Where’s your favourite spot to perform at? Tell us a funny story from your experiences in the European cities!

My favourite spot to perform is definitely Mauer Park in Berlin. One of the funniest story from my experiences abroad was just in Berlin: I was playing in Warschauer Strasse along the S-Bahn bridge when a crazy bare-chested guy came dancing in front of me and then he started making abdominal exercises.

You use lots of unconventional “instruments” – how did you get the ideas about what to use and how often do you add or change stuff?

I made a choice between several objects sounding similar to electronic music, and also to industrial sounds. The idea about what to use came just from the kind of sounds I wanted to obtain, and I don’t change my stuff very often unless some of the instruments get really broken.

Dario hits the Super Market:

Do you improvise most of the time or you plan and rehearse the tunes in advance?

I improvise most of the time, but of course, I follow certain schedules and bars to create real live tracks.

What advice would you give to young drummers?

First of all, I would advise all young drummers not to focus themselves just on studying. It’s also important to research your own sound which is useful to create a personal style that is going to make the difference between you and anyone else.

Can you share your top secret music tricks? It’s important for us to provide our readers with knowledge.

I don’t think I have any specific music tricks. My live performance consists mainly of manipulating sounds through my body and my hands, that’s it! The single”trick” I use is melting together all my musical influence to create a unique sound. My style in mostly techno, but obviously it’s not just that.

Do you teach drum lessons online and can you compare it to in-person teaching?

No, I have never taught drums online and I don’t think it’s comparable to a teacher watching you while you are playing.

What do you think of Drooble?

I think Drooble is just a perfect way to connect artists, musicians and music lovers.

Your performances attract big crowds – can you earn a living by solely playing in the streets?

Yes, I can earn a living just playing in the streets. Now, I also have several requests for official events from all over the world, so I’m busking less than I used to do in the past.

What do you think of the music industry nowadays?

I think the music industry really changed a lot, cause many bands are selling their material directly at gigs or through the web. In the past years, it used to be different, cause there were many issues on vinyl and lots of people were buying them. I think nowadays there’s not a real music industry anymore, but fortunately, there are still people who own independent labels and promote interesting bands and artists.

One of our favourites, this one is called ‘Mechanical Sea’:

Are you thinking about a studio album?

Yes, I’m recording a studio album right now. I’m combining my street sounds with electronic music and acoustic percussion. What message do you want to send to the world?

What message do you want to send to the world?

Believe in your passion and potential even though it is unusual. Unusual might become unique. Listen to others, but first listen to yourself.

Dario Rossi from Rome, Italy. Follow him at drooble.com/dario.rossi