FFiume and that irrepressible want to see the entire world through at least 33 revolutions per minute.
We met Francesco Fiume in Milano. He was coming back from London, where he lives, and he was about to go to Calabria, where he was born. In a momentary lapse of nostalgia, we’ve started discussing about the old fashioned world of “physical supports”, from photography to music. Because Francesco, or FFiume, has always lived with music. From his beginning as DJ and selector at a young age, to rapping, to strettoblaster, an online editorial project made of beats, pieces, and wrong ideas, something which is not music related, but it’s about the very specific lifestyle that music itself carries on. But speaking of nostalgia, let’s bear the beautiful dreamy feeling that brings us back to the time when long playing in 12″ were dominating the scene. And you had to come back home and play these with your soundsystem. We are superhappy to have Francesco Fiume for our Wood’d Vibes column this week. He brought us a mixtape thought and played strictly with vinyls. Listen to it and play it loud! Let’s go, Francesco!
Ciao Francesco, tell us a bit…who are you?
Francesco Fiume, also known as FFiume, or FF, or Mister River, pick up the one you like. I am a brand marketing and digital communications consultant for sportswear and lifestyle brands, and I have ties and connections to the Italian underground music scene, through deejayin’, crate diggin’, rapping and beat producing. Last but not least, I am the creative director and founder of strettoblaster, an online journal and media factory devoted to creativity in many forms. I have fun and love what I do, basically, and I’m dead serious at it. With a smile 🙂
How did you start to get involved with music?
I was very very young, like seven or eight years old, nothing more than a kid from a small town with big dreams, and music was the perfect soundtrack to those dreams. I used to read a lot of books and listen to music. I’ve started listening to everything first, ranging from pop radio broadcasting to my dad’s classical music records. Then I fell in love with doing tapes on a two deck stereo recorder linked with a radio, using the pause button. It was for fun, just for the sake of it, though. I’ve started buying records afterwards, and making tapes for friends, and at some point I’ve also worked as radio host in a few small local stations. Left the small town, travelled a bit, I’ve got deep into the deejay culture and the sound system scene from the early Nineties, studied the hip hop beat-making techniques with turntables and samplers, and so on and on. Still studying, still learning, still travelling.
What are the main influences on your sound?
As a grown hip hop head and music lover, that’s a tough question to answer. I’d say everything in between Jimi Hendrix and James Brown. I’ve gone through different types of listening experiences across several different genres, and finally I can say I’m about everything with a groove into it. It got to be funky. No matter where it comes from. I like to keep my sound bouncy, earthy, yet soulful, with a secret edge. Something like a jungle vibe, natural yet mysterious. I can’t really explain this any better.
What are you currently listening to?
Different things, from different eras. I am deep into GXFR, Conway and Westside Gunn, the newest heavy rap sensations from Buffalo, NYC. Lots of contemporary instrumental music from producers like MNDSGN, or small jazz outfits like BBNG or Yussef Kamaal, for instance. And oldies, tons of oldies. I constantly dig for second-hand records, and often bump into crazy unexpected stuff. I’m a sucker for Italian and French music from the Sixties, too!
Where you draw your main inspirations for this mix?
The jungle, of course! 😉 I’ve drawn inspiration from the chilled and stylish vibes that Wood’d inspires me, and tried to translate in music my own perception of the brand. Respecting Wood’d mood, my aim was to create a groovy yet subtle atmosphere to fluctuate into. You’ll tell me!
What have you prepared for Wood’d?
Roughly half an hour of soulful jazz-funk, a bit of bouncy easy-listening, some obscure versions of famous tunes, and rugged soul music. I like to think that this is something you can rock in different situations. Once again, you tell me 😉