Balance is the key to Hunter/Game ’s music. It’s part of growing up in Milan – a sophisticated urban center for film, fashion and art, but whose inhabitants relish the contrast of spending reflective time in the nature that surrounds the city. Having been part of Milan’s techno scene since its first days, the duo of Emmanuele Nicosia and Martino Bertola now find themselves equally influenced by the city and by nature – making music that harnesses the urban propulsion of techno within an introspective, thoughtful take on melody.
It started in 2010 with the “Just This” parties. Hunter/Game’s own party, held in secret locations around the city, Just This has made Milan a compulsory stop for the touring electronic artist – from early shows that focused on local acts like Mind Against and Tale Of Us, growing to far bigger events with names like Dixon, Seth Troxler, Koze, Tennis and other DJs in Hunter/Game’s worldwide scene. And alongside the parties, the duo has released on Innervisions, Rumors, Last Night on Earth, My Favourite Robot, Hot Creations and Dynamic – with a Kompakt release in early 2015 – and each EP has earned more fans for their lush, deep-grooved analogue soundscapes.
In 2015, alongside a heavy Europe and North American touring schedule, Hunter/Game has opened the doors of the “Just This” label. Distributed by Kompakt, the label opens with the leftfield electronic dance stylings of Danish-Icelandic band Primal, Pisetzky, Landside and more to come. With a stylistic approach that leans toward Hunter/Game’s own, ‘Just This’ releases are aimed at the discerning dancefloor but are as influenced by the wild ambition of 80s electronic acts using contemporary analogue production techniques.
Even with this global success, Milan is still the base. Having painstakingly helped grow the local scene, Hunter/Game see themselves responsible for keeping the energy of “Just This” going. As other DJs have moved away – and despite Hunter/Game’s regular slots at key international clubs like Fabric, D-Edge, Warung, Output, Wilde Renate and Studio 80 – the duo see that combination of urban and country, sophistication and lucidity, are critical to their inspiration and their future experiments with sound.
We’re happy to have the duo on our mix series. Enjoy the dark melancholic ride…
