Name: John Acquaviva
Occupation: Producer, DJ, label founder at Plus 8 and Definitive
Nationality: Canadian
Current release: John Acquaviva curated, edited and mixed The Definitive Selection Vol. 1, a personal selection of cuts from the early Definitive catalogue.
Global Recommendation: One of my homes is San Pedro de Atacama. Come visit the desert and see the stars as you have never seen them before …
Things I am passionate about but rarely get to talk about: Anything that is absurd. Albert Camus is top of my list these days.  

If you enjoyed this John Acquaviva interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram, and Soundcloud.



What were some of the musical experiences which planted a seed for your interest in electronic music?

The genres of Soul, Funk and Disco were my first loves, and in the 70s and 80’s, they were pretty much leading the way when it came to utilising electronic instruments.

Most genres of music make use of electronic production means. What does the term “electronic music” mean today, would you say?

I feel that the term is extremely hard to define; what even is House and Techno music??

If electronic music truly means, “a record created electronically”, then it has to cover the majority of music consumed today.

Personally, I prefer music that is created without any, or with a minimum of electronic elements.

Disco, House, Techno, DnB, IDM and many other genres were about a lot more than just music. For you personally, is electronic music (still) a way of life – and if so, in which way?

Music is a way of life; it is the fabric of my life story and many others’.

These days however, club culture and electronic music seems to consist of sampling samples that have already been sampled; it’s like eating at McDonald’s, which I would never do.

Debates around electronic music tend to focus on technology. What, though, were some of the things you learned by talking to colleagues or through performing and/or recording with other musicians? What role does community play for your interest in production and getting better as a producer?

I have talked and debated almost every facet of music creation and technology. As I stated before, I am currently of the opinion that the modern creative space is mostly about samples sampling samples.

Principles are a rare thing to find in the industry these days, and you can hear a lack of authenticity for the most part in the creation process.

What are examples for artists, performances, and releases that really inspired you recently and possibly gave you the feeling of having experienced something fresh and new?

I personally love live performances;

Kink is an excellent example of someone who has mastered this craft. I love real musicians, real voices and real lyrics.

What kind of musical/sonic materials, and ideas are particularly stimulating for your own work right now?

Recently, I’ve been reissuing Definitive’s past catalogue, so I’m currently in the headspace of early electronic sounds.

They were raw, more difficult to create, and there was a beauty and honesty behind that rawness.

Where do most of your inspirations to create come from – rather from internal  impulses or external ones? Which current social / political / ecological or other developments make you feel like you need to respond as an artist?

Philosophy, painting, some literature, and regional music such as GNAWA or Afro-Disco from the 70s/80s.

Tell me a bit about the sounds & creative directions, artists & communities, as well as the colleagues & creative hotspots of your current hometown, please. How do they influence your music?

I travel a lot, but I find myself in Barcelona frequently; there are many hubs of creativity there.

Berlin is, in my opinion, a creative crucible.

Today, electronic music has an interesting relationship between honouring its roots and exploring the unknown. What does the balance between these two poles look like in your music?

I like your question. I believe that the relationship between the roots of music and what we have now is NOT STRONG ENOUGH.

AI makes it even worse as it twists beautiful, original things and gives no credit to the humans that made them.

What were some of the recent tools you bought, used, or saw/read about which changed your perspective about production, performing, and making music?

I hung out with a few friends that make their own drums, and they were drumming together during a sunset. It’s pretty cool to see people come together over real rhythms …

How do you see the role of sampling in electronic music today?

I welcomed sampling from the beginning, and I am fine with it; people should acknowledge the positives of it.

What are some of the most recent innovations in sound design for you - and what are currently personal limits to realising the sounds you have in your mind?  

I really like what ENDEL did to create moods with their generated soundscapes, whilst taking into account personal and environmental factors.

As far as it is applicable to your work, how would you describe the interaction between your music and DJing/DJ culture and clubs?  

As a DJ, I like to tell stories. I’m less interested in a party that is more of a spectacle; consumer and creator culture does not often appeal to me.

Even if AI will not entirely replace human composition, it looks set to have a significant impact on it. What does the terms composing/producing mean in the era of AI, do you feel?

It’s a Pandora’s box. Most artists are not original these days to begin with,  and they have even less hope of being so if they use AI.