Davide Squillace creates an exclusive mix for Wonderland ahead of his appearance at Hideout Festival this summer

What did you grow up listening to?

When I was really young, it was mainly soft pop music from Italy. The kind of stuff that now would be considered a guilty pleasure. Then I moved onto landscape electronic, things like Mille Plateaux or Warp and then got into harder stuff a little later on, in terms of 4/4 music.

What about electronic sounds, when did you first discover them? 

I think it was back in Napoli in this club called Black Roses, where there were these three guys playing called ‘Three Imaginary Boys’. They mostly played progressive electronic music, with a massive emphasis on the progressive part! There and then I just thought: “Wow, what the fuck is this!?” I was totally seduced by the sounds I was hearing and the next day started researching similar music.

Talk us through the mix you have created for Wonderland…

I’d rather have people listen to it than me commenting every track, I find it difficult to talk about the music or the journey I’m taking you through. I rather it when people just listening to it and feel it in their own way. It’s a very personal experience the way a particular track can make you feel, so I might say something that doesn’t really apply to the perception of the listener and I don’t want to ruin anyone’s experience.

We can understand that. How do you balance running multiple labels, dj’ing and producing music? 

It’s a fucking mess! Thankfully, I have a great team of people that help me take care of everything and when I’m not DJing I have the time to be in the studio. Then once, twice, three times a week we have meetings to discuss the most important things and develop creative ideas from there.

What was the starting point for This and That Lab? 

This And That Lab came from the need to not just focus on being an electronic label, but also to create links between music and art, it works as an outlet for our creative needs and a place to generate ideas, collaborations and projects that are inspiring both for us and for the people we reach with them.

Other than Hideout where can we see you this summer? 

I’m super busy this summer, it’s really exciting to have the opportunity to play in so many different environments. I’m at DC-10 for my residency at Circo Loco, Amnesia opening, Tomorrow land, EDC and South West Four.

It looks like you’ve played at all of the most influential clubs across the world, is there a club or festival you are yet to play and want to? 

To be honest with you, I would have never imagined when I started that I would play all the festivals and clubs that I have, but if I had the chance, I would have loved to play at Limelight in NYC or at this festival in Napole called “Eccrecha” which only had three editions; both of those places hold a really special place in my mind and have been super influential to the kind of artist I’ve become. Also, this summer I’m doing Glastonbury for the first time which is huge and has always been up there on the list.

Aside from all of those, what else does 2014 have in store for you?

I’m having a big focus on releasing solo projects and some collaborative projects with other people. Last year I was being a little lazy (mainly because I was touring non-stop) and I really felt the urge to go back into the studio to be able to play more of my own music in the clubs. So new stuff is coming out.  We are also working on an album with ‘Better Lost Than Stupid’ a really exciting collaborative project I have going with Matthias Tanzmann and Martin Buttrich which is taking way longer than we thought since one of us lives in LA, one in Germany and I live in Spain! Plus we all have very busy schedules so it’s been quite complicated to get together but I’m really excited about it.

See Davide Squillance at Hideout Festival in Croatia 10th June – 3rd July. For more information please visit hideoutfestival.com.