Frankey & Sandrino’s productions, DJ and live sets, are made of the right stern to snowball dance floors worldwide and fill them with epic moments.
Both Frankey and Sandrino have individually been active with electronic music well over a decade now. On the one hand, there’s Sandrino whose passion for life is driven by longtime love for house music in all its forms and shapes. On the other hand, there is Frankey, a schooled musician who already has a string of full-length albums and single releases out under different disguises. After their encounter at Butan club, where Sandrino held a residency, the guys were drawn to each other by their mutual thirst for deep & melodic music, resulting in the self-named project by 2010.
We caught up with Sandrino as he looks back into his recent Fiction NYC event, inspirations and upcoming months plans.
Electronic Groove: Hi Sandrino. Thanks for the time to chat with us. You’ve released music on highly respected labels such as Innervisions and Kompakt. What’s next for Sandrino and Frankey & Sandrino duo?
Sandrino: Thanks guys. We just released a two-track EP ‘Virgo’ on our Sum Over Histories imprint. Right now we are working on a new EP for Kompakt which will be released in the fall. We also have a remix lined up for Zombies in Miami.
EG: You recently played in New York at the Fiction summer sunset opening cruise party during your most recent North American tour. How was your set? What was the crowd like?
Sandrino: The further we are from home, the more enthusiastic the crowd is about the music we play. But it could just be me being excited about playing outside of Europe and possibly that hypes the crowd up. The Fiction summer boat party in New York was an awesome experience. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to play an open to close set at sunset on the Hudson River. I generally prefer to play longer sets because I have more control over the music and it gives me the freedom to play my way all night long. I really appreciate the trust that the Fiction promoters and the people that attended the party put in me!
EG: How did you find it playing on a boat as opposed to in a club or outdoors at a festival? Was the vibe any different?
Sandrino: I think that even for New Yorkers it is a very special experience to cruise on the Hudson River past the Statue of Liberty and to look back at the Manhattan skyline during sunset. I was having such a great time on the Fiction boat party and I tried to reflect that through the music. The energy is always completely different playing outdoors as opposed to inside a dark club. Both experiences have their charm and obviously affect the music in different ways. Just like everyone else I like to be outdoors as much as possible during Summer so playing on a boat is right up my alley!
“The further we are from home, the more enthusiastic the crowd is about the music we play”
EG: Where do you get your inspiration from as a producer?
Sandrino: My inspiration comes from everywhere; it can be from life in general, my current mood, some music I’ve been listening to or just from the moments I spend with Frankey in the studio.
EG: Who are some other DJ’s and producers you admire?
Sandrino: To be completely honest, it’s hard to pinpoint just a few because there are a lot of really talented artists out there. I recently listened to a live recording from Ata at Robert Johnson back in 2015 and I found it to be really inspiring.
I’m a big fan of my good friend Lazaros who is also a producer. We’ve been friends for over 15 years and I’ve been following his music career that entire time. I’m extremely proud of him and pleased that he is a part of our Sum Over Histories label as he’s also an exceptionally talented DJ.
EG: What are you up to when you aren’t in the studio or on the road touring?
Sandrino: I’m always striving to live as a normal a life as possible. To me this means spending time with my family, my girlfriend, and my friends, usually over wine and good food discovering what else is out there besides music!
EG: What do you do/play differently when you’re performing solo and not with Frankey?
Sandrino: I love both! When I play with Frankey it’s really about being super in the moment as we work off one another’s energy during our sets and it’s usually quite spontaneous what we play. When I am playing as just Sandrino, I tend to have a bit more freedom to express myself whilst still capturing the feeling and vibe of the crowd.
“Just like everyone else I like to be outdoors as much as possible during Summer”
EG: Recently you returned again to Romania where you were born to play there for the first time in over ten years. What was it like playing there and having your mom in the crowd?
Sandrino: I go to Romania often, but this was the first time in a long time that I actually played there. I was very excited as you can imagine! A lot of friends and people came over who didn’t know what I’d been up to in Berlin and they all had a great time. My parents also came to the show which was really special. It was a priceless experience to have old friends and family there all supporting me!
EG: What are your top five tracks of the moment?
Sandrino: Sure they are,
- Fideles – Zanthus (Unreleased)
- Lazaros – Sympan (Unreleased)
- Frankey & Sandrino – Virgo (Sum Over Histories)
- Konvex & the Shadow – Sources (Azzur)
- Vermont – Dschuna (Dixon Mix) (Unreleased)
Next Fiction NYC event will be taking place August 19th with Ripperton and Love Over Entropy.
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