Interview: Booz

Past outings with a number of solid record labels such as ARTS, Illegal Alien, and Edit Select have given techno DJ & producer Booz the chance to build up a solid catalogue of lean, club-primed studio productions.

The Italian artist also runs a label of his own in Prophet Recordings, where names like Oscar Mulero and Steve Bicknell have previously released, and the labels forthcoming VA album ‘Ritual Act IV’ will deliver a 16-track project which features works from Alex Dolby, Joaquin Ruiz, and more.

We caught up with Booz recently to chat about the new compilation, what he has in the pipeline for the 2023 year, and which other labels he might be working with soon. Get the full discussion below.

How are things in the life of Booz right now?

Hi mate, thanks for the invite and nice to be chatting. Let’s say that at the moment things are going well, I’ve had a rough time over the past 5 years, but now that seems to all be behind me. A few months ago my daughter was born and life began to make me smile, there is nothing more beautiful!

You’re about to release your 16-track ‘Ritual Act IV’ VA on your own Prophet Recordings, how would you describe the album in your own words?

The ‘Ritual Act’ is a very delicate concept for me, it expresses Prophet’s essence: It is not just a set of tracks, but a real musical journey, which starts with dark, hypnotic sounds, and reaches something more pushed and rough, also passing through classic sounds, atmospheric, dub, and sci-fi.

It includes music from names like Alex Dolby, Jereon Search, and Joaquin Ruiz, how did you select who would be on the project?

On average, I try to do one a year, personally selecting the artists I think are closest to my musical vision. There must be something in the music I listen to that makes me go: “ok, this is from Ritual”. This Ritual, in particular, starts from far away, almost 2 years of research and selection, perhaps it was the most hardly, because at the beginning I couldn’t fit the artists as I wanted: I have to say a special thanks to all the artists who had the patience to wait for me, they were really kind!

And what else can we expect to see on Prophet in the near future?

Prophet is constantly growing and the planning for 2023 is proof of this. I worked really hard to get the music I love and I’m sure it will be the most amazing year, the year of the definitive step: you will see artists who have made the history of techno and emerging artists who are writing it now.

Your own music has come via labels such as ARTS, Edit Select, and Illegal Alien in the past, which other imprints might we see you on soon?

2023 will be full of news for me, I will start the year with a return to my favourite label Edit Select, with a very special release, something really different from the usual techno. I’ve already planned a series of releases on labels like Postdynamic, Space Texture, and of course, my Prophet, but the surprise will be in mid-2023 on a label I’ve been chasing for years.

Have you set yourself any goals or resolutions for 2023?

The main goal always remains the same, to make my family and friends proud of me, taking my music and Prophet ever higher, with a series of great releases and showcase events.

And what was one highlight for you in 2022?

The highlight of 2022 was definitely the birth of my daughter, something that stays with you forever. As artists, we often make the mistake of revolving our whole life around music, but in the end, true joys come from the dearest affections and having a child is really the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.

Is there anything else you want to mention before we finish?

I would like to thank all the people who have been close to me in hard moments, and those who continue to support me today!

Ritual Act IV is out this month on Prophet Recordings.