Fab Samperi - Power Bossa Remixed (2014)

For Fab Samperi it was a natural choice not stick to just one style. „I grew up surrounded by music. While my father was a jazz lover, my older brother Rob was the one who introduced me to a wide array of genres since i was little. Funk, Rock’n’Roll, Acid Jazz, HipHop, this is what you would find in his record collection. When I was about eight he was one of the first and most respected DJs in southern Italy. Rob was also a drummer and he taught me how to play when I was 10.“ Musical
education didn’t stop here for Fab Samperi. „At music school I learned how to read and write music. I studied the flute for five years before I was getting more and more into Rock music. So I bought an
electric guitar and started my own band, later I taught myself to play piano.“
“Power Bossa Remixed” starts with “Listen Up”, speeded up by forward thinking and globe travelling Canadian DJ Stickybuds. “I’ve been working with him for some time now,” says Samperi. “We were
checking edits for our live sets. They are definitely a big part of the fun. When you’re DJing you definitely want to have fun. You gotta get into it, you know, to connect to the crowd. But at the same time you’re the DJ and your job is to bring the good music to the party, and most importantly, the hype! So I am really happy that Stickybuds and me have an official release and it perfectly kicks off this album.” Mo’ Horizons add some Brazilian Drum’n’Bass beats to “Stand Back”, transforming the tune in something new. The result is astounding. “We actually met a few times in Hannover, Catania and shared the same stage in Groningen. We also share the same feelings about music and are friends since their debut came out.” Skeewiff, a pioneer in his field, keeps the ball rolling with a dancefloor jazz version of “Stand Back”: “I love his remixes, he has an unmistakable style. And they are always
bestsellers!” Bringing in Northern English funk & soul institution Smoove (from Smoove & Turrell) with musicians Andy Champion and Mike Porter felt naturally for Fab Samperi and came really easy:
“We played at the jazz festival in Groningen and spent the next day together, but I've been knowing him through the internet for many years now. These guys are so real, funny and down to earth. Besides, I'm a big fan we just had to exchange mixes.” “With CMC & Silenta I share the same love for Big Beat and Soul music. I still remember we had a
nice chat about music and philosophy when they were in Catania. They are top blokes! Sly Players is Slim of the Good Groove label himself, he was one first people who released my tunes. Ursula 1000 is always one of my favourite choices when it comes down to remixes,” Fab Samperi recalls about the other contributors. Jean-Marc Preisler aka JFB, meanwhile, is a DMC champion and celebrated remix artist. Adding spices to „Everyman“ featuring the mighty John Turrell is beat expert Timewarp Inc from Greece, as is Basement Freaks who recently moved to Hamburg/Germany, another sure-shot candidate for „Power Bossa Remixed“. „We played the Ghetto Funk stage at the Sunrise Festival in
the UK. George is such a great and honest guy, we simply had to arrange mixes for each other.“ DJ Love from Dallas/USA makes a welcome appearance and describes the essence of a perfect remix
scenario in his own words. „I am a true-school hip-hop head and DJ who absolutely loves breaks, electronic and just good music. Plain and simple.“
A Fab Samperi remix album would never be a complete without The Captain. „Oh yes, The Captain! A friend of mine and me, we have this special slang. When a person is really cool and stylish in what
he does, this guy is a Captain for us. So when I started doing remixes, my friend liked them so much, suddenly I was The Captain,“ Fab Samperi explains. “Some people say that I invented a new style
called ‘Power Bossa’, a blend of Latin, HipHop, Funk and Swing. Of course it is nice to get that kind of credit, but I obviously don’t take it too seriously. As you know, there’s no such thing as a single person making a new musical genre. Every style, old or new, builds on the past.” With “Power Bossa Remixed”, Fab Samperi shows his respect for this past and its musical innovators - and, being The Captain, he does it in style!”