Ivory: Alchemy In Motion

Beyond sounds, Daniel Tagliaferri’s Ivory project has become a sanctuary of surreal beauty. Unique in his approach, the Italian artist has graced some of the most significant imprints in the circuit, and his latest delivery for Berlin / New York-based ICONYC is nothing short of exceptional.

Type </01 Magazine ventures into the intricate world of Ivory (IT), uncovering the creative alchemy behind his new ICONYC single, When It’s Cold. In this exclusive interview, the Italian maestro opens up about the inspirations driving his music, his perspective on the rise of AI in the industry, the closure of ASLICE, and his hopes for the future. Through his thoughtful reflections, Ivory reveals the artistry and vision shaping his unique contribution to electronic music.

Hey Daniel! How are you doing? How have you been? Thank you for joining us today.

I’m good. Thanks for having me over. I’m excited to answer your questions!

Congratulations on the release of your ICONYC single, “When It’s Cold”. We can imagine the excitement must be high! So, how are you feeling about this one?

Well, releasing new music is always rewarding, it’s the realization of a long process that started in the studio months before. This time is very special because “When It’s Cold” is the first original track to see the light of day in 2024, having produced it in the same year.

Speaking about the record, what can your fans expect to find on “When It’s Cold”?

I think people can just expect a track in perfect Ivory style: groove, melodies, and synths.

“When It’s Cold” has a very kaleidoscopic feel to it, but never in an overbearing kind of way. It’s almost like it resembles the intricacies of a snowflake. Was that your intention? It feels like one of those rare moments in electronic music where the music really matches the title.

As the title suggests, when it’s cold, we tend to huddle ourselves to find warmth, this could be seen in a physical way but also with a more philosophic meaning, a way to take time to explore ourselves, our deepest part and find the warmth in us.

Obviously, we know that every track is different, but could you share a bit of your artistic process with us? What was the process behind “When It’s Cold” like?

Yeah, sure. The workflow for this track was really interesting and easy to explain. The idea came out during a quick study about the piano chords used by the French composer Erik Satie. I was really intrigued by his atmospheres, so I decided to study some chords and harmonies to replicate that particular melancholic sound.

With releases on ICONYC, Innervisions, Exit Strategy, microCastle, and more…are you making the music that you thought you’d be making when you first started? If not, what do you think of the voice you have found as an artist?

I don’t think I ever expected myself to make music with a certain sound or style. I strongly believe this has to be the first requirement for an artist, to take and give shape to your art as it comes out of you, without curbing creativity in response to a model to be achieved.

Talking particularly about my sound, I’m happy with it because I feel it’s “mine” and very personal, even though I constantly work to discover new ways to approach music production.

And where do you usually go to for inspiration? Do you have a set of “routines” that you know are bound to get you in the right mind frame?

No, not really. I have no routines to “find” inspiration. I just wait. For me, it’s like a physiological need. When inspiration comes, I go to the studio to squeeze out every single drop of it.

By the way, in the past weeks, we’ve seen the closure of ASLICE, which was intended to bring some balance to the DJ/producer dynamic. What do you think of its closure? Should big-name DJs be sharing their fees with the producers who create the tracks they are playing?

Well, I have been part of Aslice from the very beginning as a producer, and I have to say it was a fantastic tool made by one of the truest DJs out there. The closing of Aslice is a very complex subject that should stimulate necessary and bigger thoughts about the entire club/dance music industry.

Going into detail, Aslice was a good effort to bring fairness to the club music scene, but, actually, we’re talking about receiving a few hundred euros every three months. I mean, is this enough to really change something? And I know that the idea behind Aslice was more than good and for sure is not their fault if just a few DJs joined the project.

There’s a gap so big in terms of earnings and exposure between the DJs who play other artists' music and the producers who made that music, I really think that we can bring more balance giving producers a real chance to grow up as artists. For example, why do we see always the same line-ups in clubs and festivals all over the world? Because it’s not about music. It’s about money and selling tickets, which is totally understandable from the promoters' side, but we are also forgetting to give the right acknowledgment to the creativity and the talent of those who spent a lot of time in the studio making that music, which is necessary for an entire market that asks for new music so quickly and constantly.

But, it’s not just the promoters' and big DJs' fault, it’s also a cultural problem because the audience first is not educated to dig for new music, and explore artists and their productions. They just take what the market gives to them. I know of many people going to see the same artist playing even 10 times in a year, but never attending the shows of the producers who have made those tracks played by their favorite DJ.

How we can change all of this? There’s only one way. By putting back the music on top in the music industry because, at the moment, it’s not.

And with AI? What is your relationship with that like? Have you implemented any form of AI in recent releases? Do you think this is one of those things that will drive the scene forward?

Honestly, I never used AI I'm my productions till now. There are some different and opposite opinions about the use of AI in music, and I know many people are worried because we don’t know where it will lead us. For example…will musicians and producers be replaced by AI in the future? Can the rising use of AI in music production destroy or heavily change the music market? It’s a possibility. Will AI redefine the way we make music, opening new frontiers, and becoming a very versatile tool for musicians? It’s a possibility too. For sure it’s something we haven’t explored enough, but I think that in every way we’ll see human creativity gaining more and more value in the future as something very special and extraordinary.

Finally, having gone over the recent past and the present, what’s next for Ivory? What new milestones are you looking forward to now?

Thinking about my path as a DJ and producer, I always think that I’m at the beginning…there are so many clubs, festivals, and countries where I never played, even if in these past years I have traveled around the world performing in so many countries; also, talking about studio work, the music changes so fast, there are so many influences, and approaches to explore…

Thank you for your time, Daniel! Best of luck with “When It’s Cold”. Catch you soon!

Thanks to you! I’ll see you around then!

Ivory’s latest single, “When It’s Cold“, is out now via ICONYC. Find your copy here.