Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

In person

Image www.photolibrary.com, Getty Images

Vito De Luca

Vito De Luca is one of the founder members of Aeroplane, the electronic disco duo who’ve become a firm favourite on the club circuit. On the eve of the release of debut album We Can’t Fly De Luca has become a solo pilot, as partner Stephen Fasano is moving on to other projects. He talks to Jenny McNeely about recording an album, musical idols and being an Italian in Belgium

Our album launches in September.

I put two years of my life into this. At the moment I’m feeling proud, free and scared all at the same time. It’s a lot of energy invested in something, so I hope it’s going to get a good reception.

We recorded in Toulouse, but I don’t really know what the city looks like.

We worked in the former recording studio of Image, a very cheesy 1980s French band. The studio was just a few minutes from the hotel, and I went in there at 10am and wouldn’t get back until 4am. We also recorded in London, Belgium, Los Angeles and Paris – so it’s a bit of a puzzle.

The producer of the album was Bertrand Burgalat.

He really took us by the hand, explaining everything step by step and showing us how to make a record. Bertrand opened the way for me to become a professional – before that I was just a guy in his attic with a computer.

For artistic reasons I’m now the only member of Aeroplane.

There is no anger, no sadness, Stephen and I had been working together for nearly seven years and we were beginning to move in different directions. We realised that one of us had to go to ensure the project would last. Aeroplane will be just the same and I will work with him in the future, maybe as the sound engineer or producer on his next project.

My parents are from Italy – I was born in Belgium but I am 100% Italian.

I don’t get back as often as I’d like to. My roots are in Palermo, Sicily, which is a bit of a messy place. Sicilians are really full-on people and everyone talks loudly, but I feel at ease when I’m there, like I belong. I was always told that driving in Palermo is impossible, but I could drive there immediately. It’s simple – never stop for red lights.

I’m starting to work on my Italian cooking.

My grandmother and mother are amazing in the kitchen but for some reason when I use the same ingredients and the same recipe it never tastes the same – there must be something magical they do that makes their meals as good as they are.

There’s an old cigar bar I go to when I’m back in Brussels called L’Archiduc (6 Rue Antoine Dansaert).

It’s usually filled with old jazz fans, but young people who want to drink in a different atmosphere are starting to go there too. It’s packed on a Saturday night, when the jazz is on. I just came back from a three-week tour in the US and the food is horrible there, so now I’m back in Belgium for a few days I’m really looking forward to some good meals.

I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to Apple.

I have a bag that I always carry with me when travelling with my iPod, iPad and Mac Book – basically the whole Mac kit – which keeps me entertained for a long time.

I’m a classically trained pianist.

My uncle was a musician and from about the age of six I would hang out with him, listening and playing music. The first records I ever listened to were stolen from his garage. Then my parents encouraged me to go the next step, so I started learning the piano when I was 11. When you have studied music for years it becomes reflexive – writing harmonies and songs comes much easier because it feels much more natural and just flows.

I’m inspired by legends from the 1970s and 1980s.

Bands like Pink Floyd, The Stones, Lucio Battisti and old Italian disco. I love Fleetwood Mac – ‘Songbird’ is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and I usually finish my DJ set with ‘Dreams’. Basically I like things that are on the border between good and bad taste.  

I have so many idols I’d like to work with.

Bowie fascinates me – I find him musically mind-blowing – while Mark Hollis from Talk Talk is probably my favourite voice from the 80s; we really wanted to work with him but couldn’t reach him. I hope he takes a flight and reads this magazine and gets in touch! I’d like David Gilmour to explain to me how he plays the guitar like nobody else does. Actually, I’d like to listen to, rather than work with, my idols. I’m sure I would learn more in 10 minutes than I’ve learnt in my whole life so far.

One of my favourite gigs was at Libertine Supersport in Brussels (1 Avenue du Port).

We hadn’t played in Belgium for about a year and when we arrived the club was just beautiful, and packed full of our friends. We played with the British DJ Erol Alkan, who said it was one of the best clubs he’d ever played in.

I don’t know what ‘time off’ means.

But when I’m free I like to lie on a beach doing nothing. I like to keep things as silent as possible. With all the loud music my ears are exposed to, I try to give them complete time off. I don’t want to mess with my hearing; if I went deaf it would be like trying to paint when you’re blind.

Leave a Reply