Riva Starr talks to Firefly before smashing-up the Garvey

The next monster Firefly is just days away and we can’t wait for Riva Starr – one of the biggest movers and shakers in the game currently – to grace the decks of the Garvey.

His album If Life Gives you Lemons, Make Lemonade killed it at the beginning of the year, and he is also going from strength to strength as head of his own label Snatch!

We caught up with him to ask him what we can expect come Saturday evening…

Firefly: Hey Stefano, hope you’re well. Could you briefly describe where you are and what is around you?

Riva Starr: Kitchen, cooking right now… Got basil, parmesan and spaghetti on the table. They are ready to jump into a tomato sauce I m cooking right in front of me

FF: At Firefly we are hyped about you coming to play at the Garvey next month, what springs to mind when you think of the UK and how do you rate the crowds?

RS: I live in the UK – have been here for a few years now – London to be precise.. And I love uk crowd, propa rave-heads!

FF: What memories of Nottingham and its people do you have?

RS: I really love Nottingham – been there a few times and its been a massive night each time.. Still looking for Robin Hood though…

FF: What sort of a set can we expect at Firefly, or does it really depend on how the night takes you?

RS: It all depends on my set time. I could play a bit deeper, or totally rave it up. I never plan my sets too much – I like my record box to be like a magicians hat, you never know what I am going to pull out.

FF: You’re dates appear rammed up until the new year, playing across Europe and going to Asia before starting 2011 at the Australian festivals – when is the next time you are going to find time to get back in the studio and get some new productions out?

RS: Tell me about it! Thank God I can work on my laptop while I m travelling but I really need to make mixdowns in the studio as I am an analog freak… Got plenty coming thru my label plus a few remixes so it’s all sorted till the end of the year!

FF: How much involvement do you have with your label Snatch!, and what can we expect from that?

RS: I’m the boss, A&R, make coffe and clean toilets in the office sometimes… I can even pretend to be a voicemail if needed.

FF: The Italian electronic dance scene has thrown up some pretty massive names in recent years such as yourself, Crookers and Congorock – who is the next set of DJ/producers we should be looking out for?

RS: Well, there are a few more established one like Santos, I would keep an eye for Pirupa as he’s smashing it at the mo.

FF: If you were booking a festival and you had three spaces on the mainstage to fill, who would you have playing alongside you who?

RS: Oh gosh! I would say Led Zeppelin, Genesis and Doors (on their golden age)… I could do a prog/rock set!

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If you still haven’t got your tickets for Firefly on Saturday with Riva Starr, Phil Kieran and Scuba vs. SCB – you are in luck, because there are still a few here.