VIBE MUSIC PREMIERE: ALEX GAUDINO MIXTAPE + Q&A On New Track with Taboo!

Italian sensation DJ Alex Gaudino has rapidly become the hottest thing out of Italy since thin crust. His danceable music reflects all that is fresh and vibrant about electronic dance music right now. What's more, he infuses a savvy and twisted elegance into the aesthetics of being a superstar DJ. How? By working with the multi-talented member of The Black Eyed Peas, Taboo, for his new hit single on Ultra Records, “I Don't Wanna Dance." Snag it here on iTunes.

Check out VIBE’s exclusive Alex Gaudino Mixtape, and stay tuned for a Q&A with the Italian stallion DJ.

Hot Beats Below:

VIBE: What influences your rapper/singer choices like Taboo on I Don't Wanna Dance or Kelly Rowland in the past?
Alex Gaudino: It’s just about respect and sometimes chance. I’ve always loved and respected Kelly as an artist and so we sent her the track. I was thrilled when she said yes. I met Taboo on a plane and we hit it off. I really respect him, too, and am honored to be making music together.

Tell us about your hip-hop history.
I come from a small village in the South of Italy that’s famous for the best mozzarella in the world... and for me now, too, a little, maybe. I moved to Milan and started doing A&R for a dance label and DJing at the same time. Then I cut “Destination Calabria” and things started happening.

Do you have any favorite hip-hop artists you look to for inspiration?
I love LL Cool J.
With rap’s growing influence on EDM and vice versa, do you feel there will there be a subgenre where the two combine? I think it’s already happening!

Despite your wide fan base, how would you describe your music to someone new to the EDM scene?
It’s a mixture of song-oriented dance music and more club-oriented electro house. And it comes straight from the center of my soul!