Giorgia Angiuli Will Bring a Live Touch to Her Resistance Set at M2

Egyptian Lover once asked, "What is a DJ if he can't scratch?" While Giorgia Angiuli can't spin, she is a classically trained musician who travels with an arsenal of synths, drum machines, guitars, and a healthy dose of improvisation wherever she goes.

Angiuli will show off her musical prowess at M2 on Saturday, November 25, as part of Ultra's Resistance fall residency at the South Beach nightclub.

"I also bring other main instruments like flutes and guitars," Angiuli tells New Times from her home in Florence, Italy. "Traveling for me is not easy, but I love being a live artist. Even if it is more stressful, I am still happy. It doesn't need to be perfect; it just needs to be real."

Born in Puglia, Italy, Angiuli grew up surrounded by music. She studied guitar and got into metal and rock at a young age. Then, Radiohead's Kid A and Björk opened Angiuli's ears to electronic music. Eventually, around 2013, Angiuli began to produce her own music.

The impetus for producing electronic music came from the realization that the computer could help create complicated arrangements alone and undisturbed. Her creations earned releases through Nora En Pure's Purified Records and Damian Lazarus' Crosstown Rebels.

Watching Angiuli play behind a myriad of hardware evokes a sense of youthful experimentation. Adding even more to the nostalgia is how Angiuli modifies quotidian children's toys into bonafide instruments.

"I started to collect toys many years ago just because I love them for the aesthetic," she explains. "After years of studying psychology and mindfulness, I began to see bringing toys as a good reminder to invoke our inner child, and they make me feel less alone on stage and see the reaction of the crowd. They laugh and start to smile."
Playing live gives birth to improvisation. A minor glitch in one minute could lead Angiuli to a new soundscape. Lately, Angiuli is changing her sets and production from melodic techno to something a bit harder with tinges of trance and psy-trance.

"I have never DJed," she confesses. "I don't even know how to turn on CDJs. To keep motivated, I like to change my sound very often. I can't wait to perform it and hold this concept of the new live set about oneness and being all together. I love using samples from around the world."

Italian duo Mind Against is also on the bill for the Resistance party at M2. What one could see as being isolated by a DJ flank, Angiuli sees it as a perfect juxtaposition that splits the room and enriches both sounds.

"I respect what DJs do; it's just something we do differently," she adds. "I never thought I was better or worse. We speak totally different languages."

Angiuli speaks of delivering a message to the crowd — something they can take and carry away to make themselves feel better throughout her sets. "The message right now, especially during these very hard, overwhelming days, is that music is a universal language," she says. "Our differences should be considered as richness. Even if I don't sing too much into my set or music, I love sharing words of hope."

The multi-instrumentalist has upcoming projects lined up for release on the legendary Armada Music. Angiuli, in particular, notes an especially important EP set to be released, though she remains tightlipped on specifics.

Beyond music, Angiuli will also devote time to mindfulness. Kayla, a project that began three years ago, is in collaboration with the technology company Angel 4 Future and neuroscientists. Kalya is one part an app and the other part a multisensor headband. When the user wears the headband, it scans their brainwaves to show how different sounds can help them be more attentive or less anxious.

"When you struggle with something and find a way to heal, you are much more motivated to spread the message and help the people around you," she says. "We suffer a lot and travel a lot, and unfortunately, competition is something you have to deal with and the weird emotions that come with it."

Angiuli's growth is constant, even if it means no rest between sound checks and shows or schlepping bags of gear around airports.

"I think the only certain thing in life is change. I think I am always evolving," she says. "I still feel like I want to learn many things, and during this time, I feel that I have changed as a human being. I like the idea of making the music, but I love it when the fans thank me and say the music changed them. Sound frequency plus intention equals healing."

Giorgia Angiuli. With Mind Aganist, Raxon, and Kasia. 10 p.m. Saturday, November 25, at M2, 1235 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-771-0388; resistancemiami.com. Tickets cost $29.25.