Layton Giordani Is on a Mission to Showcase the Many Sides of Techno

It took some chutzpah for the DJ-producer Layton Giordani to give his USB filled with original music to the techno legend and Drumcode label boss Adam Beyer.

For most, this would be a nerve-wracking mission, but between Giordani's steadfast dedication to the process and second-to-none production value, the music spoke for itself. Beyer ended up using Giordani's music in his sets during peak hours, and a friendship blossomed.

The outcome became what every aspiring producer would dream: a contract with a bonafide record label and a slew of EPs to follow.


Now equipped with touring endurance and flawless technique, Giordani is back in Miami for some unfinished business at Club Space on Saturday, August 14. He will be sharing the decks with the groove-inducing DJ-producer Will Clarke.

The pandemic canceled Giordani's Miami Music Week sets for Drumcode's takeover at Club Space and Green Velvet's La La Land pool party in 2020.

"It feels great to return to Miami because I always have the best of times when I'm here," Giordani tells New Times via email. "The crowd is going to hear a lot of new music that I've been looking forward to testing out."`


Giordani's first taste of success came in 2014 with his collaboration with Tony Rohr on the track "Careless Suggestions."

Released on Phobiq Records, the single snowballed into projects for Carl Cox's Intec label and eventual annexation into the Drumcode family. Producing for the Swedish techno label allowed Giordani to patent his mystical-yet-pulverizing sound into an international attraction.

A DJ's style ebbs and flows, but Giordani seems cemented in a style that's hard enough to keep the party going while attracting new listeners.


A New Yorker through and through, Giordani took full advantage of all the clubbing haunts. He began DJ'ing at Pacha NYC as a teenager. (The club occasionally hosted teen nights, which allowed Giordani to become friendly with Pacha's management.)


A few years later, Giordani landed a residence at Output, the former Brooklyn nightclub revered for its sound system, top billings, and no-phones-allowed ethos.

"I think when you want something badly enough, it can pay off really well," Giordani says. "It takes time and effort. Master your craft, network, and try every way possible to get that artist to hear your music."
Giordani's first project was the EP Unspoken, released under Drumcode’s house-forward sister label, Truesoul. That led to a successful string of EP releases and his first full-length album, Where It Begins, in 2017.


The young talent quickly found himself continent-hopping and playing at nightclubs around the world.

So when the pandemic shut things down last year, it allowed the 28-year-old to decompress and plan his next move.

"It was a shame to see so many shows taken off the calendar," Giordani admits. "But, honestly, it was like a huge reset button for me. During this downtime, I released an album, a new single, and a remix. Now we're back to touring, and I feel fresh with lots of new visions."


Giordani put this new paradigm to work and released his latest two-track EP, Hyper World, in May. The title track gives the listener ethereal melodies that evaporate, leading to austere techno and acidic rhythms. The buildups are subtle, almost ambient, before the madness slices through the layers with guillotine precision. The second track, "Astro," builds upon a mesmerizing flow that is solitary throughout. Powerful synths splash and reverberate as the bass and percussion continue to transfix.


In dance music, a record label may indicate an artist's particular style — Giordani certainly shares similarities with his Drumcode counterparts — there is something different about his production. Maybe it's the balance of light and heavy, the mystical qualities, or Giordani's geography.

"As time has gone on, I've really started to evolve into something that is constantly trying to go in new directions," Giordani says. "I guess you can say, though, that the roots will always be there."


Clearly, the Drumcode aesthetic will be alive and well at Club Space on Saturday. But Drumcode does not always equate to Giordani and vice versa.

"Wouldn't food be bland and boring if it was all one flavor or if there was only one style of painting? It's art," Giordani notes. "The beauty of techno and music is that there is so much variety to everything, and I love that."

Layton Giordani. With Will Clarke and Andres Line. 11 p.m. Saturday, August 14, at Club Space, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; 786-357-6456; clubspace.com. Tickets cost $15 to $60 via eventbrite.com.