Lucy: producer, DJ, founder of Stroboscopic Artefacts. That’s probably how you know him. But there’s also Luca Mortellaro, a published author, experimental sound designer, and the man behind the Lucy moniker. There’s no doubt that the two are linked, but it’s certainly the hidden facets of Luca Mortellaro that are responsible for the dynamic output of Lucy.
In 2005 Lucy left his native Italy for Paris. In search of romance? Perhaps. The fact that the very first demo he ever sent was noticed by James Holden and that he’s now releasing on Luke Slater’s Mote Evolver, makes Lucy’s story more than romantic, it’s fit for the silver screen. As he delved deeper into electronic music Lucy made the essential move from Paris to Berlin. It was here he launched record label Stroboscopic Artefacts a platform that illuminates pioneering electronic music. Under Lucy’s careful curation Stroboscopic Artefacts has garnered international attention and emerged as one of the most exciting labels in the scene.

Lucy’s DJ sets are techno layered with deep dub and textured with lucid IDM. Never one to shy away from ripping into the peak time and equally in his element playing the ecstatic afterhours, elegance is the foundation of his approach. He manages to refuse the obvious and yet satisfies dancefloors’ appetites for the unexpected.

A quick listen to his CLR podcast, Resident Advisor mix or the Modyfier process will attest to one thing: his elusive approach is too angular for genres and pigeon holes. It’s this quality that’s seen him grace the decks at Berghain, Fabric, New York’s Oktave party and Mexico’s Bar America.
With a host of EPs and remixes released and forthcoming on the most influential labels such as Prologue, Mote Evolver and CLR, looking towards the future is exciting. Particularly for Stroboscopic Artefacts, whose first full length release is Lucy’s debut album: “Wordplay For Working Bees”.

Lucy’s next EP will be released on Stroboscopic Artefacts 13th April 2012

Lucy’s ‘Banality of Evil’ EP teases apart the dark sides of human psychology and lays them down as fractured, angular tracks. Inspired by Hannah Arendt’s writings on conformity and totalitarianism SA013 makes for provocative listening. ‘Superior Orders’ is an off kilter introduction: Lucy took synth lines that Roll The Dice crafted in Stockholm and broke them down, buckling the lines and revealing their malevolence. ‘Stanford Prison’ layers wistful top lines over driving base creating a fluid, transitory atmosphere. ‘Milgram Experiment’ opens with a beautifully simple sequence and splinters into deep, warm dub. The track includes voices, but these are not catchy euphoric vocals, instead a voice repeats: ‘I began to feel that I was losing my identity’. The tracks don’t aim to soundtrack the experiments and theories of their titles, instead they act as a point in case.

Other Podcast mixes from Lucy include:
CLR Podcast 131 (Includes interview)
Resident Adviser – 255 – Lucy