Feb 25, 2025
Giuseppe Ottaviani Unveils OTTAGON
Today we’re joined by Giuseppe Ottaviani, who's taking his artistry to new heights with OTTAGON, a fresh alias that bridges the gap between trance and melodic techno. In this interview, he dives into the inspiration behind OTTAGON, the intricate live setup featuring eight keyboards, and his latest single, “Dust.” Giuseppe shares insights into the rapid development of the project, his creative process, and the strong partnership with Armada Music that has fueled this evolution. With a full album on the way and an ambitious plan for eight live shows in eight global cities, OTTAGON is set to redefine live electronic performances.
Hey Giuseppe, thanks for being with us today to talk about your new project OTTAGON and your recent single “Dust”! Let's get things started! What inspired you to create the OTTAGON alias and how does it differ from your work as Giuseppe Ottaviani?
No problem, it’s my pleasure. I’ve always been more of a live performing artist than a DJ. For years I brought my keyboards and my controllers on stage to play my own music. Just four years ago I started DJing and that was a great decision. It allowed me to expand my musical horizons. I began evolving my sound and playing a much wider range of music which I’m really enjoying right now. At the same time I missed my live performances, so we started working on ideas on how we could make the current Live 3.0 show bigger and cooler. During a brainstorming session, the OTTAGON idea was born. While the Giuseppe Ottaviani sound will be more focused on mainstage, high energy music, OTTAGON will be my alter ego playing slower BPMs, more melodic, more vocals and a lot more “trance” elements. I like to say that OTTAGON is a bridge between melodic techno and trance.
No problem, it’s my pleasure. I’ve always been more of a live performing artist than a DJ. For years I brought my keyboards and my controllers on stage to play my own music. Just four years ago I started DJing and that was a great decision. It allowed me to expand my musical horizons. I began evolving my sound and playing a much wider range of music which I’m really enjoying right now. At the same time I missed my live performances, so we started working on ideas on how we could make the current Live 3.0 show bigger and cooler. During a brainstorming session, the OTTAGON idea was born. While the Giuseppe Ottaviani sound will be more focused on mainstage, high energy music, OTTAGON will be my alter ego playing slower BPMs, more melodic, more vocals and a lot more “trance” elements. I like to say that OTTAGON is a bridge between melodic techno and trance.
Can you tell us about the process behind the track “Dust”? How does this track stand out from your other releases?
“Dust” is one of those tracks that came to life in just a couple of hours. When I heard the vocals, I knew right away what to play on my keyboard. I started working on the project in the early morning, and by the time I went out for lunch it was done. I never touched the track after that. It just felt right. I loved it, and my team loved it too. It got a great reaction from the crowd the first time I performed it at Dreamstate in LA. That’s when you know it’s a good one. I really hope people will like it as much as we do.
“Dust” is one of those tracks that came to life in just a couple of hours. When I heard the vocals, I knew right away what to play on my keyboard. I started working on the project in the early morning, and by the time I went out for lunch it was done. I never touched the track after that. It just felt right. I loved it, and my team loved it too. It got a great reaction from the crowd the first time I performed it at Dreamstate in LA. That’s when you know it’s a good one. I really hope people will like it as much as we do.
With OTTAGON, you're blending trance with melodic techno. What does this new fusion allow you to explore that you couldn’t before?
I discovered my hidden love for progressive house and melodic techno during the pandemic, and when we went back to the dance floor, I really wanted to play some of those tunes. As I’m more associated with higher BPMs and high energy music, it was difficult for me to find a way to include them in my sets, especially when playing a short one hour set on big stages. So, I thought creating a new project could help.
I discovered my hidden love for progressive house and melodic techno during the pandemic, and when we went back to the dance floor, I really wanted to play some of those tunes. As I’m more associated with higher BPMs and high energy music, it was difficult for me to find a way to include them in my sets, especially when playing a short one hour set on big stages. So, I thought creating a new project could help.
OTTAGON performances feature an innovative live setup, with you surrounded by eight keyboards. How did you come up with this concept? Can you tell us more about how everything works during the show?
The initial idea was to create a 360° setup to be placed in the middle of the dance floor so that I could move around and face people while playing the keyboards. However, when we decided that OTTAGON would only be available for festivals and not for clubs, we faced the challenge of building a setup like that on a big festival dance floor. For just a one hour set at a festival, it was proving problematic. In the end, we decided to build our own setup on a 4x4-meter riser for every show and place it in front of the static DJ booth. I have eight keyboards connected to my computer, allowing me to assign any sound to any keyboard, making it easy to switch from one sound to another by simply playing a different keyboard instead of selecting a new sound for a certain keyboard. This allows me to play two keyboards with different sounds at the same time and instantly switch to another two keyboards to play another two different sounds, and so on.
The initial idea was to create a 360° setup to be placed in the middle of the dance floor so that I could move around and face people while playing the keyboards. However, when we decided that OTTAGON would only be available for festivals and not for clubs, we faced the challenge of building a setup like that on a big festival dance floor. For just a one hour set at a festival, it was proving problematic. In the end, we decided to build our own setup on a 4x4-meter riser for every show and place it in front of the static DJ booth. I have eight keyboards connected to my computer, allowing me to assign any sound to any keyboard, making it easy to switch from one sound to another by simply playing a different keyboard instead of selecting a new sound for a certain keyboard. This allows me to play two keyboards with different sounds at the same time and instantly switch to another two keyboards to play another two different sounds, and so on.
Two computers (a main and a backup) in the back of my setup run Ableton Live, with the background music playing from start to finish, so I only have to control a few sounds and play all of the melodies. It’s far more practical than you might imagine, and it’s fun to watch. This is why we placed cameras all around the OTTAGON stage—to show what I do on the big LED wall along with brand-new dedicated visuals.
How has the response been to your new alias, both from fans and fellow artists?
Reactions have been positive—it looks like everyone has been impressed by it. There was great feedback from the first show at Dreamstate in November. I performed 12 new OTTAGON tracks which we are now releasing tune by tune until the full album drops around May. I think what people like the most is that OTTAGON is not pretending to be a “melodic techno act” or a “trance act,” OTTAGON is something in between. However, melody will always be the focus of any OTTAGON track I make. Melodies are part of my musical soul.
Reactions have been positive—it looks like everyone has been impressed by it. There was great feedback from the first show at Dreamstate in November. I performed 12 new OTTAGON tracks which we are now releasing tune by tune until the full album drops around May. I think what people like the most is that OTTAGON is not pretending to be a “melodic techno act” or a “trance act,” OTTAGON is something in between. However, melody will always be the focus of any OTTAGON track I make. Melodies are part of my musical soul.
Can you give us a sneak peek into the upcoming album and any exciting collaborations or concepts we can look forward to?
Last summer, I made 12 new tracks for the first OTTAGON show, so if you were there in November, you’ve already heard the upcoming album! There are no collaborations with other producers simply because I had no time. There are collaborations with singers and songwriters like Adriana Stone, Lake Silver, Lilly Ahlberg and SGNLS. Remember, the entire OTTAGON project was put together in just five months—including the setup, the music and the visuals.
Last summer, I made 12 new tracks for the first OTTAGON show, so if you were there in November, you’ve already heard the upcoming album! There are no collaborations with other producers simply because I had no time. There are collaborations with singers and songwriters like Adriana Stone, Lake Silver, Lilly Ahlberg and SGNLS. Remember, the entire OTTAGON project was put together in just five months—including the setup, the music and the visuals.
What does it mean to you to have the support of the Armada team, and what do you like about collaborating with them?
What I love about Armada is that I finally have a strong, passionate, and super professional team around me that is helping me develop as an artist. Everything is super smooth and easy, which is why I was able to make the OTTAGON music in such a short time. My journey with Armada has just started, and we’re looking forward to a bright future together.
What I love about Armada is that I finally have a strong, passionate, and super professional team around me that is helping me develop as an artist. Everything is super smooth and easy, which is why I was able to make the OTTAGON music in such a short time. My journey with Armada has just started, and we’re looking forward to a bright future together.
What’s next for OTTAGON? Any collaborations or live performances you’re particularly excited about in the coming year?
The OTTAGON project is something I really want to develop and keep pushing. I’ve already started working on new OTTAGON music after the album cycle. I love the sound, and I find myself super excited in the studio when it comes to making a new OTTAGON tune. The next live performance is Dreamstate Europe at PreZero Arena in Gliwice, Poland, on April 12th. We’re also working on the third show, which, unfortunately, I’m not able to announce just yet. The aim is to create eight live shows in eight different cities across the world. It keeps with the theme of eight, which runs throughout the OTTAGON project.
The OTTAGON project is something I really want to develop and keep pushing. I’ve already started working on new OTTAGON music after the album cycle. I love the sound, and I find myself super excited in the studio when it comes to making a new OTTAGON tune. The next live performance is Dreamstate Europe at PreZero Arena in Gliwice, Poland, on April 12th. We’re also working on the third show, which, unfortunately, I’m not able to announce just yet. The aim is to create eight live shows in eight different cities across the world. It keeps with the theme of eight, which runs throughout the OTTAGON project.
You can stream or download OTTAGON feat. Lake Silver - "Dust" on your platform of choice today! https://armada.lnk.to/Dust
short link 1001.tl/qrk722
