Photo: Gabriele Romano
Rooted in Catania, shaped by the underground and driven by a constant need for self-expression, CRZ is an artist who refuses to be defined by a single sound or genre. His approach to Hard Techno is deeply personal, guided by instinct, experimentation and the desire to create something that truly reflects who he is.
Through 133 Records, the label he founded, CRZ aims to build a space for unconventional sounds and artists who don’t fit into predefined categories. His latest release, “SUD”, is a tribute to his origins and the experiences that shaped him, while also marking the beginning of a new chapter in his artistic journey.
With his upcoming EP “NO”, CRZ opens up about a period of artistic withdrawal, personal struggles and the decision to finally share his music with the world.
We caught up with him to explore his Sicilian roots, his vision for 133 Records, the meaning behind his latest work and his commitment to making music without boundaries or expectations.
How much have Sicily, and Catania in particular, influenced your artistic identity and your approach to Hard Techno production? Do you think your roots also come through in your sound?
Catania shaped me long before I ever started producing music. From a young age, I was immersed in Catania’s music scene. I used to go to clubs in Catania and Messina to listen, observe and experience that environment from the inside. I was a curious kid who wanted to understand how music was made and what it meant to be part of nightlife. That experience stayed with me. That’s where I learned how to really listen and feel the pressure of a sound.
What inspired you to found 133 Records, and what vision do you want to bring to the Italian and international Hard Techno scene through your label?
I founded 133 Records to create an opportunity for myself and for people who make something different. Basically, I don’t have a fixed artistic identity. I don’t identify with a specific genre, and I don’t have a predefined sound. I make whatever I feel in that moment. And I know there are many other artists like me, making different kinds of music but struggling to find a place because they don’t fit into a specific category.
I didn’t want to wait for someone to give me a platform. I wanted to build one myself: a home where my music, and the music of people who are different, could exist without having to ask anyone for permission. That’s the vision: creating space for artists without a defined identity, for those who experiment and refuse to conform.
At the same time, I’d definitely like to release music on other labels in the future, exchange ideas and collaborate with different artists and projects. But 133 Records will always be home.
Your latest single is titled “SUD”, a name that evokes a very specific geographical and cultural identity. What does this track represent to you, and what message did you want to convey through its production?
For me, “SUD” is more than just a geographical direction. It’s a key. It represents where I come from, how I grew up, and the place where I found the key to understanding what I was producing, what I was feeling and everything I had inside me. It holds everything I’ve been through and everything I’ve had to let go of.
That’s why I don’t identify with a specific genre. I don’t have a fixed artistic identity. I don’t make music within a genre; I tell the story of who I am in that particular moment. The South is often portrayed as a limitation. For me, it’s exactly the opposite. It’s everything that keeps you standing when giving up would be the easier option.
The music video tells the story of my journey. As for the video itself, I’d like to give the floor to Gabriele Romano, who directed and edited it:
“Working on SUD was both stimulating and intense. It was my first music video, and we put a lot of work into it. I had complete creative freedom, while Mario took care of most of the storytelling, since this was such a personal project.”
“SUD” is the opening track of your upcoming EP. Why did you choose this particular track to introduce the project, and what can we expect from the other tracks? Is there an underlying concept connecting the entire EP?
I chose “SUD” to open the EP because it’s the doorway. It’s the track that tells you who I am right now. The EP is called “NO” because, for years, I’ve been saying no to letting people discover my music. No to letting anyone listen to it, even the people closest to me, even those who mattered most. I was producing music, but I wasn’t sharing it. I kept refusing to.
I spent almost four years in Northern Italy, far away from home, and during that time I became even more withdrawn. I went through an artistic block that I found incredibly difficult to overcome. This EP comes from that experience. It’s the project through which I’m finally letting people hear my music, without hiding it anymore. It’s my NO finally turning into a YES.
If “SUD” represents my roots — even though, deep down, I don’t have a fixed identity — the other tracks reflect what’s inside me right now: pressure, strength, regrets, tension, a mind that never stops, my darkest side and my most intimate side, the one I kept hidden from everyone for so long.
These aren’t tracks designed for the club or to make people dance. They’re tracks created out of the need to express what I feel. Every single one was produced from scratch, without samples, because that’s the only way I feel alive.
When you start working on a new track, do you begin with the energy you want to bring to the dancefloor, or with a sonic idea that you develop in the studio? How important is it for you to find a balance between experimentation and dancefloor impact?
My rule is simple: it has to be something new, and it has to be real. It has to reflect what I feel, not what works. I always start with what I feel. I’ll be able to explain myself more clearly through my EP “NO”, which is scheduled for release in December.
Looking ahead, what are your goals as an artist and for 133 Records? Is there a particular direction you’d like to take your sound in, and what do you hope to achieve over the next few years?
My only goal is to make someone feel alive through my music. I don’t have a specific direction or any milestones I want to reach. I’m not interested in becoming famous, and I don’t produce music for the numbers.
I produce because I need to, because that’s how I feel alive. And if someone listening can feel alive, even just for a moment, in the same way I do, then all of this makes sense. I don’t want to get anywhere. I just want to keep expressing what I feel, without ever shutting myself away again.
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