Opening the email that contained the story behind Touch Sensitive's masterwork in electropop, 'Pizza Guy' – the song that burst into our consciousnesses in 2013, re-released two years later to even wider appreciation – was disarmingly exciting. It's a funny story actually.
"My friend and former band mate from Van She started a night called Pizza Party and he never invited me to play which is understandable because we lived in each other pockets," he writes, "But at the time I was disappointed so in a fit of rage when I was bouncing it to send to Future Classic I called it 'Pizza Guy'." Don't worry, he and Nick (Routledge) can laugh about it now. Originally an instrumental, he told us how it went through "so many different versions" and finally became non-instrumental: "A friend of mine (who went on to become a global superstar) cut up a vocal from an undisclosed location and that's kind of it."
And even though the song isn't this romantic tale of a struggling real-life pizza guy, we can still live vicariously through the video for the track which features Touch Sensitive as the eponymous purveyor of pizza.
Between then and now the Australian musicmaker has dropped a string of singles, including the glistening bouncy 'Slowments', and finally his debut album has appeared: Visions. Funnily enough the album opens with a self-referential track called 'First Slice', a dreamified snippet of 'Pizza Guy', and if that wasn't enough of a nod the "official visualizer" has the producer walk over to a table, open a box and pull out a slice of pizza that he nonchalantly munches as he gazes out a window—the majority of the album tracks do also come with visuals, including the album's piano-thumping lead single, 'Lay Down', which "went through 50 versions," we are told. Elsewhere on the album Harriet Brown features on two songs, there's an instrumental called 'The Mystery Of Cats', and glorious tape warp on 'You're My Last Chance (Interlude)'. Visions glitters and clacks, glows warm and textured with classic synthesiser sounds.
But with the album release behind him by about two weeks now, Touch Sensitive was finally able to sit down with a slice of pizza and a kitten curled up next to him and answer our world famous Lazy Interview questions. Read on, dear reader, read on.
w h o a r e y o u ? w h e r e a r e y o u f r o m ? w h a t d o y o u d o ?
My name is Michael Di Francesco, I'm from Sydney Australia and I make and play music.
h o w d i d y o u s t a r t c r e a t i n g m u s i c ?
I played in bands at school then studied it at university then I discovered Daft Punk so I sold my double bass and went halves with a friend in a TR909 and an EMU sampler, after that we went crazy collecting records etc. etc. I also spent many years playing in cover bands and doing whatever session gigs I could, I got to play with some cool people most of whom are/became my friends.
h o w w o u l d y o u d e s c r i b e y o u r s o u n d ?
Not sure but I'm constantly trying to make it better and break out of harmonic and rhythmic habits, that's the greatest challenge for me anyway. It can always be better. But by better I don't mean technically or rather sonically, the combination of the elements.
i s t h e r e a p e r f e c t t i m e a n d p l a c e f o r l i s t e n i n g t o y o u r m u s i c ?
Maybe driving, I'm not sure.
If anyone likes anything you do it's nice and if it made people happy that makes me happy
”
A sound, something that just happened, a couple of words or a phrase.
w h a t i s y o u r m o s t m e m o r a b l e m u s i c a l e x p e r i e n c e ?
I got to do a session with Snoop once, that was pretty cool, also had the privilege of playing with Jamie Liddell many years ago, that was cool too, some of the best ones are in a friends studio or at home.
w h a t a r e y o u r f a v o u r i t e t h r e e s o n g s a t t h e m o m e n t ?
Harriet Brown – 20/15
Kate Bush – Why Should I Love You
B.B. & Q. Band – Mistakes
w h o d o y o u m o s t a d m i r e i n t h e m u s i c w o r l d ?
Anybody that finishes stuff and puts it out.
i n y o u r o p i n i o n , w h a t i s t h e f u t u r e o f m u s i c ?
I think it's an exciting time on so many levels but also it's a bit sad at times because most of the time music is not all about music, there are so many contributing factors, there are amazing players and performers all over the world who don't get the accolades or recognition they deserve. On the other hand with the technology we have now it's easier to find these people and message them direct.
w h a t ' s t h e f u t u r e o f y o u r m u s i c – w h a t d o y o u h o p e t o d o n e x t ?
Not sure but not the same as last time. I just pulled my studio apart so time will tell.
w h a t i s m o s t i m p o r t a n t t o y o u ?
The Rhodes Chroma from a materialistic perspective but as a human being probably coffee and good manners.
- π Touch Sensitive's debut album Visions is out now on Australian label Future Classic. You will find streaming options on this hyperlink, whilst over here is a more physical offering in the form of a vinyl, CD and merch bundle.
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