Aeroplane on Owning a Record Store, the Inspiration for His Moniker, and the Rule Every Track Must Follow

Angels & Ghosts

​While a typical club dancefloor finds its climax at 130 beats per minute or faster, Vito De Luca, aka Aeroplane, manages to achieve the same excitement at a comfortable 105 bpm. Inspired by the disco of the late '70s and sexy synths of the early '80s, De Luca conjures an enjoyable nostalgia with his soulful garage-groove melodies. Formerly a duo, but now a one-man operation, the classically trained De Luca has gained a dedicated following with his free monthly mixes of exclusive tracks from peers like Classixx and The Rapture. He recently spoke with All Shook Down about those famed monthly mixes and the rule he applies to every track he makes. Aeroplane headlines Mezzanine this Friday with support from Poolside and Cassian.

Best of Aeroplane's 2011 SoundCloud Mixes by Aeroplane (Official)

How does the moniker Aeroplane reflect the music you make?
It was the first track off the first 12-inch. So in some way, it must have reflected what that 12-inch sounded like, and it was different from the previous productions. A new name had to be found, and Aeroplane was that name. Afterwards we could create the story around it, and it stuck pretty well. I'm not sure if it really "reflects" the music. I would say something more cinematic or melancholic reflects the music better.

What was the biggest change in your performances when you became a solo artist?
The freedom is the main difference. One brain.

There are many live instruments in your tracks, and you used to be a classically trained musician. What's your favorite instrument to play and why?
I like keyboards and guitars. I also love percussion and drums, but I still need to practice that side of things. But why I like them, I don't know. Because they sound good, I guess?

Since your music includes influences from classical, rock, and dance, what's one rule you've always applied to every track you make?
You need to remember the melody. It needs to have something you can whistle in the morning, something to remember. Paul McCartney said that he would come up with a song and not write it down. If he remembered it the next morning, it meant it was a good one, and only then he would put it on paper.

What inspired you to start your free monthly mixes? Does it get difficult to keep making them while on the road?
The main inspiration was that I don't play really commercial music, so when I play in a club, people don't know the songs. But with the mixes, you give them a month to get used to the tracks, and so when you play them in a club, they know it! That is the main reason. It's not really harder to do it on the road, as it's the same songs I play as a DJ, so I need to look for them anyway. The search takes a long time, but the mix itself is pretty quick.