Touch Sensitive, Italo at the edge of the earth

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Italo-disco’s largest home is not Australia, though not for lack of trying.

While the hard, fast and tech-driven has quickly become the norm, there’s still a frisky, jazzy and soulful swing in the step of one of Australia’s cult-favourite producers.

Touch Sensitive, first known for 2013’s iconic ‘Pizza Guy’, is the solo project of Michael Di Francesco. His second full-length record, ‘In Paradise’, was released last month and features the latest evolution of Di Fransceco’s commitment to dance through entirely live means.

To celebrate its release, we secured a moment with Touch Sensitive.

TS: Hi, thanks for having me. Yeah, I’m feeling the entire spectrum of emotions in waves. I’m happy with how it turned out, and it was a fun ride. I got to work with so many awesome people, and it was never a drag, although I feel like 95% of the time I was jet-lagged.

Hmmm, 2025 yeah, it’s both a strange and exciting time. The world is upside down, it feels like, and DJing/music production is the new rollerblading, so I felt like it was essential to make something organic-feeling, but no matter how earthy you get, the computer is here to stay.

TS: That is very kind, but I would not consider myself as this. George Hysteric is by far the Boss hahaha. I love Mothball and he’s a super sweet guy, or the Sicilian connection - Paul Jextra from Caravan (who helped out on a couple of these early sessions) or Daniel Lupia, who are all way deeper than me.

But I don’t know, there are a few different waves of the Italo so you could argue that something with the machine gun bass has Italo in there, but if it’s not made by an Italian in Italy, then it’s just a track with an Arpeggiated 8th or 16th note bass pattern.

So, to a certain degree, it can be in anything. BUT ‘Rotation’ by Herb Alpert has a mad 16th note Arp bass, but that’s not considered Italo however, it works great next to Italo records and is American. Music is like a big soup, sometimes delicious, sometimes too much brodo, not enough vegetables.

TS: Connie is an old friend, so one night after a show, we were hanging out and I was playing her and Angus (Sneaky Sound System) all the jams from the sessions, and she said she’d be down to try some stuff, so once I’d kinda arranged things and gone in with Tony, she came in.

This record was an exercise in letting go and collaboration. I was sick of sitting on the computer. In this day and age, the expectation to do everything yourself is high, so instead of stressing over a tom fill for days, I got Rosario Ferraro to play drums, and the fills happen instinctively, naturally. Not only that, but it’s also enjoyable. Larry Dunn was a hero of mine and was responsible for so many records I love, so making that connection was epic. The record was born out of two weeks' worth of jams at two different studios; in total, there were around 32 tracks.

I’m proud to say that there are no virtual instruments (actually, I lie, there’s an Arturia Fairlight, but only because I don’t own a real one); it’s all the real stuff, mainly because how can four people sit around a computer and play soft synths? Well, you can technically, but it’s not a video game - don’t get me wrong, VSTs are great, but what I mean is there wasn’t too much preset surfing after the fact, which has crippled my decision-making process in the past.

TS: To collaborate and make something that was a bit different but still me, and to push myself out of my comfort zone. For example, working with Tony Buchen was great because I love all the stuff he’s done, but also he was like “hey, on ‘The Breeze’, a harmonica would be awesome”.

I think that if the perversity of something you do in music makes you laugh, you’re on the right track, like if something is funky, smiles happen. Another big part of it for me was no verse/chorus type things, I made a few song type things, and you know, some ok, some not so great, but it started to feel like I was chasing a hit and that vocals were the solution.

There was a time when I was an “instrumental mix” only guy, I would buy a 12” for the instrumental and play that, I felt like unless the vocal is mad it was polluting the music...BUT most of all impress my friends, for example, I have one friend with impeccable taste, if he’s impressed, it's guaranteed that only about 20 other people will like it hahahah.

TS: I’m super grateful to be part of it, as watching all these people around me, some of whom are much younger, become international superstars is cool and inspiring.

TS: I’m a little out of touch because I’ve been living in the USA for the last couple of years, although I’ve been hearing that Sydney is on the road to recovery and many people are heading back from wherever they escaped to after the lockdowns and COVID. We had some hectic lockdown laws introduced by the Premier in order to rezone things so his developer mates could turn Kings X into a retirement village, nothing new, an age-old political tale… but it destroyed the nightlife culture and its economy.

I’m moving back soon, so I’m excited to be part of it again, but up until 2013, it was absolutely kicking, so much fun, there was always something happening. Australia also battles with its proximity to the rest of the world and its currency value, but I think that also contributes to the music that comes from there.

TS: The best practice is the gig, it’s like you learn karate, then get into an actual street fight and forget it all hahah. Also, there’s just never enough time, and what you think isn’t what other people see or hear. At some point, you need to let go and embrace the variations, which is the way I like to think of mistakes…

TS: The idea trumps the gear, the choice of notes in most cases trumps the sound you use, and the first idea or take is usually the best. I spent so long buying and selling gear, thinking that I couldn’t make anything real unless I had a Jupiter 8. I got the gear, but without the idea, it’s just a bunch of wires and integrated circuits.

Tradesmen don’t obsess over vintage drills and hammers. Maybe I’m wrong, but you see where I’m going…

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'In Paradise' is available for purchase from Touch Sensitive's Bandcamp and streamable now.

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Jack Colquhoun is Mixmag ANZ's Managing Editor, find him on Instagram.