Avision

From his years as a whizzkid on the NY club scene to more recent international stage releases with globally recognised labels, techno Anthony Cardinale’s star is somewhat on the rise. Leo Maymind sits down to talk techno...

- Leo Maymind

Take a cursory glance over Avision’s discography and past gig list and you’re likely to develop a slight tinge of jealousy. Releases on established labels like Ellum and Drumcode? Check.

Support from techno heavyweights like Adam Beyer, Nicole Moudaber, and The Martinez Brothers? Check. High profile gigs in Miami, Barcelona, and LA? Check, check, and check.

What you don’t see are the hours and hours of work that this New York native has put in in order to get there. Avision, real name Anthony Cardinale, started on the decks at the ripe young age of 12, bolstered by support from his musician father and cousin Victor Calderone. But Avision has taken his time to let his influences inform his music and his selections, and it shows. His tracks show a producer who understands balance and depth, and it’s clear that he’s just getting started. We chatted about life in the New York/New Jersey continuum, how to balance DJing versus producing, and which of his dad’s vintage synthesisers continue to inspire him today.

You started on the turntables at age 12. Did you have any family members who were into DJing or were they just around? That’s a really young age to start out!

“My dad had a wedding band when I was growing up and I started getting into dance music because he was always learning the top 100-dance/house tracks. So I gravitated into DJing because of the music I was listening to. Later on, around 14, I found out my cousin Victor Calderone was a big DJ. Around the same time, I used to beg my dad to work on remixes with me. Rather than playing PS2 like most kids, I was learning Logic.”

What did your dad play in the band? And did he record/remix too?