Over the past few years, the Italian-born artist Dario Tronchin has been making spirited sample-driven dance music under the moniker Money Lang. Though Tronchin is no newcomer to the game—as Chevel, he has been making forward-thinking techno for over a decade—his Money Lang project is a bit of an aesthetic swerve, taking the euphoric cut-up style of French touch and merging it with more abstract sonic methodologies. 

Both Tronchin’s newest single “Dreams” and the track’s extended mix serve as a further exploration of the pop-leaning leftfield dance sound he has cultivated on his past few releases. There’s a sticky soul sample, there’s a whole lot of filter work, there’s a whole lot of chopping. We can’t stop playing both cuts, as well as his Treviso Mare Mixtape, which, when collected on Nina, comes with exclusive visual material. We fired off some questions to Tronchin, and here’s what we got back.

What’s been going on in your life?

I'm quite chill lately—I'm thinking of changing homes though, which is quite a big step. I need a slightly bigger studio and a garden. I love living quite isolated, so a garden is definitely a big plus, to hang out and maybe grow my own vegetables. Prob some bunnies here and there jumping around. Other than that, I've recorded a bunch of music during Xmas and NYE and spent time with family.

Can you tell us about your studio and how you’ve been making music lately?

My studio is very basic—I work on a laptop, sound card, Neumann monitors and an 88 key MIDI keyboard. When I started ten years ago I was obsessed with analog gear, but since I was robbed in Ibiza during summer 2019, when I got back home I had to sell everything to buy a laptop, sound card and clothes again. I'm kinda happy it happened. I'm much more focused now, with a laptop only. I'm sampling a lot, which is something I've avoided for ages. Also using a lot of Serum and Phase Plant for digital synthesis. I recently bought a VCV Rack, but I still need to dig deep into it. 

You used to release a lot of music as Chevel, but now it seems like your energy is going into Money Lang. How do you distinguish these two projects? Will we ever get more Chevel?

Since I write a lot, it's hard for me to release or focus on just one thing, and I've had multiple monikers other than those two in the past. I'm obsessed with recording music constantly and I like to explore different methods and genres. I guess Chevel is more into analog synthesis, granular synthesis and sound itself, whereas ML is more into structure and sampling. I like different things, get easily bored and I don’t want to be put in a fucking box, ha ha. So yeah, I can definitely see a Chevel thing happening again at some point soon or even a new moniker.

Who or what has been inspiring you lately?

Last inspiration peak was during Xmas 2023, I guess, as I had access to this amazing studio equipped with ATC speakers. It's in the middle of nowhere close to my home and the whole building was empty during the Xmas break, so I was the only one person going there in the middle of this foggy, gray industrial area. It's been magic, spectral—a bit scary and beautiful at the same time. I've been going there at 7AM and spending the whole day recording. Think I've got an album in my hands now, which makes me very excited.

What’s on the horizon for you?

Music-wise I have a 2-tracker ML single ready to come out and this Xmas album that needs refinement and final touches. I don't know how or when it will come out but it will. Thank you!