davyee is the musical brainchild of Italian producer, composer, musician Davide Magnaguadagno.
His latest E.P. “Vertigo” harnesses elements of shoegaze, dream pop and post punk to create an absolutely beautiful release.
I caught up with Davide to talk about his early experiences with music, how he started writing songs and the making of the new E.P.
CMM-What was the first music that really made an impact on you as a kid and what artist or band did you enjoy the most?
Davide-My first encounter with music happened when I was about 4 or 5 years old. In the car, my parents used to play Fabrizio De André, an Italian singer-songwriter I became obsessed with — an obsession I still carry with me today. That’s when my passion for music began, and around the same age, I started studying the violin.
CMM-When did you start playing music and writing songs?
Davide-I began playing the violin as a child, attending a conservatory for a few years. A few years later, I taught myself to play guitar and piano — instruments that helped me understand music theory and how to use it to my advantage when writing songs.
Around the age of 15, I started listening to rock music — especially Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Radiohead — which drew me closer to electric guitar and psychedelic musica. At 18, I downloaded FL Studio for the first time, and that’s when my journey as a producer began. I got into electronic music, which went on to influence all of my recent albums. Artists like Björk, Aphex Twin, Portishead, and Boards of Canada have played a huge role in shaping my sound.
In all my projects, I play, sing, produce, write, arrange, mix, and master every track by myself.
CMM-You recently released an E.P. called “Vertigo”. What was the writing and recording process for those songs like and what gear and instruments did you use during the sessions?
Davide-In my last two albums, I explored a much more electronic and futuristic sound. In the latest one, Yume, I added elements of Eastern music and acoustic instruments, including violin. I had put the electric guitar aside for years, but with Vertigo I wanted to bring it back to the forefront. I was influenced by bands like My Bloody Valentine, Fishmans, Cornelius, and Slowdive.
I only brought the electric guitar back into my music when I felt it could do something original. With this EP, I aimed for a more shoegaze direction, where walls of guitar are the core, while still giving electronic sounds an important — though not dominant — role.
I also brought back a more rock-oriented sound in the drums and bass — a sound I’ve always had in me, but only now have I found a way to develop it in a truly original way.
CMM-If you could do a score for any film director, who would it be and what would the film be about?
Davide-I’m a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock and his films, and I’ve always considered his soundtracks — especially those composed by Bernard Herrmann — to be masterpieces, with Vertigo standing out in particular. If there’s one composer I’ve learned a lot from, it’s Herrmann: he taught me how to build tension, and just as importantly, how to let it go.
Lately, I’ve been very drawn to South Korean cinema, especially the work of Park Chan-wook, whom I truly admire. I would love to compose the soundtrack for one of his films — it would be a thrilling challenge and a chance to dive deeper into classical music, a world that has fascinated me since I was a child, thanks to the violin.
I don’t know what the film would be about, but it would probably be a thriller. I love tension in both film and music, and combining the two would be both a major challenge and an incredible honor.
When I write my albums, I always try to structure them like films — in acts, with a clear development and an ending. I like to imagine them visually, to give them a color and a shape. I want my art to be more than just music — something you can visualize and feel with all your senses. Cinema opens that door in an even more direct way.
CMM-What do you have coming up next? Any new recordings or shows?
Davide-I’d like to continue in the direction I took with my latest EP, possibly developing it into a full album next year — though nothing is set in stone yet.
In the meantime, I’m working on live performances that blend electronic music and DJ sets with guitars, synths, and other instruments, including violin and my own voice.
In the coming months, I’ll start bringing this project on the road across Italy.
