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We met at Ruigoord and have been friends since 2018. Originally from Sicily, Gianvito Pezzano, a.k.a. DJ/producer Besty Fritz, has been based in Amsterdam since 2011. Reflecting on his first gig in 2002, he says, "I'm just an ordinary guy, and this felt very special."
“In 2002, I performed in front of an audience for the first time. I was sixteen at the time. My debut took place in the summer at the Private Party Rave Italy. The location was on the beach near my hometown in Sicily. The audience consisted of about a hundred people.”
Nervous
“The party itself was fantastic! The atmosphere was good, and people were joyful and happy. However, I was quite nervous about my performance. I still get nervous before a gig sometimes. When I took my place behind the booth, I just started. I had absolutely nothing prepared. In fact, I just followed the vibe of the party. Both family and friends were present at the party to support me. Fortunately, my friends said afterward that I had done great.”
Child with candy
“I was also very satisfied with how the set went. I still vividly remember that my hands were shaking. The thought ‘Wow, it’s happening, I’m really doing it now!’ kept crossing my mind. I probably looked like a child who had just received some candy: shining eyes and a big smile on my face. After all, I’m just an ordinary guy, and this felt very special. Of course, I made some mistakes. The biggest blunder was when I accidentally took the wrong record off the turntable, the one that was playing through the speakers. I realized my mistake immediately and thought, ‘OMG’! However, you learn from your mistakes. So, I always double-check my vinyl since then.” (laughs)
Worcester and Bristol
“After that first time, I quickly played more house parties and often performed at after-hours events. At the age of eighteen, I moved to England. There, I joined a new group of friends. We often played in clubs in Worcester like Tamakady and Bushwaker. Later, I moved to Bristol and played in clubs like Timbaktu and Soho. In England, I have played at various big house parties. When I’m in Italy, I still play, usually in small clubs. After five years in the United Kingdom, I moved back to Sicily, where I opened my own club: Ceres Pub.”
Amsterdam
“After a year and a half, I had had enough. I was done with my hometown. In 2011, I closed the club and moved to Amsterdam, where I had several friends. My first gig in the Netherlands was at Excess The Movement in the Sugar Factory in the capital. Since then, I have also played at Techno Kingdom and performed at Minitech Recordings. Last year, I played at Jayzo Invites 2017 during the Amsterdam Dance Event and at Techno Tuesday. Other events included Techno Royale and Sassafras (Ruigoord). Additionally, I perform live on an Amsterdam radio station, Amsterdam Most Wanted. In September, I will be back at Techno Tuesday at the Melkweg in Amsterdam.”
“For now, my plans are to play as much as possible and make people happy with my music. I do this following the example of artists who have always inspired me, such as Alex Neri, Francesco Farfa, Satoshi Tomiie, Laurent Garnier, Jeff Mills, and Deffo. I now also produce my own music and have signed my first contract with Minitech Recordings. My first release is called ‘Icelated Voice’ and will be out this summer on a compilation CD. I made this track – soon to be available on Beatport – together with my friend Mark Inna. What I would like to advise upcoming DJs is: believe in what you do, and recognition will follow naturally.”
This interview with Besty Fritz is originally published in June 2018 on This Is Our House.
Who is Besty Fritz?
Besty Fritz, hailing from Italy and born in 1986, started to DJ in 2003. He grew a passion for music since his childhood and started to play percussion drums and watch others DJ’s play music. Visiting gigs of DJ’s like, Ralf,Francesco Farfa, Claudio Coccoluto, Alex Neri, Laurent Garnier, Satoshi Tomiie, Carl Cox, Sven Väth, Jeff Mills and many more, Besty Fritz was clubbing and getting inspired from a young age.
Besty Fritz experimented with a lot of genres like house music, tech house, minimal, and techno. Besty Fritz played in some clubs around his hometown in Italy. He moved to England where his passion for music transformed him into a professional DJ. He developed an amazing ability to play with old and new tracks, but as well with dark techno and acid. Besty Fritz is able to combine them together in a unique way.
After Besty Fritz moved to Amsterdam in 2011 the scene had changed and he focused on only one genre: techno. Besty Fritz played at the last Amsterdam Dance Event 2017 edition at Jayzo Invites. Recently he became part of Excess The Movement, Wanderers & Sessions by Minitech Project.
During his career, Besty Fritz has been alongside important artists such as Ritzi Lee, 2000 And One, Ramiro Lopez, Tom Hades, Frank Kvitta, Drumcomplex, Balthazar & Jackrock, Phutek, Stefano Richetta and many more. The way Besty Fritz grows and keeps giving back his great and powerful energy to the scene is impressive, in the same way as his music is always involving the crowd. Besty Fritz has acquired a positive and impressive reputation, playing in clubs and events in Amsterdam and there is a lot more to come! Keep an eye on him.