Italian producer Turbojazz returns with his second album ‘Memorabilia’, a soulful and reflective journey through house music culture featuring Robert Owens, Rona Ray and Javonntte.
Italian producer Turbojazz returns with his second full-length project Memorabilia, a deeply personal and groove-laden statement that pays tribute to the roots and enduring spirit of dance music culture. Landing on Last Forever Records, the album follows his acclaimed debut Whateverism and finds the artist leaning even further into the soulful traditions that shaped his musical identity.
Built around memories of early clubbing experiences and the communal magic of the dancefloor, Memorabilia acts as both reflection and celebration. Turbojazz channels the warmth, optimism and unity that defined house music’s formative years, translating those feelings into a modern sound that still feels deeply connected to its origins. At a time when the sense of community that once defined club culture can feel fragile, the album stands as a reminder of the power music has to bring people together.
Musically, Memorabilia unfolds across a rich spectrum of house and soul-rooted grooves. Deep basslines, warm chords and expressive percussion form the backbone, while live instrumentation and carefully crafted arrangements give the record a human touch that feels authentic rather than nostalgic. It is dance music with heart, designed to work as comfortably on headphones as it does on the dancefloor.
The album’s guest list reads like a love letter to house music past and present. Legendary Chicago vocalist Robert Owenslends his unmistakable voice to the project, while the ever-soulful Rona Ray and Detroit’s rising star Javonntte add their own distinctive flavours. Further contributions arrive from LA soul singer Cor.Ece, New York’s Bad Colours, alongside Doni Nicole and long-time collaborators Veezo and Broke One, creating a collaborative atmosphere that reflects the very community spirit the album celebrates.
Across its runtime, Memorabilia moves effortlessly between uplifting vocal house moments and deeper, more introspective grooves. Each track feels like a snapshot of the culture that inspired it, capturing the shared emotions that define great club records while still pushing forward with modern production. We caught up with Turbojazz for a quick chat.
Your new album Memorabilia feels like a reflection on dancefloor culture and personal history. What sparked the idea for the record and what does the title represent to you?
“Memorabilia” comes from the idea of creating a bridge between my past and the present, as the artwork slightly expresses as well. It’s about sharing memories in a new form, enjoying the feeling of something that has been part of your upbringing but doesn’t have to be your limit. Instead, it helps you evolve by being grounded. That’s the feeling this word gives me and I thought it was a perfect fit for this album project.
You describe the album as a tribute to the roots of dance music culture. Were there specific clubs, moments or people from your early clubbing years that influenced the sound of this project?
We need to go back to the early 00s, when my crew and I used to drive hundreds of kilometers every week to dance all over Northern Italy, where clubs like Alterego, Mazoom, Muretto, Echoes and Cocoricò were offering some of the best clubbing experiences. I would dance for hours, listening from start to finish to people like Tony Humphries, Frankie Knuckles, Louie Vega, David Morales and Satoshi Tomiie, alongside our amazing Italian heroes such as Daniele Baldelli, Ralf, Leo Mas, the Pasta Boys, Dionigi, Ivan Iacobucci, Massimino, Di Rocco, Ricky Birkyno, Steve Mantovani, Luckino and many more.
Then came the first trips to London (Plastic People, Notting Hill Arts Club) and New York (Santos, Cielo), where I felt like the circle was complete. All of them were true teachers on the dance floor, and it’s something you can still feel in my sets and productions today.
The album features an impressive list of collaborators including Robert Owens, Rona Ray and Javonntte. How did these collaborations come about and what did each artist bring to the record?
I truly believe the only goal is to create good music, so I’ve never focused on releasing only my own tracks for any egotistical reason. It’s more about confidence and love for the process. I believe in the power of collaboration, and as a producer my role is to start the fire and guide the idea to the best possible place.I’m very grateful to have crossed paths with these talented artists and that they were open to collaborating with me. When I work on a track, I often imagine specific artists on it because I can already hear their “notes” and sound in that piece of music. That’s exactly how the collaboration with Robert Owens started.
There is a strong soulful house thread running through Memorabilia, but it also moves through different moods and textures. How important is musical variety to you when building an album?
I’m eclectic by nature, and it reflects every aspect of my life. I love life and I want to live it to the fullest, even if it can be stressful at times. The same goes for music: I love many different genres, and I’m always digging into them to find their best expressions and the artists who represent them.That’s my approach to music, so it’s inevitable that a bit of everything finds its way into it, but always under one clear idea of emotion.. that soulful feeling you might recognize.
Your debut album Whateverism was widely praised for its musical depth and arrangements. Did you approach Memorabilia differently or did it evolve naturally in the studio?
I see albums like pictures. I need to capture that exact moment in my life, expressing a specific feeling or message that allows me to move forward. With Whateverism, I had to bring together and shape my first 20 years of exploration into one body of work. This morning I was already thinking about the next one and I’m already getting excited about it.
Many producers today focus mainly on singles or club tracks. What made you want to create another full-length album rather than a series of EP releases?
I like to release EPs in between albums, like the latest Turbojazz & Friends, where I give freedom to more “club-oriented” tracks so I think I’ve got you covered! ehe
By the way, creating albums gives me the opportunity to speak more directly to listeners and explore the sound spectrum more deeply. It’s also a way to build my legacy.
You mention themes like community, equality and brotherhood in the concept behind the album. Do you feel dance music culture still carries those values today?
I truly believe that’s exactly what we need to return to right now. In such a polarized world, full of egoism and a lack of compassion and humanity, coming together around the same passion is one of the most powerful ways to reconnect, far from any form of separation. Of course, the industry has exploited this concept a lot in recent years, but it’s also true that we, as insiders, tend to perceive it even more strongly than the general audience and that’s okay. As Marvin Gaye said, “Let’s stay together.” 🎶
You’ve spent years travelling and DJing internationally. Did experiences on the road influence the sound or message behind Memorabilia?
Traveling changes you profoundly, and that reflects in everything you do. Even the way I speak and eat carries traces of those experiences… imagine how much it influences creating. I always hope that what I do has a positive impact on people. Considering where I come from, I’ve had to travel a long road to be able to share this message, and I try to express it through music.
You run Last Forever Records alongside your production work. How important is having your own platform when releasing music that is personal or conceptual like this album?
I think it’s one of the best things in the long run, but you need to be sure it’s part of your mission for it to really make sense. I like being in control of my work and learning something new every day. Being behind the scenes also helps you understand a lot about the music business and gives you the chance to stand by your ideas. You’re going to make mistakes sometimes, but that’s one of the best assets you can invest in… yourself! This doesn’t mean everyone needs their own label, but if you’re not here to saturate the market with copies of copies, then you’re welcome.
Looking back at your journey from DJ to producer, how do you think your DJ background still shapes the way you write and arrange music today?
Absolutely! If you notice, 99% of my songs are made to be mixed into a set, but they also work if you just listen to them on their own. It’s undeniable that a track you hear within a DJ set can have a much stronger emotional impact and that’s the magic of dance music. If you call it that way, it should be created with that idea in the back of your mind.
When people listen to Memorabilia for the first time, what moment on the album do you think will hit the dancefloor the hardest?
It really depends on how the DJ builds the journey. A track like Everybody DJ could hit you at the end of a memorable set. In that moment when you know the night is about to end and you just need that depth to go home recharged with positive emotions and motivation. Or a track like Lush Disco could take you right to the climax.
Let’s say I create a bag of tools that a DJ can use to guide the crowd through a very defined emotional journey. That’s the only part I can control… once the album is released, it’s yours.
Finally, if Memorabilia is about memory and legacy, what do you hope listeners take away from the record five or ten years from now?
II hope to give people the same feeling I get when I discover a beautiful Brazilian album. I look at the cover and find it so charming, and then the music: so rich and inspiring! Even if it comes from 10, 20, or even 30 years ago. Let’s say that everything I create, I hope will last forever.
More than just a collection of tracks, Memorabilia feels like a statement of intent. Turbojazz reminds listeners that house music has always been about connection, expression and unity. By revisiting those ideals while crafting something fresh for today’s dancefloors, he delivers an album that honours the past while keeping its eyes firmly on the future.
‘Memorabilia’ via Last Forever Records is available to pre save here.
