Kappa FuturFestival and the Start From Scratch project

Pioneer DJ, the official equipment partner of Kappa FuturFestival DJ, brought new emerging talents to the tenth edition of the festival and offered them the opportunity to perform in the VIP Lounge. The aim was to create an additional area for interaction and offer more excitement to the audience. The DJ booth in the VIP area hosted students from the brand's partner schools - Nam Milano, Musica Academy Rimini and Mec Academy in Naples - as well as up-and-coming DJs participating in the Start From Scratch project. Among the new talent, we had the pleasure of meeting the female duo DJ called Guastafeste. "The atmosphere of freedom that the three-day festival exudes is incredible. The opportunity to learn something by watching and listening to great artists is one of the things that makes us go home satisfied and with a smile," say Benedetta Alessi and Giulia Benvenuto.

What is Start From Scratch?

Start From Scratch is a series of free workshops created with the aim of supporting those who are interested in the music industry and belong to underrepresented groups. The project offers them the opportunity to learn and experience DJing and gain new knowledge to pursue a career in the music industry. Inspiring a new generation of talent, offering new experiences and encouraging creativity: this is the spirit behind the Start From Scratch project, promoted by AlphaTheta Corporation through its Pioneer brand DJ.

Who are Benedetta Alessi and Giulia Benvenuto, a.k.a. le Guastafeste

Benedetta Alessi and Giulia Benvenuto are a recently formed DJ duo. They are not only a couple in life but also partners in their DJ careers, both with a background as singers. Benedetta participated in the Italian edition of X Factor with Melancholia, while Giulia was part of Seawards. "Before we started down this path as a DJ duo as Guastafeste, we were born separately as singers. The passion for music has always been present in our lives and led us to open up to the world of clubs, putting our hands to the mixing desk. The DJs who have inspired us the most are two women: Benedetta Charlotte De Witte, who we saw live when she was still called Raving George, and Giulia Amelie Lens, because of the contrast between her angelic looks and her music." They performed on stage at the VIP Lounge at the Kappa FuturFestival and were selected by Pioneer DJ as up-and-coming DJs after taking part in workshops for their Start From Scratch project. "We just started, almost 2 years ago, it's not only the music that connects us but also our relationship so we have a lot of harmony, we also combine our different worlds and find the right mix for our set. We took part in a Start From Scratch workshop and got a lot of advice, we tried different DJ equipment, but most importantly we got even more in touch with the music industry."

How the DJ scene is changing

In an ideal world, when we look at the DJ line-ups of major clubs, festivals and global music events, we should see a reflection of the diverse society we live in. Yet, as with many influential roles in music and technology, including this industry, we see mainly heterosexual white men. "Women have evolved a bit in recent years, but there's still a lot of work to be done. Out of every 100 artists, often only 1/10 is a woman. Unfortunately, this is the case in many circles, a woman has to work three times as hard to be recognised for her talent,' say Benedetta Alessi and Giulia Benvenuto. Yet dance music has always been embraced and supported by black people, women, LGBTQI+ people and different gender identities. Indeed, the roots of electronic music come from marginalised communities, but these important origin stories are often forgotten or not sufficiently considered. Start from Scratch aims to change this by providing opportunities to those who would not otherwise have them.