The Analogue Cops aka Marieu-Dj Teech and Lucretio-Taurus Impex Limited is an Italian duo at the head of Restoration Records, a techno and house imprint. Lucretio and Marieu met each other in 2003 in Barcelona. They began to produce in 2007 and they have been performing Live since 2008. Their sound is a testament to a rich musical root influenced by American and 90’s electronic music. Under different projects as Parassela, Rage Therapy, Third Side, Xenogears, OCP, the duo has collaborated with Ryan Elliot, Blawan, Steffi, Francesco Del Garda... Known for being vinyl purists, insatiable crate-diggers, strong supporters of DIY, they share with frankness and humility their values and philosophy, their analog approach to production, their involvement in the spread of the movement and messages they want to convey to next generations. 

Where do you come from?
We come from Cadoneghe, a small town in the suburbs of Padova, near Venice, along the banks of the Brenta River.

Your main influences?
Juan Atkins, Jeff Mills, Horsepower Productions, Cristian Vogel, Dr. Dre, Vangelis, Masters at Work, Anthony Shake Shakir, Ennio Morricone, Neil Landstrumm, Underground Resistance, Laurent Garnier, Mala, El-B, Squarepusher, Carl Craig, Francesco Farfa, Drexciya, Beastie Boys, Pantera, Depeche Mode, Aqua Bassino, Miles Davis, John Carpenter, Frankie Knuckles, Joey Negro, Maurizio, The Prodigy, Robert Hood, Gaetano Parisio, Marco Carola, Ryoji Ikeda, Ken Ishii, Fumiya Tanaka, The Fugees, 99 Posse, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Quincy Jones, Sofrito, Saint Germain, DJ Shufflemaster, David Morales, Righeira, DJ Hell, Sven Väth, Ricardo Villalobos... just to name a few!

How did you decide to work together?
It just happened naturally.

The philosophy behind Restoration Records?
To compose, perform and record fresh, danceable and soulful music for the dance floor, always with technique, craftsmanship and passion at the core. We pay tribute to the giants who came before us.

For you, what is the analog sound?
It’s not just about the analog sound itself. What matters is the frequency, it should move you, shake you, and blow your mind.

How did you meet D’Julz of Bass Culture Records?
Through our friend Alex Picone, who’s from the same town.

If I mention Fragil Musique?
Raphael and our beloved friends. We’ve had so many parties, great music, and lots of fun together in Nantes. It’s like a family.

Your favorite gears in your studio?
Elektron Digitakt2, Symbolic Sound Pacarana, Akai S3000, Vermona Mono Lancet, Elysia Xpressor... but honestly, the list is too long to name them all!

Has your production style changed since your beginnings?
Yes, it has evolved a lot and keeps changing.

Could you talk about “Rage Therapy”?
“Rage Therapy” is the name of a laboratory research on the wretched conditions of dancing human beings known as The Analogue Cops conducted with a self-developed Smalltalk computer program by two expert researchers of Techno social semiotic. The computer program written with Pharo elaborates pseudo-random sequences to manually feed analog and digital electronic instruments in order to create an animating under-layer for fast post-industrial percussive compulsions. After several months of studio development, the scientific research is ready to test. We debuted at Herrensauna in late 2020 and since then have been playing regularly in the Tresor dungeon 

The Analogue Cops in 3 words?
Gritty, experimental, independent.

If I say Parassela, any anecdotes?
Jamie (Blawan, Editor's note), the first time he came to Berlin. Giulio Montanaro, Vae Victis, G Hooligans... and an epic, unexpected back-to-back-to-back set at PanoramaBar. It was so spontaneous, it almost wasn’t allowed!

Any ritual before a performance?
Getting to the club as early as possible and trying not to get too drunk before the show.

What is most important when you perform live?
Good technician, good monitors, good lights, and good vibes.

And what about Third Side?
Third Side is amazing. Steffi was the driving force behind it, and it was a lot of fun. The music is incredible. We couldn’t keep up with it at one point, but who knows, something might be in the works.

What comes to mind when I say AI?
Skynet.

Your favorite record stores?
Green Tunnel in Milan, Rubadub in Glasgow, Hardwax and HHV in Berlin, Ultrasuoni Records in Rome, Discos Paradiso in Barcelona and Le Disque in Verona.

Do you remember the first vinyl you got?
Marieu: Dennis Ferrer - Hit It Off on Defected
Lucretio: Future by Artist Unknown on Disko B.

One of your tracks that best represents you today, and why?
“We Are Not Going Back”, coming out on Francesco Del Garda’s Timeless next year. Why? You’ll know when you hear it.

Why did you move to Berlin?
To chase the techno dream with Eduardo de la Calle.

Your top venue in Berlin and Italy?
Tresor in Berlin and Veniceberg in Verona.

Now you live in Berlin… Between Italy, Spain and Germany, which is the best place for an artist? 
It’s hard to say, everyone has to find their own way. Things are always changing. Maybe the best place to be right now is Belgrade.

Your best live experience?
Too hard to choose, every live show is special in its own way.

Your top 5 new releases?
- Hans Zimmer "Dune"
- Todd Edwards "Rain"
- The Maghreban "Connection"
- The Analogue Cops "New Timeless"
- Horsepower Productions "Sneaker Social Club"

Your top 5 oldies?
- Jeff Mills "The Bells"
- Underground Resistance "The Theory"
- Joey Beltram "Energy Flash"
- Laurent Garnier "The Man With The Red Face"
- El-B "Express"

Do you consider yourselves as militants? What does “underground” mean to you today?
Yes, we’re militants. We see ourselves as militant in the spirit of Mike Banks and the Underground Resistance, dedicated to pushing strong values through music. For us, this means doing our best to inspire younger generations, to show them the power of music as a tool for expression, resilience, and community. But we approach it with a sense of humility, grounded in the belief that we’re here to contribute something meaningful, not just make noise. It’s about keeping the spirit alive with honesty, passion and respect for the music itself. “Underground”is a marketing strategy. It’swell explained in “How Music Works” by David Byrne, for example. In short, Byrne and other authors, as Baskerviller, illustrate that “underground” is no longer just a boundary between commercial and subcultural but a fluid identity that can itself be marketed and monetized in the evolving music industry landscape.

If you could teleport yourselves to any era…
1986.

What makes you proud today?
Inspiring people to perform live.

Your projects?
We’re excited to announce a series of upcoming releases and projects! First, we have a new record set to release on Francesco Del Garda's label, Timeless, which embodies our latest work and brings a fresh take on our sound. Additionally, we have an EP lined up with Diggers Society, planned for late next year, which will feature some of our most experimental and groove-driven tracks yet. We’re also thrilled to share that another EP will be coming out on YAY, a label we respect for its dedication to quality and innovation. Beyond these releases, we’re reactivating our own labels—Restoration, Enlightened Wax, and Machines State, after a brief hiatus. This pause allowed us to address some issues that arose from challenges with past distribution partners. Now, we’re eager to get back to curating and producing records with a renewed commitment to authenticity, integrity, and high-quality production. We’ve also just joined Roof Bookings, which opens up new performance and collaboration opportunities that we’re truly looking forward to. As we continue our regular sets at Tresor, we’re motivated to bring our sound to new audiences and spaces. In addition to our music projects, we’re delving into the world of open-source software through our work with the Pharo Association. We’re particularly focused on Coypu, a package designed to facilitate live coding, and Phausto, an API aimed at enhancing DSP (Digital Signal Processing) programming. This technical work complements our music, and we hope it can contribute to the creative tools available to artists and developers alike.

Interviewed by Sabrina Bouzidi