Distance Between Elements: Dino Lenny on Heartbeat Changes, Imperfection and Longevity

While trends have risen and fallen around Dino Lenny, the Italian producer has consistently followed his own path for more than three decades, releasing music across some of the most respected labels in dance music, from R&S Records and Innervisions to Diynamic, Bedrock, Cocoon, Rekids and beyond, without ever diluting his artistic identity.

His latest release for R&S Records, Heartbeat Changes, continues that journey. Described by the label as some of his "most fearless productions to date", the three-track EP moves effortlessly between hypnotic minimal techno, emotionally charged house music and psychedelic breakbeat explorations. Opening track "Loud Blue" combines lysergic textures, spoken-word elements and a pummelling rhythmic framework, while the title track draws on Detroit techno's emotional depth before "Richard Missing" launches into a kaleidoscopic breakbeat-fuelled trip into outer space.

Yet speaking with Lenny, it's clear that what may sound fearless to others simply feels natural to him. "I think being more relaxed or less 'perfect' gives you more space to explore," he explains. "I usually have an idea when I start a track but I'm quite open if the track wants to lead me elsewhere."

For Lenny, making music has never been about controlling every outcome. Instead, it's about allowing ideas to evolve naturally, even if they end up somewhere unexpected. "It's a bit like when you walk the dog but then the dog starts walking you and you end up in dog's places," he laughs. "It's different but still fun and special."

That openness to unpredictability runs throughout Heartbeat Changes. Whether it's the unsettling spoken-word atmosphere of "Loud Blue" or the cosmic momentum of "Richard Missing", the record feels alive precisely because it refuses to be over-designed. "The secret of beauty is the distance between elements," he says. "It works in architecture, cuisine, fashion and clearly music."

It's a deceptively simple philosophy but one that underpins much of his work. Rather than filling every available space, Lenny focuses on proportion, allowing sounds room to breathe and interact naturally.

That approach extends to his relationship with contemporary dance music culture. At a time when producers often feel pressured to respond to trends, algorithms and streaming metrics, Lenny remains focused on something else entirely. "I only think about my path really," he says. "I couldn't possibly follow something already out there when in general I get bored of what is going to be my next release."

Yet he doesn't reject influence altogether. "I do follow. Involuntarily mostly from the past. I try to morph my past into the future, mixing it with other nonsense ingredients to make it unique. Or at least that's the intention."

That relationship with the past is particularly evident in the title track. Beneath its rolling house groove sits a deep affection for Detroit techno, an influence that continues to shape his outlook on electronic music. "It's rough, it's real," he says. "It gives you the impression that it's happening in that moment. It has that live feeling, it has an emotion. I think that's the true essence of house music."

Then he pauses before delivering a sentiment that could almost serve as a mission statement for his entire career. "It's fun. Who cares if it's a jam? Just record it."

The conversation repeatedly returns to authenticity. Lenny speaks less about technical processes and more about emotional truth, instinct and preserving the human qualities that make music meaningful.

Part of that perspective has been shaped by becoming a father. "Being a father made me think that I needed to leave behind something special," he says. "I want my music to sound great in the future and not necessarily now."

It's a striking statement in an industry often obsessed with immediate impact. "The more DJs or people don't get what I do, the more confident I become," he continues. "DJing is also how you play music and not only what you play."

That focus on longevity over instant gratification explains why Lenny remains largely unconcerned with fitting into established expectations. His recent run of releases across Rekids, Bedrock, Cocoon and now R&S Records demonstrates an artist who can move comfortably between different musical worlds while remaining unmistakably himself.

The reason, he suggests, lies as much with the people behind the labels as with the music itself. "The people that run the labels I'm signed to are my same age. We have probably listened and witnessed the same story."

Sometimes he can even hear where a track belongs before it's finished. "Sometimes I finish a track and I say this would be perfect for Renaat or Radio Slave or maybe Sven Väth if I speed it up a bit."

Yet despite the variety of homes his music finds, there is one quality he believes connects everything he releases. "What they all have in common is that 'fuck it' element."

It's a phrase that captures much of the spirit behind Heartbeat Changes. While many producers spend endless hours chasing technical perfection, Lenny remains far more interested in preserving the original spark that brought a track to life. "A record is never finished," he says. "But you must try not to overproduce it and make the idea suffer."

He speaks about ideas almost as living entities. "Ideas usually have a soul and they start coming to life while producing. Sometimes you have to let it breathe."

The process requires patience and perspective. One of his favourite tests is remarkably simple. "Listening while driving usually tells me a lot." Of course, there are no universal rules. "Sometimes a classic is done in an hour," he shrugs.

Another defining characteristic of Lenny's work is his use of spoken word. Across numerous productions, voices emerge not merely as hooks but as narrative devices carrying personal meaning. "About 25 years ago I started recording my own vocals," he recalls. "It was more practical and way cheaper."

Over time, those recordings developed into something more significant. "I like a message in a track. If I can say something useful or something that is going to make you think in a different way, I'm happy." Then comes perhaps the most touching explanation of all. "I mostly do them for my daughter so she can listen to my voice if she misses me. It's easier than reading dad's notes."

That combination of humour, sincerity and perspective runs throughout the conversation. Even when discussing broader issues within electronic music, Lenny consistently returns to ideas of community, creativity and shared ownership. "'We need to mix and blend' is also referred to the world," he says. "Nothing is mine and nothing is yours but just ours."

For him, music should remain driven by artistic curiosity rather than competition. "Producers have nothing to lose these days. We can keep the essence alive with creativity, diversity and ignoring the competition."

As for R&S Records, the label behind Heartbeat Changes, his feelings are refreshingly direct. "Best label in the world," he says without hesitation. "It's an honour to be part of it."

Ultimately, what emerges from the conversation is not a producer chasing relevance, but one committed to preserving something increasingly rare: individuality. Heartbeat Changes has been described as fearless. Lenny sees it differently. "Regarding risks, when you have been around for decades taking a risk would mean to stop making records."

In his eyes, the unconventional nature of the EP isn't an act of rebellion. It's simply a continuation of the spirit that fuelled electronic music in the first place. "In the 90s most of electronic music was fierce. Every record that came out was different from the other. Even if it was under the same kind of genre, they were just different sounding dance records." He pauses for a moment. "So, I just do that."

And perhaps that's exactly why Dino Lenny's music continues to resonate. In a world increasingly driven by formulas, he remains committed to curiosity, instinct and evolution. "If we want people to keep good music alive," he concludes, "we need to keep it real, we need to keep people curious about the journey."

Dino Lenny – Heartbeat Changes is out on 3^rd July on R&S Records. Pre-order it on Beatport HERE.

Read the full interview with Dino Lenny on The Night Bazaar website HERE.