What does it mean to be human? This timeless philosophical question often surfaces in moments of reflection. Is it our capacity to feel, to dream, to empathize, or to transcend our limitations? For Valentina, it’s the journey of self-discovery and the courage to envision a world where one can truly be oneself. As she reflects, “We all have a purpose in this world, and most of the time it comes through self-discovery, allowing yourself to express your feelings and allowing others to touch your soul.”
From her early days, Valentina Moretti immersed herself in the world of music, drawing inspiration from pioneers like Kraftwerk, Wendy Carlos, and Jean Michel Jarre. Her passion for synthesizers and drum machines from the ’80s, such as the legendary Jupiter 8, Juno 106, and the original Linndrum, has been instrumental in crafting her unique sound. She shares, “I have always been very passionate about synthesizers and drum machines; I love the texture and the character they have… it just makes me want to create and explore the wonders of synthesis.”
Her latest single, “tú y yo,” tells a futuristic story where her future self, embodied in a cyber organism, communicates with her past, emphasizing the power of self-love and the ability to create one’s own vision of the world. Valentina describes it as “a metaphor of my life that talks about overcoming fears, doubts, and social constructs through the power of self-love.”
In our interview, Valentina delves deep into her journey, sharing insights on overcoming fear, the importance of continuous learning, and the transformative power of music.
photography courtesy of press
In “tú y yo,” the future Valentina tells her past self she can create her own vision of the world. What advice would you give to someone struggling to envision their future?
Trust your feelings, take a deep dive on what really makes you happy and find your passion. Try to remember and understand why you do what you enjoy doing, is it to help others and help yourself along the way, is it to learn new things and teach them to other people, or perhaps it is just out of love? We all have a purpose in this world and most of the time it comes through self discovery, allowing yourself to express your own feelings and allowing others to touch your soul. Always be open to new experiences and always keep learning from others, at some point in your life you will know why you are here and where you want to be in the future.
You explore love as something eternal and self-reflective. What would you say you currently love the most?
Life itself. I treasure all the moments that give meaning to my life, like making music, helping others, learning new skills or a new language, playing video games, trying food that I’ve never tried before. I’m in love with the experience of being human and allowing myself to feel and explore my inner self. Of course not everything in life is perfect, as such a thing as perfection doesn’t exist, but even in the darkness you can learn to shine.
The cyber-organism in the story learns what it means to feel for the first time. What human emotion do you find the most complex?
All emotions are complex, but some are more “practiced” or morally correct than others, for instance fear is an interesting emotion that not many people talk about because it is somehow uncomfortable. Not many people allow themselves to feel and embrace fear, we usually try to escape it but there is a lot to learn from dealing with it. Fear has been a part of my whole life, being on my own since I was 13, living on the streets, not knowing if I was going to eat or if I even was going to be alive the next day. I had to learn to turn fear into a strength and not get lost and consumed by it. If you can overcome fear and use it for something positive you will learn a lot about yourself and it will allow you to help people in need of love.
“Fear is an interesting emotion… If you can overcome fear and use it for something positive, you will learn a lot about yourself and help others in need of love.”
Sometimes I wish I could feel nothing at all (laughs). Too much, too overwhelming, too uncontrollable. What advice would you give when emotions get out of control?
Think of something that you are looking forward to, it could be anything, a date, a sports event, concert, your favorite TV show or even what you are having for dinner. Once you get the feeling that everything is going to be ok you can go back and try to understand what made you feel like you were losing control and what can you do to prevent it. But also sometimes it is ok to lose control and let go, let your emotions guide you, because sometimes it is the only way you can learn to control them. Of course it gets tricky, because if there are negative emotions you don’t want to hurt other people or hurt yourself and for that I would suggest trying to find a person that you can trust and be honest with so you can talk with them about it.
Also sometimes just listening to a good song helps too lol.
You are using synthesizers and drum machines from the 80s. What draws you to these vintage tools?
I have always been very passionate about synthesizers and drum machines, I love the texture and the character they have, the sound and the filter on the analogue synths is something you can feel, it is electricity transformed into sound, it just makes me want to create and explore the wonders of synthesis.
So far every single song that I have created I had used vintage synths and drum machines and I would like to think that is one of the reasons why some people connect with my sound and music style. Most of the artists that inspire me have been pioneers of such tools, like Kraftwerk, Wendy Carlos, Jean Michel Jarre, Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Vangelis, Art of Noise, Brian Eno, Giorgio Moroder and so many others.
“Every time I look at my tattoo, I remember that I have to keep going no matter how hard or dark it gets—there is always a reason to bring light into the world.”
The music business, like all areas of life, is subject to constant change. What things would you wish were different in the industry?
I wish there was more weight and attention on the music itself and on the craft of creating music. Sometimes it feels like the industry cares more about other things like the look of an artist, the amount of followers they have on social media or trends without cultural value. We all need to be careful as artists, promoters, labels, listeners and consumers, because we don’t want music to die as an art form only to become a disposable product designed to sell but not to inspire.
What does your tattoo on your right shoulder mean?
It is a Maori tattoo that means strength and determination and it is shaped as a fern which is New Zealand’s national symbol. I lived in New Zealand for a while and it was a very important chapter of my life where I learned to connect with myself and with nature like i’ve never done before, so everytime I look at my shoulder I remember that I have to keep going no matter how hard or dark it gets, there is always a reason to be better and a reason to bring light into the world. The other part of the tattoo is a spaceship that I designed myself that means that I am the pilot of my story and also because I love space! (laughs)
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Sharing my music creations and performing in Europe, Asia, Latin America, North America and the rest of the world. Creating my own synthesizers, making music with some of the artists that inspire me and some artists that I yet need to discover. I see myself helping my mom and all the people that helped me. And why not, winning Grammy´s and having platinum records. I also see myself going to space and working on my very own virtual persona.
Follow Valentina Moretti for more:
www.instagram.com/valentiinamoretti
twitter.com/vmorettii
