Rooted in 90s influence yet polished with a modern touch, ‘Been A Long Time’ marks another step forward in Pietro Morello’s and Alexis Victoria Hall’s evolving creative partnership.
We sat down with Italian-born, Brussels-based Pietro Morello to talk about the collaboration, the inspiration behind the release, and what lies ahead.
Your new single, ‘Been A Long Time,’ sees you reconnect with Alexis Victoria Hall for a third time. What keeps drawing you back to working together, and how has that creative relationship evolved?
I absolutely love working with Alexis because she’s a true professional, and I trust her completely. That trust makes such a difference creatively — it allows us to be honest, take risks, and really push each other to go further every time we collaborate.
With each project, our connection has grown stronger and more natural. We understand each other better now, both musically and personally, which makes the whole process smoother and more inspiring. Working together just feels right, and that’s what keeps bringing me back.
The track channels a strong old-school house energy. What inspired that direction, and were there any specific eras or artists influencing you during the process?
The direction of the track was heavily inspired by the 90s — that era had such a raw, emotional, and energetic approach to house music that I’ve always loved. There was a real focus on groove, vocals, and feeling rather than perfection, and that’s something I wanted to capture in this track. I was listening to a lot of 90s house during the process, and I really wanted to recreate that old-school energy while still making something that feels fresh today. The goal was to bring back that warm, nostalgic vibe but with a modern production touch.
Can you walk us through how ‘Been A Long Time’ came together in the studio? Was it built from a vocal idea, a groove, or something else entirely?
‘Been A Long Time’ actually came together by accident . I had the acapella and I just started trying a few things to see where it could go, experimenting with some grooves and chords, and it immediately sounded really good and natural. As soon as I heard the direction it was taking, I directly thought about Alexis. I knew her voice, her style, and the way she works would perfectly match the vibe of the track. From there, everything developed very naturally, and the track really came to life once we started working on it together.
Did you get a chance to test this track in your sets before release? If so, how did crowds react?
Yes, I did play the track in my sets before the release, and the reaction from the crowd was really good. What was especially nice was that some people already knew the track, and you could see their reaction as soon as the vocal came in — they got really excited, which is always an amazing feeling as a DJ. It’s always important for me to test my tracks with a real crowd because you immediately feel what works and what connects with people. With this one, the energy on the dancefloor was great, so that was a really good sign for me before releasing it.
Your productions have a very percussive feel. Were there any key plugins, instruments, or bits of gear that played a big role in shaping this track?
Yes, definitely — percussion plays a big role in my productions, but on this track, the piano was actually just as important in shaping the overall vibe. It really helped bring that emotional, old-school house feeling and gave the track its identity. In terms of tools, I didn’t rely on anything too crazy — it was more about choosing the right sounds and keeping things simple but effective. The combination of solid drums and that piano element is really what made the track come together and feel complete.
This release lands on Junior Jack’s Adesso Music. What does it mean to you to release on that label, and how did the connection come about?
It means a lot to me to release on Adesso Music. I’ve known Junior Jack for a long time, so when I found out he had his own label, it immediately became one of my priorities to sign with them. This is actually the third track I’ve released on Adesso Music, which makes it even more special. I really respect what they’re doing and the musical direction they’re pushing, so to be part of the label consistently is something I’m really proud of.
Your tracks often carry a soulful, almost gospel-like energy. Which artists or genres outside of house music have had the biggest influence on your sound?
Since I was very young, I’ve been listening to a lot of soul music, and I think that has had a huge influence on my sound. That soulful, emotional feeling — especially from soul and gospel — is something I’ve always been drawn to and something I naturally try to bring into my house tracks. Even if I produce house music, my influences often come from outside the genre. Soul, gospel, and funk have all played a big role in shaping the musical identity and the emotional side of my productions.
With this release kicking off the year, what else can we expect from you in the coming months: more collaborations, solo releases, or something different?
This release is just the beginning of the year for me. The next single will be with OOWLY, which I’m really excited about. Alexis and I also have another track in preparation together, and there are more tracks coming as well, including some solo releases. So you can definitely expect a mix of collaborations and solo music in the coming months. I’ve been working on a lot of new material, and I’m really looking forward to sharing it all very soon.
‘Been A Long Time’ is available HERE.
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