Who are you and what do you do? How long have you been a working musician?

My name is Eleonora Cutaia. I'm a DJ, label owner and more recently a producer. I mostly go by the name Elle Stilnovo. I started making music in 2009, remixing artists mainly for my label Stilnovo Music. Yes I do this full time, alongside running the music promo pool AheadPR which also helps me promote my projects. I have been DJing for 6 years.

What hardware and software are you using?

I am definitely more software inclined. I do pretty much everything on my MacBook Pro, using Ableton Live 8. I have tried all the main softwares before… Logic, Cubase, Reason, but only Ableton does it for me. I first started using it for DJing, and it quickly helped me move on to production. I find it very straightforward and an essential bit of kit for me. As a controller I use the Korg nanoKEY2, and I've also started exploring the possibilities with the various iPad apps. So convenient! You can have a portable studio everywhere you go. I also have access to a full studio with Pro Tools when needed so this works for me.

What would be your dream setup?

To be honest I'd just like to incorporate more organic sounds and instruments in my set up. I have a Fender Squier bass that I've only picked up a few months ago and I'm loving it. The only other thing I find myself missing at times, is patience :)

Where do you shop for and discover music?

I am lucky to receive a lot of promos so that helps me stay in the loop. My promo pool AheadPR plays a huge part as well: many times I've discovered amazing new artists this way, and ended up signing them to my label or collaborating with them, so that's a great asset. And of course sometimes I just turn to my fellow DJs and industry friends for inspiration!

What's brewing in your studio?

Stilnovo Sessions vol. 1 is out now on Bandcamp and Traxsource.

Any production tips & tricks you'd like to share?

Most times, I come across great sounds in unexpected ways. I play around with samples - reversing them and rearranging them and sometimes the magic happens. I use samples from the most different genres for different effects. Plus once I speed them up/slow them down, chop them or flip them they are brand new sounds. As far as promoting music, I'm pretty well equipped with AheadPR, it seems my music always reaches the right ears :)

Where can we find you on the web?

SoundCloud / Facebook / Twitter /