Mauro Picotto
Encyclopedia
Mauro Picotto is an Italian
electronic music
musician
. Previously a member of the Italian rave
outfit, Cappella
. He became well-known as a solo artist with techno-trance tracks including "Komodo" (2000), "Pulsar" (2001, with new mixes in 2002) and most famously for "Lizard" (1999, remixed in 2000). He has collaborated with other techno-trance musicians such as Tiësto and Mario Più
.
He now promotes his own techno
club night, Meganite (named after an early 21st century track of his), which has run for consecutive years annually since 2005 at Privilege Ibiza
. He now produces under his own record label
, Bakerloo.
, Picotto was raised in a family of stonemasons and dancers. His father ran a mason's yard called CRW, a name Mauro would later use as a pseudonym
for his trance side-project.
Picotto longed to start making his own productions, but felt that to be successful he must first become a DJ
. After winning the Walky Cup competition on national TV
, an event for the top DMC DJs in Italy, he met with Daniele Davoli who was there to promote his Black Box
single "Ride On Time
", and this led Picotto towards record producing. His first track "We Gonna Get", produced under the name RAF, became a Top 20 hit single
across much of Europe
.
Another RAF release followed, alongside remix
es and co-writing credits for Clubhouse (who had a European hit with "Light My Fire"), Cappella
(best-known for rave hits like "U Got 2 Let The Music" and "Move On Baby") and the 49ers
. A track released under his own name, "Bakerloo Symphony", ended up being Number 1 in Italy for eight weeks. Also in 1996 Picotto became a partner in Media Records alongside Gianfranco Bortolotti.
1998 saw the release of the gatecrasher
anthem, "Lizard (Gonna Get You)". The track ended up being a Top 30 hit in the UK Singles Chart
- and was followed by two further instalments in the reptilian trilogy: "Iguana" (#39) and "Komodo (Save a Soul)", which would give Picotto the highest UK chart position of his career - #13. This would see him make his only solo performance on BBC Television
's Top of the Pops
. Picotto was the first DJ to mix live on the show.
Later tracks he was involved in also made an impact on the UK
chart
. "I Feel Love" - released under the pseudonym CRW - reached #15 in 2000, whilst "Communication (Somebody Answer The Phone)" - which he produced alongside Mario Più - reached the UK Top 5 at the end of 1999.
His remix of "On The Beach" by York
, also helped to propel that song into the UK Top Five in Spring 2000, when it was selected by the record company - Manifesto - to be used as the official radio edit. Two solo albums, The Double Album (2000) and The Others (2002), followed, as well as remixes and productions for Freddie Mercury
, Jimmy Somerville
, the Pet Shop Boys
and U2
. Upon leaving Media Records in 2002, Picotto formed Bakerloo Music, as well as a new label Alchemy, releasing several club tracks, including "New Time New Place" and the "Alchemy EP". That same year he launched his Meganite party at the Miami Winter Music Conference
.
Picotto has more recently released several Meganite Ibiza albums on a new label Big In Ibiza.
Picotto's 'Meganite' party is held every Wednesday at Ibiza'a Privilege
club.
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. Previously a member of the Italian rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
outfit, Cappella
Cappella
Cappella was an Italian Eurodance act formed in 1987 by producer Gianfranco Bortolotti. The act went through a number of line-up changes over the years but was most successful in the early 1990s when it was fronted by British performers Kelly Overett and Rodney Bishop...
. He became well-known as a solo artist with techno-trance tracks including "Komodo" (2000), "Pulsar" (2001, with new mixes in 2002) and most famously for "Lizard" (1999, remixed in 2000). He has collaborated with other techno-trance musicians such as Tiësto and Mario Più
Mario Più
Mario Più is a professional disc jockey from Livorno, Italy.His 1999 single, "Communication", also known as "The Communication Song", is notable for being mainly constructed from the interference caused on improperly shielded audio equipment when a GSM mobile telephone rings...
.
He now promotes his own techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
club night, Meganite (named after an early 21st century track of his), which has run for consecutive years annually since 2005 at Privilege Ibiza
Privilege Ibiza
Privilege Ibiza is the "world's largest nightclub" according to the Guinness Book of Records, with a capacity of 10,000 people. It is located not far from San Rafael, Ibiza, less than 1 km from the nightclub Amnesia. For fourteen years, Privilege hosted Manumission, one of the island's most famous...
. He now produces under his own record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Bakerloo.
Biography
Born in the Italian town of Cavour, near TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Picotto was raised in a family of stonemasons and dancers. His father ran a mason's yard called CRW, a name Mauro would later use as a pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
for his trance side-project.
Picotto longed to start making his own productions, but felt that to be successful he must first become a DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
. After winning the Walky Cup competition on national TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, an event for the top DMC DJs in Italy, he met with Daniele Davoli who was there to promote his Black Box
Black Box (band)
Black Box was an Italian house music group popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The members of the group included a trio made up of a club DJ , a classically trained clarinet teacher , and a keyboard and electronic music "wiz"...
single "Ride On Time
Ride on Time
"Ride on Time" is a 1989 song recorded by band Black Box. It was later released on their debut LP Dreamland. The song was a chart success in many countries and a number-one hit in the UKand Ireland.-Music and lyrics:...
", and this led Picotto towards record producing. His first track "We Gonna Get", produced under the name RAF, became a Top 20 hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
across much of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Another RAF release followed, alongside remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es and co-writing credits for Clubhouse (who had a European hit with "Light My Fire"), Cappella
Cappella
Cappella was an Italian Eurodance act formed in 1987 by producer Gianfranco Bortolotti. The act went through a number of line-up changes over the years but was most successful in the early 1990s when it was fronted by British performers Kelly Overett and Rodney Bishop...
(best-known for rave hits like "U Got 2 Let The Music" and "Move On Baby") and the 49ers
49ers (band)
49ers are an Italian house and Eurodance act, featuring producer and DJ Gianfranco Bortolotti and vocalist Ann-Marie Smith. They were named after the San Francisco 49ers American football team, as Smith was the 49th vocalist to audition....
. A track released under his own name, "Bakerloo Symphony", ended up being Number 1 in Italy for eight weeks. Also in 1996 Picotto became a partner in Media Records alongside Gianfranco Bortolotti.
1998 saw the release of the gatecrasher
Gatecrasher
Gatecrasher is an international clubbing brand made famous by the Gatecrasher dance music events held at the Gatecrasher One nightclub in Sheffield, England during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The event received awards such as "Club Of The Year" at the Ericsson Muzik Magazine Dance Awards in...
anthem, "Lizard (Gonna Get You)". The track ended up being a Top 30 hit in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
- and was followed by two further instalments in the reptilian trilogy: "Iguana" (#39) and "Komodo (Save a Soul)", which would give Picotto the highest UK chart position of his career - #13. This would see him make his only solo performance on BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
. Picotto was the first DJ to mix live on the show.
Later tracks he was involved in also made an impact on the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. "I Feel Love" - released under the pseudonym CRW - reached #15 in 2000, whilst "Communication (Somebody Answer The Phone)" - which he produced alongside Mario Più - reached the UK Top 5 at the end of 1999.
His remix of "On The Beach" by York
York (group)
York is a German electronica music duo, founded in 1997 by musicians and brothers Torsten and Jörg Stenzel. Producing downtempo, Chillout, House and Trance, their productions are known for catchy guitar hooks, atmospheric soundscapes and delicate dance textures....
, also helped to propel that song into the UK Top Five in Spring 2000, when it was selected by the record company - Manifesto - to be used as the official radio edit. Two solo albums, The Double Album (2000) and The Others (2002), followed, as well as remixes and productions for Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
, Jimmy Somerville
Jimmy Somerville
James William Somerville is a Scottish pop singer and songwriter. He had considerable success in the 1980s with the pop groups Bronski Beat and The Communards, and has also had a successful solo career. He is known in particular for his falsetto singing voice...
, the Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
. Upon leaving Media Records in 2002, Picotto formed Bakerloo Music, as well as a new label Alchemy, releasing several club tracks, including "New Time New Place" and the "Alchemy EP". That same year he launched his Meganite party at the Miami Winter Music Conference
Winter Music Conference
The Winter Music Conference is a weeklong electronic music conference, held every March since the mid-1980s in Miami, Florida, United States. Venues are hosted primarily in Downtown Miami and Miami's South Beach...
.
Picotto has more recently released several Meganite Ibiza albums on a new label Big In Ibiza.
Picotto's 'Meganite' party is held every Wednesday at Ibiza'a Privilege
Privilege
A privilege is a special entitlement to immunity granted by the state or another authority to a restricted group, either by birth or on a conditional basis. It can be revoked in certain circumstances. In modern democratic states, a privilege is conditional and granted only after birth...
club.
Albums
- The Album (2000)
- The Others (2002)
- Live in Ibiza (2002)
- Superclub (2006)
- Now & Then (2007)
- Meganite Ibiza (2008)
- 2010 (2010)
Singles
- "My House" / "Bakerloo Symphony" (1996)
- "Angel's Symphony" (1996)
- "Lizard" (1998)
- "Lizard (Gonna Get You)" (1999) UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#27 - "Lizard (Gonna Get You)" (remix) (1999) UK #33
- "Iguana" (1999) UK #33
- "Pulsar" (1999)
- "Komodo (Save a Soul)" (2000) UK #13, Netherlands #11, Austria #4, Switzerland #4, France #60, Belgium (Flanders) #15, Ireland #2, Italy #17, Germany #6
- "Bug" / "Eclectic" (2000)
- "Come Together" (2000)
- "Pegasus" (2000)
- "Proximus" (2000)
- "Like This Like That" (2001) UK #21
- "Verdi" (2001) UK #74
- "Pulsar" 2002 (2002) UK #35
- "Back to Cali" (2002) UK #42
- "Funky Time" (2005)
- "Maybe, Maybe Not" (2007)
- "Evribadi" (2007)
- "Gonna get Ya Vs Church Of Nonsense" Picotto Vs Papini (2008)
- "Contaminato" (2008)
- "Acid Sex" (2008)
- "Flashing" (2008)
- "Shark" (2008)
- "Komodo Save A Soul" (2008)
- "Komonster"
- "Living For The Time"
Awards
- German Dance Awards: Best International DJ, Best Producer, Best Radio Hit
- Danish Dance Awards: Best International DJ
- EricssonEricssonEricsson , one of Sweden's largest companies, is a provider of telecommunication and data communication systems, and related services, covering a range of technologies, including especially mobile networks...
Swiss Dance Awards: Best International DJ - BBm Magazine Irish Dance Awards: Best International DJ
- Deejay Magazine Spanish Dance Awards Best International DJ
- TMFThe Music FactoryThe Music Factory is a pop music television channel that operates in Belgium .TMF previously operated channels in the Netherlands , the UK with TMF UK and Australia with . The brand is owned by MTV Networks International...
Dutch Dance Awards: Best International DJ - RTÉ 2fmRTÉ 2fmRTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
Irish Dance Music Awards: Best International DJ - DJ Awards 2005 Ibiza: Winner
- Voted in the Top 100 DJs in TheDJList.com (US) and DJ Mag (UK)