Mauro: DJ, Producer, Meganite visionary and all round workaholic has been at the forefront of electronic European music for a decade (and some). He is one of those wandering entertainers who jumps on jets, arrives in some city anywhere on earth, plays 8 hours of unique, pulsating electronic grooves, parties and then jumps on another jet. He is the wandering minstrel of the 21st century. The cool underground entertainer who supplies his audience with a huge injection of party juice much created by himself or his band of like minded studio manipulators. Producers who understand his need for groove, his need for bass and his need for something different that lifts spirits and vibrates bones. Mauro's name alone sends hordes of adoring fans into ecstasy. No need for added stimuli apart from his tunes, the sound system and the crowd. Meganite is Mauro's own baby. His promotion in Ibiza but also his party event in numerous locations worldwide. Its the full and complete representation of his desires. Its his people with his favourite djs doing what they want to do, knowing its what the crowd want too. This is the fifth year in Ibiza and its moving from strength to strength with the worlds biggest club rammed every Wednesday night. Mauro's latest effort brings you the new Meganite Ibiza album, featuring a live mix of cuts culled from Mauro's superb Alchemy label and a cd of mixes, remixes and new tracks from Mauro's illustrious career. This is where Mauro is in 2008 and as ever its on the cutting edge of electronic wizardry fused with pulsating infectious gyrating badass grooves. Meganite and Megatunes, a perfect harmony.
MAURO PICOTTO - Biography
Born in a small Italian town near Turin, Picotto was raised in a family of stonemasons and dancers. His father ran a masons yard called CRW, a name Mauro would later use as a moniker for one of his biggest records.
Picotto longed to start making his own productions, but felt that to be successful he must first become a DJ and learn exactly what people wanted to hear in a record. After winning the Walky Cup competition on national TV, an event for the top DMC djs in Italy, a chance meeting with Daniele Davoli, there to promote his Black Box single Ride On Time, led Picotto to really throw himself into music production. His first track We Gonna Get, produced under the name RAF, became a Top Twenty across much of Europe and Picotto had well and truly caught the bug.
Another RAF release followed, alongside remixes and co-writing credits for the likes of Club House, Capella and the 49ERS. Soon the time was right to release a track under his own name and the resulting record, Bakerloo Symphony, ended up being Number 1 in Italy for eight weeks. Also in 1996 Mauro became a partner in Media Records alongside Gianfranco Bortolotti.
1998 saw him make his bid for UK stardom, with the release of the inescapable Gatecrasher anthem Lizard a record that, for many, summed up the hegemony of the emerging trance sound. The track ended up being a Top 30 hit and was followed by two further instalments in the reptilian trilogy Iguana and Komodo. Komodo notched Picotto another chart hit, entering at Number 11, as well as a performance on Top Of The Pops. Mauro was the first DJ to ever play live on the show.
Further Top Tens followed, including I Feel Love, under the moniker CRW and Communication, recorded alongside his friend and fellow countryman Mario Piu. The track sampled a mobile phone ring tone and became an omnipresent summer anthem. Furthermore it was Picottos remix which propelled Yorks Balearic trancer On The Beach to Number 1 when it was selected by the record company to be used as the radio edit.
Two artist albums, The Double Album and The Others, came next, in 2000 and 2002 respectively, as well as remixes and productions for the likes Freddie Mercury, Jimmy Sommerville, Pet Shop Boys and U2. Unfortunately it didnt take long for other producers to start to cash in on the Picotto sound and soon everybody was apeing his tough, uncompromising style. Having paid his dues, and notching up a string of hits, it was time for Picottos metamorphosis from trance star to techno superhero to begin.
I used to play 6-hr sets at Gatecrasher, Mauro explains. But I began to grow up and the generation of people I was playing to was growing up with me. I began to make the transition into techno because it felt right and I loved the music. It wasnt like I suddenly said, Right, now Im going to play techno. I just like good music and Im proud that, as well as creating new fans, Ive brought a lot of my old fans with me and opened them up to a new style of music.
On top of the estimated 250 tracks that hes made to date, Mauro also leads the DJ pack when it comes to his globetrotting schedule. One minute hes spinning to a packed out 45,000-seater football stadium in Amsterdam and the next hes playing to 18,000 in the middle of the Amazonian jungle at seven in the morning, with parrots flying overhead.
After leaving Media Records in 2002, Picotto formed Bakerloo Music, as well as a new label Alchemy, releasing a slew of massive 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 and tickets instantly became must-haves for the assembled danceratti.
Building on the concept he had honed in Miami, Picotto took Meganite to Ibiza in 2004, transforming the cavernous Privilege into an intimate techno paradise for those who like their music raw, tough and undiluted. The night became one of the most successful debut parties on the island.
Following the success of the first season, Mauro returned to Privilege in 2005 with an even bigger lineup featuring new Meganite Ibiza guests Adam Beyer and Marco Carola. The unforgettable season confirmed Meganite as one of the top events on the island, with weekly attendances reaching over 5,000.
The year 2006 was yet again very successful for Mauro and Meganite. The event was back in Ibiza at the Superclub Privilege for the third year in a row, with new residents Marco Carola and Misstress Barbara.
After releasing his new single “Maybe, Maybe Not†and a new album “Now & Then†in 2007, Mauro Picotto presented the new Meganite Compilation 4 and the "Live on Tour" DVD, followed by an amazing season at Privilege, rising Meganite into Ibiza stardom.
IMPORTANT DATES
1985 | The beginning
1989 | Winner of Best Italian DJ Walky Cup dj television Italia 1
1990 | First production We Gonna Get (R.A.F. by Picotto) and numerous
acclaimed collaborations with artists linked to Media Records
1996 | Bakerloo Symphony ..1 in Italy for 8 weeks
1998 | First release as Mauro Picotto with Lizard on BXR
2002 | The Metamorphosis begins
2003 | Birth of the concept Meganite electronic music lifestyle
ALBUMS
2000 | The Double Album
Featuring Lizard, Komodo, Iguana, Pulsar, Baguette, Proximus
2002 | The Others
Featuring Verdi, Awesome!!!, Back to Cali, Hong Kong, Bangkok
2006 | Superclub
Featuring New Time New Place, Funkytek, Pandoro, Taotek, Darkroom
2007 | Now & Then
Featuring Evribadi, Contaminato, Maybe, Maybe Not
2008 | Meganite Ibiza
Featuring Flashing, Dubai, Komonster, Shark, Technofour
AWARDS
| 1989 First Award: Best Italian DJ - Walky Cup Competition / Italia 1 TV
| Best International DJ: German Dance Awards
| Best Producer: German Dance Awards
| Best Radio Hit: German Dance Awards
| Best International DJ: Danish Dance Awards
| Best International DJ: Ericsson Swiss Dance Awards
| Best International DJ: BBM Irish Dance Awards
| Best International DJ: Deejay Magazine Spanish Dance Awards
| Best International DJ: TMF Dutch Dance Awards
| Best International DJ: 2FM Irish Dance Music Awards
| Best DJ Techno: Pacha DJ Awards 2005 Ibiza
| Best DJ Techno: M8 DJ Awards 2006 Ibiza
| Voted in the Top 100 DJs in TheDJList.com (USA) and DJ Mag (UK)