“Mixing is Jazz”, that’s what you said to me in the last chat we had and it’s impossible to describe how much, even three words, impacted me and my life. It’s been a honor to know you and work with you. Your influence on all of us it’s been massive and now that your legacy is here to see it’s everyone’s duty to pick it up. Ciao Claudio.

APPAREL WALL

Claudio Coccoluto (1962 - ∞)

Faccio Cose, Ballo Gente

Since then he has placed a significant mark within the world of electronic music under his birth name, Claudio Coccoluto, which he has used to showcase an ever growing blend of music, and confront the future as a DJ, an artist and a global communicator.

With over 70,0000 records collected and catalogued since the early 70's - “Goats Head Soup” by the Stones being the first one he ever bought at the tender age of nine, and an apprenticeship starting from spinning records on pirate radio stations to the all the world's most respected dance institutions, “Cocco” or “Cocodance” (as he was known until the end of the 80's) is born.

He has created soundtracks for famous parties, from the birthday of Diesel's Renzo Rosso (with whom he has always collaborated with throughout the years), to Fiorello's (one fo Italy's most famous entertainers and radio hosts), for companies like Ericsson and Valtur, Vodafone and Peroni, Seat and 3, for events such as the iconic festival of Sanremo and Futureshow, several editions of the MTV Music Awards (Milan, Dublin and Stockholm), and even fashion shows for Moschino and Prada and many other respected brands. His secret lies in his ability to play with the music in every sense of the word. Mixing skill, knowledge, passion he plays all the records he can to transduce his obsession with music into the public's mind and soul on the dance floor. Using everything from the vintage sounds of Chicago and Detroit to the ultra-modern music coming out of Europe and everything else he hears around the world, Claudio Coccoluto is never afraid of experimenting with new sounds and allowing others to be influenced by his never ending search for the next record. Acting as a mentor to any body who is in need of musical guidance and inspiration, Claudio has published over 3,000 articles in the press and his word has always been considered seriously by both his peers and the younger generations of electronic music aficionados. From television to radio programmes, his brand was exported overseas - “The Italian DJ”, his face was published in countless magazines (DjMag cover, July 97' and the new DJMag Italy in December 2011).

Having had a strong link with the UK since his career took off, he has even appeared on countess radio shows for the likes of BBC1 and Kiss FM, which allowed his skill and dedication to transform into a true mastery in the art of mixing and giving the public an experience of being moved by the power of sound. It's also due to his varied interests that his career has been so multifaceted. With a collection of Apple Mac computers that dates back to the mid 80's and finishes at the latest iPhone, Claudio has always had a keen interest in all that is groundbreaking, interactive and technological. A string of interests which feed off each other. Never afraid of trying new things but also closely following specific aspects of art and culture which intrigue him – Pop art, Transavantgarde, literature, the works of Terry Gilliam, Kubrick and an eye for architecture, a subject which he studied before moving his main focus on music.

Since the beginning of the 90's, his determination to create a name for himself within the music scene inevitably led him to the production studio.

A new door opens for Claudio, one which leads him to discover the science of sound. His lab has always been growing and maturing. An artist who accepts both the past and future of music production, he is surrounded by all the famous analogue machines of the 80's and 90's: Emulators, 909s, 808s, Vermonas, Akais, Moogs etc, but also obsessively experiments with the latest digital softwares and the explosion of the “plug-ins”. Right from the start, he has formed relationships with new and emerging artists to work and share ideas with. His precipitation into the world of production led him to begin working on a new project with Savino Martino and Dino Lenny, creating a new record label – “The Dub” and a new production studio which enabled him to delve deeper into the arrangement of dance music pieces but also other aspects of sound. He collaborated with Subsonica on the production of one of the band's tracks on the critically acclaimed “Microchip Emozionale” album.

1997 is the year of 'Belo Horizonti' (produced by Basement Jaxx).

Claudio's most successful piece of music, which sees a sale of over 1 million copies worldwide and a definitive appreciation by a wide range of artists and critics alike.

The secret to his success undoubtedly lies in his passion.

Passion for the music that struck a chord with him at the beginning of his journey into the world of dance music. Passion for the feeling one gets when a whole room of people is touched and transported onto one single wavelength by the strength of selection and intuition for the music; and passion for being a very part of that same feeling that is passed onto the dance floor. This is what motivates him the most – the reciprocal emotions conceived by the sharing of music. His style is personal but equally simple and universal. In his sets he dives into peoples memories, feelings and most importantly happiness, creating a harmony with oneself and whoever is there to experience his relationship with the music.

In terms of creating history via the party medium, Claudio and Tina Lepre built the infamous “Angels of Love” parties from the ground up, which he worked on for five years.

However, his home ground has and always will be Goa Club in Rome – Italy's best club in terms of attitude and cutting-edge musical selection, one which was certainly nurtured by DJ Giancarlino, a man with whom Claudio has had a long-running almost brotherly musical relationship with. Via a mutual synergy and vision for what the club atmosphere should contain, the two founded the Thursday nights “Ultrabeat” at the club. With a now practically cult-like following, this series of events has and still proposes the freshest and most interesting sounds within the electronic music spectrum and has been given notable attention in magazines such as “Muzic” or “The Face”. He collaborated with Subsonica on the production of one of the band's tracks on the critically acclaimed “Microchip Emozionale” album. In more recent times, Claudio has dedicated more attention to his own personal night at Goa - “Nozoo”. A Saturday night event which aims to showcase a more “party-oriented” side to electronic music and inviting everyone from Kenny Larkin to Sascha Funke, with himself and resident DJ.

From March 2001 to June 2002 he was a correspondant for “l'Espresso”, an Italian magazine dedicated to general affairs, actualities and modern culture, where he had a stable column in the nightlife section. He has subsequently been involved with “Hot” magazine and since 2003 has had a regular column there entitled “Journeys In Sound”, an in depth analysis and commentary on nightlife culture; and the Italian version of “Trax” magazine, one of the most iconic dance music platforms. Also in 2003, Claudio was called on by charismatic Italian TV presenter, Pippo Baudo, and was given the honour of being part of the jury at the 2003 edition of the festival of Sanremo – Italy's longest-running and most respected national music festival. The same year, Claudio started working on a weekly radio show on “Radio Deejay” (the Italian radio station for dance music) every Friday from 10 to midnight, entitled “C.O.C.C.O.” where he exclusively mixes live and strictly vinyl only. Technology is used solely as a means of communication and interaction between himself and the listeners.

Television has also been a medium in which Claudio has appeared regularly. From the “Maurizio Constanzo Show” to “Do The Right Thing” on La7 and has even been pat of a government discussion on the laws regarding nightclubs and nightlife culture. In recent years, he has appeared in a 2008 anti-drugs film entitled “Io Non Ci Casco” (“I'm Not Falling For It”) as himself; he appears in the 2003 Paradise Garage film “Maestro”, a movie/documentary depicting the life of Larry Levan and the early days of DJing and house music; and in 2007, he wrote an autobiography - “Io, DJ” (“I, DJ”) describing his career in detail.