We had a candid chat with the legendary Italian producer and DJ about his latest album and the upcoming one-off event of his Meganite series.
DJ, producer, label owner, author, promoter; even the word legend doesn’t emphasize how important Mauro Picotto has been to dance music. A remarkable career that spans nearly four decades, Mauro has inspired several generations and eras of electronic dance music. These eras have included the Italian DJ and producer delivering some of the most important tunes in trance and techno.
It all began for Mauro Picotto in 1984, when he first started DJing at a club in Turin; this led to him being the finalist at the Italian DMC in 1988, followed by the Walky Cup Competition in 1989. The same year, Mauro honed his craft in the studio and released his first album as R.A.F on Media Records, where he became a partner, later on.
Since then, Picotto has released over a dozen albums that exemplify the transformational expeditions trance and techno have gone through. These albums have been complemented by compilations by the super-producer, in equal measure.
In 2003, Mauro Picotto created Meganite, with the aim to create an immersive experience with top-notch music at the forefront of its proceedings provided by some of the finest selectors of the scene. Meganite has now become an important part of Ibiza’s music culture while making the then-concept one of the Spanish island’s most successful and longest-running nights.
2023 has been another exciting year for Mauro Picotto, which has seen him release an enthralling long release called ‘From The 80’s Til Now,’ which encapsulates the essence of Mauro’s trademark euphoria-injected sound. The album will also be followed by a one-off ‘Meganite‘ event on August 17 to be held at the Eden in Ibiza.
With another engaging run of months on the horizon, we sat down with Mauro Picotto to dig deeper into his latest album and his ‘Meganite’ showdown; and straight off the bat, we asked Mauro about how ‘From 80’s Til Now’ feels different from the rest of the albums he has released for over three decades.
“The album is more of a celebration than just a straightforward release to tick off my list. A big chunk of the album was made during the isolation period of the pandemic which gave me the inspiration to write something that is made for the listener to go into a journey. While the second half of the album caters to the club sound that has been such an important part of my sonic identity.”
“I want to end the album with something that represents my deep research of the techno sound. Knowing how vast the techno aesthetic is, it is almost impossible to surmise it within a 6 or 7 minute track; and that is why you will see a 40-minute mix that brings the grooves and the atmospheres of the genre from every era that I have been a part of.”
Mauro Picotto’s remarkable success spanning four decades is a testament to his unwavering commitment to mindfulness, consistency, and creativity every step of the way. For an illustrious career like his, we asked him how he looks back on his time as a DJ and producer.
“The key to success in my journey has been focused on evolution. As electronic music continues to innovate and change, it is crucial to adapt while also staying true to one’s beliefs. Music production and DJing are not merely a profession to me, but rather, they are the very essence of my being. I have devoted myself entirely to honing my craft, and any success that has followed is simply a welcome bonus.”
Continuing our conversation about the longevity and evolution of dance music, Mauro Picotto shared his thoughts on what he feels about the constant and consistent reinvigoration genres are going through. “I feel the innovation has been abused a bit. Don’t get me wrong – I love new styles and techniques coming through and it’s great to see new talents emerging frequently, but the competitive nature of the industry today may sometimes stifle creativity.
“We should focus on generating more ideas and fostering creativity while taking pleasure in the process of making music, rather than viewing it as a competition.”
During the pandemic, Mauro Picotto utilized the extended isolation periods to write the majority of his latest studio album; and he feels that the abundance of space and time available in 2020 and 2021 made the album writing process highly enjoyable for him.
“When I was writing this album, it almost felt like it was talking to my soul and my personality. The album is all about the elements that inspired me when I started making music in the mid-80s, and I feel that the isolation period gave me the chance to whip up ideas far more naturally since there was so much time to think.
“The only downside to it was that I couldn’t road test the music I was making, but I was confident that the moment everything opened up, the tunes I had made would work like a charm because there was so much emotion that I poured into making them.”
Mauro Picotto’s Meganite series has been an important part of Ibiza’s music scene and is easily one of the best in the world. However, as Mauro delved into other forms of dance music to explore his DJing side further, Meganite came to a natural close.
Nostalgia is a feeling that affects all strata of cultural creation and consumption today. But nostalgia is also how Mauro Picotto has devised the idea of bringing his legendary Meganite series back to its spiritual home for a one-off event in August this year.
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“Bringing Meganite back for a one-off event was to bring back the nostalgia all over again and have a party with friends. When I say friends, I mean the people you will meet on the dancefloor when you walk through its door. No one’s a stranger, no one’s left alone. It’s not about the money, it’s not about how aesthetically pleasing the settings are; it’s just about reliving those memories once again which once were a regular affair in Ibiza.
“The music by the way is just the cherry on the cake. The cake, which is the most important thing, is the people; and with this one-off show, I want to give the one’s attending an unforgettable experience.”
We have mentioned how important Mauro Picotto is to electronic, having inspired several generations of DJs, producers, and fans alike. But for monumental figures like Mauro, it’s always interesting to know who inspired them to make music and start DJing. We were keen to know, and here is what Mauro Picotto had to say.
“It’s no secret at this point. I have been a huge fan of everything that Sven Väth and Laurent Garnier have done throughout their careers. Even after so many years, their groundbreaking capabilities have known no bounds and it’s had a huge impact on me as I kept getting stronger as a DJ.
“When it comes to making music, my inspiration came from the late 80s, when electronic music was steadily receiving some mainstream exposure. Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, and even Pink Floyd inspired me in so many ways and shaped how I perceived music production.”
Closing an inspirational conversation with the legendary DJ and producer, we asked Mauro Picotto about how he sees the rest of his 2023 passing through, and his answer was simple – “Music and family. I am practically booked until the end of the year, and while that runs in parallel, I intend to spend time with my family and watch my kids grow in the path they have chosen for themselves. I am really looking forward to a solid second half of the year.”
If you are planning to make it to Mauro Picotto’s one-off Meganite event in August, you can grab your tickets – HERE
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