Mauro Picotto

Mauro Picotto
Birth name	Mauro Picotto
Also known as	CRW, R.A.F., Lizard Man, χρω, Lava, Megamind, Megavoices
Born	December 25, 1966 (1966-12-25) (age 44)
Origin	Cavour, Italy
Genres	Trance, Techno, Hard House
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Media Records (until 2002), Bakerloo, Alchemy
Website	www.mauropicotto.com

Mauro Picotto (born December 25, 1966 in Cavour, Piedmont) 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.

Biography

Born in the Italian town of Cavour, near Turin, 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^{[citation needed]}, an event for the top DMC^{[clarification needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]}

Another RAF release followed, alongside remixes 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.^{[citation needed]} 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^[1] - 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.^[1] 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.^[2]

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,^[3] whilst "Communication (Somebody Answer The Phone)" - which he produced alongside Mario Più - reached the UK Top 5 at the end of 1999.^[4]

His remix of "On The Beach" by York, also helped to propel that song into the UK Top Five in Spring 2000,^[5] 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.

Discography

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) UK #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"

^[1]

Awards

• German Dance Awards: Best International DJ, Best Producer, Best Radio Hit
• Danish Dance Awards: Best International DJ
• Ericsson Swiss Dance Awards: Best International DJ
• BBm Magazine Irish Dance Awards: Best International DJ
• Deejay Magazine Spanish Dance Awards Best International DJ
• TMF Dutch Dance Awards: Best International DJ
• RTÉ 2fm 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)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 426. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 
2. ^ Robbins, Tom (2005). "Last night a DJ made my life seem very ordinary". The Observer (London). 2005-08-21. http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2005/aug/21/spain.observerescapesection?page=all. Retrieved 2008-04-27 
3. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 89. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 
4. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 428. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 
5. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 614. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 

External links

• Mauro Picotto Official Site
• Mauro Picotto at Discogs.com
• Mauro Picotto discography at MusicBrainz
• Mauro Picotto Fansite
• Big In Ibiza

Persondata
Name	Picotto, Mauro
Alternative names
Short description	Italian DJ and remixer
Date of birth	1966-12-25
Place of birth	Cavour, Italy
Date of death
Place of death