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Open Air in Florence: A Recap of the Sunflower 2015 Opening

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Sunflower Confetti

Each May in Florence, Italy there is an event that is held in the highest esteem amongst the musical community. After the iconic Florentine nightclub, Tenax, celebrates it’s closing party at the beginning of the month, the visionaries at Fragola prepare for their flagship event
Sunflower. What started as an open-air villa party in 2009 has evolved into one of the most anticipated parties of the summer season, and for good reason.

Taking place at Manduca, an open air venue just five miles north of the city center, Sunflower is the complete embodiment of the warm and radiant atmosphere that is often associated to Italian culture. Every year at this time, Manduca completely transforms to fulfill the vision of what Sunflower is; a vibrant celebration of life and music. The 2015 Sunflower Opening exceed any and all expectations, and there couldn’t be a more appropriate way to start the summer season.With approximately 1,500 in attendance, Sunflower 2015 was by far their largest turnout to date.

[Video Courtesy of Fragola Ăš Federico Lanzini]

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Music Profile: Italian Record Labels

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record store

As music develops and evolves, certain sounds can come to define a country. Many variables are responsible for sculpting a recognizable sound, with record labels being one of the primary influences in a country’s musical landscape. In 6AM’s new feature series, we dive in and take a look at some of the record labels making waves in a country’s scene. Our first stop
Italia.

Bosconi Records

Bosconi Records

When discussing record labels in Italy, it’s impossible to bypass Bosconi Records. Based in the beautiful hills of Fiesole, just north east of Florence, Bosconi is responsible for delivering house, disco, and techno with the upmost craftsmanship. With founders Fabio della Torre and Ennio Colaci at the helm, Bosconi revived the Italian house scene with releases from Italian artists such as: Mass Prod, Minimono, The Clover, and Alex Picone while also bringing in foreign guests such as A Guy Called Gerald and Paul Johnson. The music of Bosconi Records is as beautiful as the city they reside in, and it’s easy to see where they draw their influences. Bosconi Records is and will always be at the forefront of electronic music in Italy. With consistent new releases and a back-catalog to keep you more than engaged, there’s much to look forward to from the hills of Fiesole.

Bosconi Records: Official Site | Soundcloud | Juno | Beatport

Kina Music

Venice ITaly

Venture to the north of Italy about 40 miles north of Venice and you’ll find yourself at the headquarters of Kina Music, one of the country’s burgeoning minimal labels. Kina Music sticks to what they know best
deep low slung minimal best suited for powerful club systems. Run by the Venetian duo, Re-Up, Kina Music has a distinct ear for dance floor music and pays close attention to the subtle textures that make minimal an excellent genre. When analyzing their success, look no further than Marco Carola’s infamous Music On events in which he employs Re-Up to open the party with proper minimal grooves. With support from the Italian tech house don, it’s safe to say that minimal, and Kina Music, will have a place in the club world.

Kina Music: Official Site | Soundcloud | Beatport

Tenax Recordings

Tenax 1

As the record label associated with the iconic Florentine club, Tenax, Tenax Recordings continues the legacy with quality house and techno. Located in the heart of Florence, Tenax Recordings fosters a predominant roster of Italian artists, and elevates house and techno to a level that defines what a proper club night can, and should be. Over the years they have released EP’s from Alex Neri, Ilario Alicante, Philipp, Valentino Kanzyani, and Federico Grazzini, with each release taking the listener on a unique sonic journey. Listening to the music of Tenax Recordings takes you right into the center of the dance floor at the famed Italian nightclub, with each record being a piece to the gigantic musical puzzle.

Tenax Recordings: Soundcloud | Beatport

 Hell Ya Recordings

Hell Ya Recordings

With their 2006 inception in Ferrara, Italy, Hell Ya Recordings has covered a wide range of the musical spectrum.  You’re just as likely to hear smooth cerebral dance floor cuts as you are obscure synthetic techno, even some tropical Balearic rhythms at times just for the hell of it. Label chief, Marco Gallerani, and the rest of the team at Hell Ya Recordings strike a perfect balance with electronic compositions. The label has a healthy understanding of what good music is, and not just for the dance floor. With the amount of music in an almost saturated global market, Hell Ya Recordings stands out as one of the leading labels, and certainly has it’s place in the Italian scene.

Hell Ya Recordings: Official Site | Soundcloud | Beatport

Deeperfect Records

deeperfectrecords

Now in their 11th year, the Scarperia based label has established a reputation for releasing top-notch tech house and techno. Over it’s 11-year tenure Deeperfect has released artists such as Pig & Dan, Stefano Noferini, and Nick Olivetti, and has received support from DJ’s like Pan Pot, Monika Kruse, Marco Bailey, Umek, and Cristian Varela. Deeperfect has the formula down for serving up peak time tech house to the masses and is a go-to label for many artists around the world when they need to elevate the energy in their sets. In a country where there is no shortage of quality music, Deeperfect proves that it will continue to be a major contender and influence the musical environment around the globe.

Deeperfect: Official Site | Soundcloud | Beatport

MOAN Recordings

MOAN

Located near Naples in the town of Caserta you’ll find the tech house label, MOAN Recordings. If you’ve been to a club night in the past year there’s a high probability that you’ve heard a release from MOAN. With an expansive roster and releases designed to make a heavy impact on dance floors, MOAN is at the forefront of the Italian tech house movement. While MOAN adheres to a very groove oriented music policy, there are moments where we see the label dabble in techno with tracks such as the Marco Faraone remix of Floating Point. MOAN may only be three years in the making, but don’t expect them to slow down anytime soon. With incredible support from Italy and artists worldwide, MOAN will continue to be a label to watch over the coming years.

MOAN: Soundcloud | Beatport

Event Previews: 6AM Takes on Italy

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Florence Panorama
When one thinks of Italy several things immediately come to mind: Wine, feasts, and world-class dance music. Throughout the country there are incredible nightlife establishments each with their own charm, characteristics, and musical programming. Starting this Thursday we’ll be diving in head first taking a techno field trip to Florence to bask in all the musical wonder that this Renaissance city has to offer. Read more

Freebie Friday: Ruben Mandolini – My Mind

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Garage Rising body

With releases on Snatch!, Terminal M, and Defected, Ruben Mandolini has a knack for releasing massive dance floor certified groove tracks. Back in November he released “Your Love”, a solid two track EP for Snatch Records, and also included an exclusive free download of a third original track.

My Mind has an infectious groove loaded with different drum rhythms and a chugging bassline sure to make an impact on the dance floor. With the addition of a guitar-ish sounding stab on the break, the arrangement feels complete and ready for action.

Snatch Records had another groove filled year with releasing artists such as Kaiserdisco, Pirupa, and Santos; expect more great releases from the crew this year. Also keep an eye out for Ruben Mandolini who is sure to have another great year representing Italian tech-house.

My Mind is available for free download via the Snatch Records Soundcloud.

Ruben Mandolini on Facebook | Soundcloud

Field Trip Series 03 – Halloween at Cocorico

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Cocorico-0

Cocorico in Riccione, Italy is a very special destination for any nightlife enthusiast. Between five rooms of music, and a pyramid like main room, Cocorico consistently hosts some of the most respected names in dance music. This Halloween they held nothing back, which is why this Friday’s party with Ricardo Villalobos, Onur Özer, Camea, and others is the highlight of our Field Trip Series this week.

The pyramid, or “il Piramide” in Italian, is captivating and unique. When the sun goes down, the club becomes naturally dark due to the glass ceiling allowing the array of visuals to project onto the dance floor. But when it becomes truly special is when the sun begins to come up and the sunrise over the water is visible to everyone in the Pyramid. Between Villalobos, Onur Özer, and Camea, we can be sure that everyone inside the Pyramid is in for more than their fair share of treats. But who knows, maybe Villalobos has a few tricks up his sleeve as well for the occasion.

Onur Özer and Camea also are perfect compliments to a night like this. Özer delivers minimal techno at it’s finest, and Camea has an eclectic style that is sure to establish a perfect vibe on the dance floor. However, as mentioned before, Cocorico has plenty of rooms to keep you occupied.

The Titilla room is a much smaller room that packs just as much punch. For Cocorico’s Halloween party they’ve brought in Riccione’s own Bartolomeo and Soul Clap. If you need a break from the madness, Titilla would be the room. Although, on Halloween at Cocorico I doubt anyone will show restraint in their sets. Regardless of what room you’re in, the music will be on point here. Personally though, it would be pretty difficult to get me out of that main room.

Halloween is one of those holidays that calls out all the people who appreciate a good party. This year at Cocorico would be quite the treat, and worth the experience without a doubt. With wild costumes to accompany some wild music, those Italian clubbers are about to have a night to remember. If we were taking a field trip, this is where you’d find us.

 

Cocorico Halloween on Resident Advisor

 

Field Trip Series: Halloween at Cocorico

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Cocorico-0

Cocorico in Riccione, Italy is a very special destination for any nightlife enthusiast. Between five rooms of music, and a pyramid like main room, Cocorico consistently hosts some of the most respected names in dance music. This Halloween they held nothing back, which is why this Friday’s party with Ricardo Villalobos, Onur Özer, Camea, and others is the highlight of our Field Trip Series this week.

The pyramid, or “il Piramide” in Italian, is captivating and unique. When the sun goes down, the club becomes naturally dark due to the glass ceiling allowing the array of visuals to project onto the dance floor. But when it becomes truly special is when the sun begins to come up and the sunrise over the water is visible to everyone in the Pyramid. Between Villalobos, Onur Özer, and Camea, we can be sure that everyone inside the Pyramid is in for more than their fair share of treats. But who knows, maybe Villalobos has a few tricks up his sleeve as well for the occasion.

Onur Özer and Camea also are perfect compliments to a night like this. Özer delivers minimal techno at it’s finest, and Camea has an eclectic style that is sure to establish a perfect vibe on the dance floor. However, as mentioned before, Cocorico has plenty of rooms to keep you occupied.

The Titilla room is a much smaller room that packs just as much punch. For Cocorico’s Halloween party they’ve brought in Riccione’s own Bartolomeo and Soul Clap. If you need a break from the madness, Titilla would be the room. Although, on Halloween at Cocorico I doubt anyone will show restraint in their sets. Regardless of what room you’re in, the music will be on point here. Personally though, it would be pretty difficult to get me out of that main room.

Halloween is one of those holidays that calls out all the people who appreciate a good party. This year at Cocorico would be quite the treat, and worth the experience without a doubt. With wild costumes to accompany some wild music, those Italian clubbers are about to have a night to remember. If we were taking a field trip, this is where you’d find us.

 

Cocorico Halloween on Resident Advisor

 

Umberto Pagliaroli – Parallel EP

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umberto yep

For almost 15 years, Italian native Umberto Pagliaroli has been smashing it up, making his mark on dance floors all over the world.  Equally impressive (if not more) is his studio output, with over 15 releases on Beatport releases in the past couple years. Pagliaroli has established a unique sound that has stood the test of time, solidified and reinforced by his Parallel EP.  He is finally starting to get the credit he deserves, as the parallel has been on Beatport’s top 100 releases chart, slowly rising since its release in early october. Parallel EP starts with the title track, featuring dark chord stabs and a rolling with some dope hats and shakers. Next up is Beat Me, a slightly more uptempo track with a tenaciously driving rhythm, psychedelic renegade snares and the occasional splash of noise. The record ends with Act, a dubby techno track with a groovy rolling bassline and some synth plucks. Preview the EP below, and if you like it, then click here to buy on Beatport.