Artists > Donato Dozzy
Dates
Jan 07 - Mindgames at Unit, TokyoFeb 02 - Goa Club, Rome
Mar 10 - Liquid Club, Malta
Mar 17 - Pedro Padua, Italy
Apr 20 - Arma 17, Moscow
Apr 21 - Inkonst, Malmo
May 12 - Berghain, Berlin
Jan 07 - Mindgames at Unit, Tokyo
Oct 06 - Glasgow
In recent years Donato Dozzy has emerged as one of the leading contemporary
techno DJs. He has developed a strong following for his distinctive tripping,
hypnotic take on techno music. Ignoring fads and trends, Dozzy's approach to
electronic music – both as a DJ and as a producer – is based on a deep
understanding of what has come before him. Being introduced to Disco, Italo,
Reggae, Dub and other forms of electronic music at an early age, he first began
exploring DJ'ing in 1983 under the mentorship of a DJ from Bari, called Maurizio
Laurentaci. By the late 1980s he was discovering techno and acid with his friend
Leo (now producing house music under the name Lerosa).
Despite his love for
electronic music, he continued his studies, eventually graduating from the
University of Rome with a Doctorate in Politics. This education, combined with
his encyclopedic knowledge of music, later earned him the nickname of "The
Professor". In 1999, he began an ongoing residency at the famous Brancaleone
club in Rome, where he further honed his skills as a DJ. In 2001, he was as part of
the band, The Kitchen Tools, which were signed to Virgin records and had some
commercial success in Italy.
This was not enough to satisfy Dozzy, and in 2004
he moved to Berlin. From 2004 to 2006, Dozzy held a residency at Panorama Bar,
where extended sets at the end of long nights of partying allowed him to further
develop his slow-burning, hypnotic groove.
A watershed moment in his career
came in 2007 when he was invited to play at the Labyrinth festival, an outdoor
electronic music festival in Japan. While 2007 went well, its main purpose was
laying the foundations for his return in 2008, when Dozzy would play the closing
set at Labyrinth. It would prove to be a turning point for Dozzy, as he
played one of the most memorable sets of techno that had ever been witnessed at the
festival. This set went on to be podcasted by mnml.ssgs and Donato's popularlity grew exponentially.
Since then, Dozzy has quickly developed as a producer and a DJ, since
playing at many of the most important clubs around the world, such as Berghain
and Fabric. He has become popular not only for his DJing, but also because
of his distinctive productions: like his sets, they explore the trippier side of acid,
techno and ambient. In 2008, after experimenting with his first label (Dozzy Records), he started Aquaplano, a label that has quickly gained a cult following for its
limited pressings and high quality mix of ambient and techno. He has released on
a wide range of other labels, including: Mental Groove, Curle, Time to Express,
Mule, Further, and Prologue.
In 2010 he completed his debut album, "K", which
received high praise. He played live for the first time at the 2011
Labyrinth festival as Voices from the Lake (with Neel). Much like the music he plays
and produces, Donato Dozzy is in no rush: developing slowly, moving further
and deeper. Having found considerable success as a DJ and producer, Dozzy is
not searching for fame or hype, he just continues to look or those special
transcendental moments that can be created through electronic music.
