Mauro Picotto

Mauro Picotto is an Italian electronic music producer and DJ from Cavour, Italy. Born in 1966, he works across EDM, electronic, techno and trance, and is associated with labels including Alchemy and Bakerloo SRL.

Career beginnings and R.A.F.

Picotto first builds his career as a DJ before moving into production. After winning the Walky Cup competition on Italian television for DMC DJs, he meets Daniele Davoli, who is promoting Black Box’s single “Ride on Time”. That contact leads him further into record production. He is a member of the Italian Euro house group R.A.F., and his early recording work includes “We Gonna Get”, released under that name and successful in several European countries. Between 1992 and 1996, R.A.F. releases several dance singles, including “We’ve Got to Live Together”, which reaches the UK Singles Chart top 40. Picotto writes “We’ve Got to Live Together” with several producers at Media Studios, including Media Records founder Gianfranco Bortolotti.

Solo releases and chart success

Picotto later works closely with Bortolotti on “Light My Fire”, which becomes a Eurodance hit after a Cappella remix and reaches number seven in the UK after being licensed to PWL Records. He also contributes as a writer and remixer to other Media Records projects linked with Bortolotti, including Cappella and 49ers. In 1996, Bortolotti makes him a partner in Media Records.

As a solo artist, Picotto becomes known for “Bakerloo Symphony”, “Lizard (Gonna Get You)”, “Iguana” and “Komodo (Save a Soul)”. “Bakerloo Symphony” reaches number one in Italy. “Lizard (Gonna Get You)” becomes associated with the Gatecrasher club scene and reaches the UK top 30. “Iguana” reaches number 39, and “Komodo (Save a Soul)” reaches number 13 in the UK, becoming his highest-charting solo single there. After the success of “Komodo (Save a Soul)”, he appears on the BBC’s Top of the Pops and becomes the first DJ to perform a live mix on the programme.

Collaborations, pseudonyms and remixes

Picotto collaborates with other electronic and trance artists, including Tiësto and Mario Più. With Mario Più, he releases “Communication (Somebody Answer the Phone)”, which reaches the UK top five in 1999. Under the CRW pseudonym, he releases “I Feel Love”, which reaches number 15 in 2000. His remix of York’s “On the Beach” is used as the official radio edit and helps the track reach the UK top five in 2000. He also produces remixes for Freddie Mercury, Jimmy Somerville, Pet Shop Boys and U2.

His family background includes stonemasons and dancers, and his father operates a mason’s yard called CRW, a name he later uses for a trance side project. The CRW name also appears among the many aliases and group identities linked to his career, alongside Megavoices, Megamind, Sosa, Lava, Sharada House Gang, Wagamama, Mig 29, PPK, Fits of Gloom, Es Vedra, Fun Brothers, Mauro Picotto & Riccardo Ferri, Venice, With It Guys, Mario Più & Mauro Picotto, T.S.O.B., S.S.R., DJ Creator, Shibuya, Mediator, Plus Staples and P.W.M.

Albums, labels and events

Picotto releases the albums The Double Album in 2000 and The Others in 2002. After leaving Media Records in 2002, he founds Bakerloo Music and the label Alchemy, and releases tracks including “New Time New Place” and the Alchemy EP. The same year he launches the Meganite event at the Winter Music Conference in Miami. Meganite later becomes a regular club night at Privilege in Ibiza, and several compilation albums connected with the event are issued.

His later albums and compilations include A Call in the Club, released in 2017, and From the 80’s Til Now. He also headlines the dance stage at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sunderland in 2005.