Savage is the stage name of Italian disco artist Roberto Zanetti, also known as Robyx. He begins his career in the late 1970s as part of the group Santarosa, before moving into solo work in the early 1980s. He is a composer, vocalist, producer and businessman.

Early work and Taxi

Zanetti’s first Italo records appear under the group name Taxi, which he establishes himself. Under that name he records “To Miami” and “Kapsi Cum”, and he produces those tracks himself. In 1983 he releases them under the stage name Stargo before adopting Savage, the name he is best known by.

Solo Italo-disco releases

As Savage, he records “Don’t Cry Tonight” in late 1983. The track becomes a major European hi-NRG and Italo-disco hit and is remixed many times. He follows it with “Only You”, which becomes a classic of low-beat Italo-disco and remains widely played by hi-NRG DJs.

His debut album, Tonight, is also a success, and it is followed by singles including “Radio”, “Time”, “A Love Again”, “Celebrate” and “Love Is Death”. In 1989 he records a hi-NRG version of Cutting Crew’s “I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight”, and later that year releases a greatest-hits album. In 1994 he releases Strangelove, which includes remixes of earlier songs and four versions of Depeche Mode’s “Strangelove”.

Later releases and label work

His last single is “Don’t You Want Me”, released in 1994 on his own label, Dance World Attack Records (DWA). A 2009 single, “Twothousandnine”, is also part of his catalogue.

Producer and collaborator

As Robyx, Zanetti also produces for other acts. His work includes tracks by Claudio Mingardi, Tango, Lena and Rose, including Rose’s “Magic Carillon”. He is especially associated with Ice MC, for whom he writes and produces songs such as “It’s a Rainy Day”, “Think About the Way” and “Take Away the Colours”, and he also sings with Ice MC on “Easy”. He later produces Alexia, including the hit “The Summer Is Crazy” and “Number One”. He also produces songs for Raimunda Navarro and Double You.

Style and significance

Savage is associated with Italo-disco and hi-NRG dance music. Zanetti’s work as Savage and as Robyx links his own recordings with a wider body of Italian dance production across the 1980s and 1990s.