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DJ Rocca
Browse the latest digital releases by DJ Rocca
Played by: G-Blaster (Memorie Cluster)
Review: Two mixes to choose from of this latest offering from Luca Roccatagliati, AKA DJ Rocca, an Italian scene veteran whose career got underway back in the 90s. In its Original form, 'Manny's Pancakes' marries a sci-fi/Theremin-link synth squeal to some subtle jazz piano licks and intricate percussion with a vague Afro-Cuban feel, while the Vocal Remix from Lex (Athens) adds a spoken male vocal courtesy of one Mike Montano. The latter mix has a dreamier feel and is probably the one for peaktime play, while the more energetic Original should help you get 'em warmed up nicely.
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Played by: Dave Mathmos
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Review: 11 years have now passed since Italian disco scene stalwarts Daniele Baldelli (AKA the originator of the 'cosmic disco' sound) and DJ Rocca first joined forces in the studio. They've released plenty of must-check material since - including two solid albums - but this EP for Gottwax is actually their first joint effort for three years. They begin by peppering a rubbery, squelchy, post-electro groove with jaunty guitars, mind-mangling electronics and sparkling synthesizer lead lines on 'Blanka', before dipping the tempo to 110 BPM on the Yellow Magic Orchestra-does-cosmic disco flex of 'Flava'. 'Verdeta' is another loose-limbed, analogue-rich synth dancer full of bubbly riffs and interestingly programmed drums, while 'Helblua' is a modular and analogue-heavy slab of lo-fi electronic disco cheekiness.
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Played by: FINGERMAN, Faze Action, Romanto (YSR / DISCO MACHINE), Pete Herbert, Rayko, DJ ROCCA, Lorenzo Morresi, FRAN DEEPER
Played by: Kisk
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Played by: Teniente Castillo (Play Pal Music), Juno Recommends Disco, DJ ROCCA, JAMES ROD, James Bright
Review: Roam Recordings was set up by Jason 'JP Soul' Peters and Jeni 'Jeniluv' Erickson in 2001, and has since put out records by the likes of Demarkus Lewis, Rhythm Plate, Hesohi and Dino Lenny. For their 100th release/20th anniversary, though, they've avoided the obvious 'best of' route and instead serve up 21 brand new tracks coming from a mix of familiar names (Emperor Machine, DJ Rocca, Tronik Youth) and newcomers. The overall vibe leans towards cosmic and Italo disco, but that's a very broad-brush picture - there are tracks here that could, variously, be filed equally well under house, techno, electro, Balearica or prog. Psychedelic electronic disco at its best.
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Review: Nang's annual round-up of key cuts they've released over the previous 12 months, The Array, has long been a must-check for those who like their nu-disco colourful, synthesizer-heavy and soaked in Mediterranean sunshine. Here the long-serving label offers up volume 11, a predictably entertaining affair that skips between the revivalist '80s synth-pop shimmer of Kim & Buran's remix of Wang Chung's 'Dance Hall Days'; the jaunty nu-disco colour of Tonbe's squelchy 'Good Taste'; the more cosmic, Italo-influenced shuffle of Outtake's 'Black Discotheque'; the throbbing, acid-flecked trip that is Aimes' revision of the Beat Broker's pedal steel-flecked 'Hold Your Horses'; the shimmering cheeriness of Disco Doubles' 'Don't Hurt Me'; and the low-down disco-funk hustle of Future Feelings' 'Downtown Girl', as remixed by Situation.
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Played by: Pete Herbert, Juno Recommends Disco, Juno Recommends Downtempo, Rayko, DJ ROCCA, SAUCO, FRAN DEEPER, Juno Download
Review: After 12 years in the game, Spanish nu-disco stable have reached the 100-release milestone, and they're celebrating with an imaginatively titled compilation packing eight brand new tracks that have been handpicked by label boss Rayko. Obviously, with eight tracks from as many artists there's a fair degree of stylistic variety on offer, but the emphasis generally is on heavily electronic grooves - sometimes veering into Balearic/coffee table pastures, sometimes served with a darker, more leftfield twist. It's really more of a home listening album than a collection of club cuts, but for dancefloor purposes start with the contributions from Ilya Santana and Sauco...
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Review: German label Jackoff reboot a series whose last volume dropped way back in 2014. It's an impressively varied set: Matthias Vogt serves up some electro-inspired prog on 'Love Plus One' (nothing to do with Haircut 100), Joal and Jepe flirt with both Detroit techno and Italo-disco, Jakobin pays homage to the hardcore/proto-jungle era with the aptly-titled 'Cold Breaks', DJ Rocca mashes up dub and rave on 'Como Esta', and Freestyle Man takes us into leftfield electro territory on closer 'Phobos Protectorate'. It would be a VERY open-minded DJ or dancefloor that'd love all six in equal measure, but conversely, the stylistic range on offer makes this worth checking for jocks of many persuasions.
Played by: Dicky Trisco, Superbreak, Chris Coco, Pete Herbert, Juno Recommends Disco, D-Funk, ANORAAK, Guess Disco, LEGO EDIT, Citizens Of Vice, FRAN DEEPER, Paper Street Soul, Djeko & K'you, Problematic Disko
Review: FAR are excited to bring Chris Coco and DJ Rocca to the label for this release. Meeting at La Casella festival in Italy in the summer of 2019, the duo decided to team up in the studio resulting in the ''Discoteca'' EP, a shimmering slice of Balearic, Disco House containing all the right ingredients and forward motion required for maximum sunshine or nightime connection. Discoteca (The Heavy Fun Dub Mix), they manage to create a heady cocktail of synth riffs, ARhodes and Guitars all underpinned by a solid bass line, nodding to the Jazz funk of Atmosphere with the edge of Dinosaur L recording in Italy circa 1982. AAntonio prosper turns up on vocals, whispering, and chanting, evoking imagery of a night out in the mid-summer heat somewhere in southern Europe.
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Review: Of late, Dean Meredith's Rogue Cat Sounds label has been exploring the more cosmic and Balearic end of the musical spectrum, so it's little surprise to see him welcome Italian legends DJ Rocca and Daniele Badlelli to the imprint. The storied twosome begins in fine fashion via the lilting electric guitar solos and bubby electronic disco grooves of "Sky Dump", before opting for a weirder and more psychedelic dancefloor sound on Afro-Cosmic workout "Massive Birth" and doffing a cap to Yello on the eccentric electronics of "Talorypo". The accompanying remix package is epic and uniformly high standard, though if we were picking favourites we'd opt for Warehouse Preservation Society's warm, thickset nu-disco version of "Talorypo" and Mind Fair's Chicken Lips-esque rework of "Massive Birth".
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Played by: Jac The Disco
Played by: Juno Recommends Funky House
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Played by: Juno Recommends Disco, Rayko, LEGO EDIT, JAMES ROD, SEEN ON TV, Paper Street Soul, Ruff Diamond
Review: Spain's Rare Wiri label bring us their second retrospective label comp, which follows on the heels of last year's Vol 1, and just a quick glance at the artists involved - who include Ilya Santana, Rayko, The Beat Broker, Yam Who? and Ziggy Phunk - will give the initiated a pretty good idea of the quality on offer! Gazeebo's 'Soul Dance' is rooted in the deep funk of the early 70s, Phunk's 'Let It Move You' is a brass-spangled disco-house groover, Rayko's 'B-Nano' has an 80s Italo vibe, 'Whishbone' by Parissior channels late 70s Euro-disco, and so it goes on for six more very playable nu-disco bullets.
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Played by: Markus Schneider / Robot Scientists
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