Mauro Picotto

Mauro Picotto (born December 25, 1966) is an Italian electronic music producer and DJ, and previously a member of the Italian Euro house group "R.A.F.". He became well known as a solo artist with songs including "Komodo (Save a Soul)", "Pulsar", "Iguana", and "Lizard". He has collaborated with other electronica/trance musicians such as Tiësto and Mario Più.

He now promotes his own club night, Meganite (named after an early 21st-century track of his), which has run for consecutive years annually since 2005 at Privilege Ibiza. He now produces under his own record label, Bakerloo.

Born in the Italian town of Cavour, near Turin, Picotto was raised in a family of stonemasons and dancers. His father ran a mason's yard called CRW, a name Mauro would later use as a pseudonym for his trance side-project.

Picotto longed to start making his own productions, but felt that to be successful he must first become a disc jockey (DJ). After winning the Walky Cup competition on national TV, an event for the top DMC DJs in Italy, he met with Daniele Davoli, who was there to promote his Black Box single "Ride on Time", and this led Picotto towards record producing. His first track, "We Gonna Get", produced under the name RAF, became a Top 20 hit single across much of Europe.

Another RAF release followed, alongside remixes and co-writing credits for Clubhouse (who had a European hit with "Light My Fire"), Cappella (best known for rave hits like "U Got 2 Let the Music" and "Move on Baby") and the 49ers. A track released under his own name, "Bakerloo Symphony", ended up being number 1 in Italy for eight weeks. Also in 1996, Picotto became a partner in Media Records alongside Gianfranco Bortolotti.

1998 saw the release of the gatecrasher anthem "Lizard (Gonna Get You)". The track ended up being a Top 30 hit in the UK Singles Chart, and was followed by two further instalments in the reptilian trilogy: "Iguana" (#39) and "Komodo (Save a Soul)", which would give Picotto the highest UK chart position of his career – number 13. This would see him make his only solo performance on BBC Television's Top of the Pops. Picotto was the first DJ to mix live on the show.

Later tracks he was involved in also made an impact on the UK chart. "I Feel Love" – released under the pseudonym CRW – reached number 15 in 2000, whilst "Communication (Somebody Answer The Phone)" – which he produced alongside Mario Più – reached the UK Top 5 at the end of 1999.

His remix of "On The Beach" by York also helped to propel that song into the UK Top Five in spring 2000, when it was selected by the record company – Manifesto – to be used as the official radio edit. Two solo albums, The Double Album (2000) and The Others (2002), followed, as well as remixes and productions for Freddie Mercury, Jimmy Somerville, the Pet Shop Boys and U2. Upon leaving Media Records in 2002, Picotto formed Bakerloo Music, as well as a new label Alchemy, releasing several club tracks, including "New Time New Place" and the "Alchemy EP". That same year he launched his Meganite party at the Miami Winter Music Conference.In May 2017 he released another album "A Call In The Club".

In 2005, Picotto headlined the Radio 1 big weekend in Sunderland, in front of thousands of people.

Picotto released several Meganite Ibiza albums on a new label, Big in Ibiza.

Picotto's 'Meganite' party is held every Wednesday at Ibiza's Privilege club.

Albums

• BXR Superclub Compilation Volume 1 (With Mario Più Feat. Zicky – Franchino) (1999)
• Tranceformer 2000 (With Lange) (1999)
• Pressure (Feat. Megamind & Mario Più & R.A.F.) (1999)
• The Album (2000)
• Make Yourself Heard @ Homelands (2000)
• The Double Album (2000)
• BXR Superclub Compilation Volume 2 (With Mario Più Feat. Zicky & Franchino) (2000)
• The Sound of BXR (2000)
• The Lizard Man (2000)
• VIP Lounge (2001)
• In The Mix – Metamorphose (2001)
• The Triple Album (Special Edition) (2001)
• Maximal.FM Compilation Vol. 2 (2001)
• Selected Works / In The Mix (2001)
• Rush Hour (2001)
• Metamorphose & Awesome!!! (2002)
• The Others (2002)
• Live in Ibiza – Essential Selection (2002)
• Italian Techno Master (2002)
• Meganite Compilation (2004)
• Superclub (2006)
• Meganite Compilation Volume 2 (2006)
• Meganite³ (2007)
• Now & Then (2007)
• Meganite Ibiza 2007 (2007)
• Meganite – Privilege, Ibiza (2008)
• Meganite (2009)
• Best of Mauro Picotto (2010)
• 2010 (2010)
• Raveline Mix Sessions 036 (2011)
• Twentyeleven (Unmixed & Mixed) (2011)
• A Call In The Club (2017)

Singles

• German Dance Awards: Best International DJ, Best Producer, Best Radio Hit
• Danish Dance Awards: Best International DJ
• Ericsson Swiss Dance Awards: Best International DJ
• BBm Magazine Irish Dance Awards: Best International DJ
• Deejay Magazine Spanish Dance Awards Best International DJ
• TMF Dutch Dance Awards: Best International DJ
• RTÉ 2fm Irish Dance Music Awards: Best International DJ
• DJ Awards 2005 Ibiza: Winner
• Voted in the Top 100 DJs in TheDJList.com (US) and DJ Mag (UK)