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Cream Interviews Mauro Picotto for Creamfields 2003...
Cream: Where were you born?
Mauro Picotto: I was born in a town called Cavour just outside Turin. I still live there just now.
Cream: Age?
Mauro Picotto: That would be telling. ;-)
Cream: Obviously the scene has changed over the last 10 years, in what ways do you see the differences?
Mauro Picotto: The scene has its ups and its down like any other business. The scene over the past few years has changed as people want to go to bigger and better events. I think there is still a lot of life left in clubbing and things will pick up again once someone comes up with something different. The scene is far from dead and it will always be there, underground or overground.
Cream: What was your highpoint in the last decade?
Mauro Picotto: My highpoint would have to be my daughter Alessia being born in 1998, this was also the year that I released my first single under my own name. The track was Lizard.
Cream: What was your low point in the last decade?
Mauro Picotto: In my career i have been lucky enough not to have any major low points. The only real low points would have to be personal problems such as close relatives dying or falling ill.
Cream: Describe your dj’ing style ?
Mauro Picotto: I would say my Dj style is full of energy, I like to give it my all as the people have made the effort to come and see me so I like to give them something back. I like to think there is never a dull moment in my sets.
Cream: As well as playing Creamfields UK your also playing the Czech Republic and Creamfields Poland, have you played in these territories before? If so, what if any are the differences between that market and the UK’s?
Mauro Picotto: Yes, I am looking forward to playing all of these gigs. I have played in Poland once in a place just outside Warsaw. People over there are really into their techno and they seem to like it a bit harder. In both countries the clubbers are pretty similar because they are both very excited about going out and they usually both dance all nite.
Cream: It was reported that you wouldn’t be playing any festivals this year, however, have agreed to play only one festival this Summer…this being Creamfields why is that?
Mauro Picotto: I did say at the beginning of the year that I was either not going to play any festivals or I would be very picky with the ones I did play. I feel Creamfields is a very good festival because its at the end of the summer and people tend to give the summer a good send off because of this. Playing on the Radio 1 stage was important for me as well because I’m not really classed as a trance Dj and I’m not classed as a techno Dj either so this way trance fans wont be disappointed with seeing me in a trance arena.
Cream: You will be performing the final set on the Radio 1 Outdoor stage this year for the first time along with Judge Jules, Seb Fontaine and Dave Pearce…are you looking forward to this?
Mauro Picotto: Yes, I am looking forward to this very much because Radio 1 all over the world has a great name for dance music in general. With the essential mix being listened too all over the world to the afore mentioned Dj’s shows being listened too aswell. Finishing off the night on there will be really good as the sun will be going down and that really is bringing the summer to an end.
Cream: What track do you expect to take the roof off at this years Creamfields festival?
Mauro Picotto: It’s a bit too early to say to be honest. There are so many good producers out there at the moment no matter what genre you are talking about. A tune that has been massive already this year is Coldplay – Clocks. So many different people having been doing their own remix of this, including myself. It’s a really happy tune and I’m reckon all those whove remixed it will play it…!
Cream: Who will you be checking out at this years festival?
Mauro Picotto: I have seen that the Bugged out tent has a very good line up so I’m sure I will pay that a visit. Also Erick Morillo for the funkier side of things is always good. To be honest I will check out most of the tents just to see what is happening and also Massive Attack will be worth checking out.
Cream: Whats your best and worst festival memory?
I don’t really have a best and a worst but your worst nightmare when it comes to festivals is that it will be raining. The weather plays a big part on how successful a festival is and I know that in the UK anyway they are famous for their bad weather. I just hope its sunny because with me being on the open air stage I will be relying on the weather to be good.
Cream: Have you been working in the studio lately? If so what on..?
Mauro Picotto: I have been in the studio working very hard since the end of last year. I left BXR and Media records at the end of last year so I have been working on bringing my productions out on a new label. I am releasing my first new EP on the Primate label which is a techno label. The EP will be called “The Alchemist EP” and will feature 4 new tracks. New time New place, Codebreaker, Pandoro and Alchemist. My other new EP’s will be out a few months after the first one and Primeveil and then Primate again.
Cream: Are you working on any albums at the moment..?
Mauro Picotto: I am working on an artist album but I want to make sure I have chosen the correct tracks for it. I want to produce many tracks over the coming months and choose the best from that. Maybe at the end of the year it should be ready.
Cream: What are your vices?
Mauro Picotto: I don’t really have any but I love cars. Nothing too flashy but I recently bought myself a new Mercedes SL 550.
Cream: Who do you see as a rising star in the dj world at the moment? And why?
Mauro Picotto: There are 2 people who I would say. I work very closely with both in the studio as one is my studio technician and the other is a good friend. Riccardo Ferri (Formerly known as Ricky Effe) is in the studio with me most of the time. He dosn’t Dj but he does do a live show containing most of the tracks that we work on and release, old and new. The second would be Gabry Fasano who is an excellent producer and Dj in his own right. He has a slightly harder sound but yet not too hard. Both are very musically minded.
Cream: Whats your favourite film?
Mauro Picotto: I don’t really have a favourite film but I LOVE the star wars series of films. Im not a huge fan of the whole collector things but I really like the films.
Cream: What 3 things could you not live without ?
Mauro Picotto: My family would be number 1, my studio would be number 2 and my music in general would be number 3.
Cream: What would you best friend say was your best quality ?
Mauro Picotto: The book I am reading at the moment is a british slang book. I have been learning proper English for 4 years now and now I want to understand some of the slang that people say. My main problem is accents so if I can understand the slang maybe I will understand the accent.
Cream: What are your favourite record labels?
Mauro Picotto: I don’t really have a certain records label that is my favourite. There is a lot of good stuff that comes out on white labels or I get them on white labels and then they will come out on a record label and I never find out what record label they come out on so its pretty difficult for a Dj to decide that.
Cream: What was your first & last record you bought?
Mauro Picotto: I get asked this in so many interviews but because I buy so many records I honestly couldn’t answer.
What did you do before your were a dj?
Mauro Picotto: I didn’t really do anything, my father owned a stone masons and I helped in there but I wanted to become a Dj and I eventually got the chance. Very lucky
Cream: Tell us a secret?
Mauro Picotto: I don’t know any secrets. I’m a loud month, I cant keep secrets.
Cream: Please finish this sentence…Creamfields is….?
Mauro Picotto: Creamfields is going to be MASSIVE this year. As always.
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