DJ Love: Marco Carola

Image: Marco Carola

Marco Carola has long since been one of the most revered techno DJs in the world. His unique punching, rolling, groove-laden techno tears up the best dancefloors for hours on end, with his residencies ranging from the summer season at Amnesia in Ibiza to a recent three month stint in Miami Beach.

The result of his love and dedication for this signature sound is a widespread success and an ever increasing following of loyal fans from around the globe, making him one of if not the finest among his peers.

His story begins in his hometown Napoli, Italy, where together with friends like Davide Squillace, Carola defined the movement and sound of Neapolitan techno, later spreading it across the waters. He was a major player and influence then to the city as he is now to the world. 

A keen clubber from the age of twelve and an avid drummer from the age of thirteen, he clearly had rhythm from the off. It is no surprise this set the basis for his pursuing of a career in music and within a few years, Carola began manipulating the music of others through mixing records during a strong italo-house, techno and emerging acid house scenes.

Marco Carola tickets.

His style was fast paced techno that he would later build upon the influence of in his productions, forming sinister, four-to-the-floor pounders like 'Apollo 13' (above) and his 'Hypertension' EP. 

His vision continued into the creation of his own labels such as One Thousand Records, a platform which Carola smartly used to distribute limited edition releases of his own productions, spreading his name and his sound far and wide.

He pushed the boundaries across the small collection, some heavy hitting, some minimalistic and thought provoking, and some laced with the groove that he would eventually morph his sound towards.

This is where the magic really started to happen, as Carola became less interested in the harder techno and more interested in building it round that low slung swagger. This is the sound that has catapulted him to where he is today, the sound that we have come to crave and that draws us to see him play at every opportunity. 

His highly acclaimed compilation mix for the seminal Fabric series, his first ever commercially released DJ mix, marked a defining moment in this change, a mix that never grows old no matter how many times you listen to it.

The selection of tracks oozes coolness; comprised of deep, punching basslines, defined percussive riffs and quirky, choppy techno sounds and samples, most notably in the dry and funky synths of Microfunk's (aka 2000 and One and Dave Ellesmere) 'Pecan' which I could listen to all day (check it above). 

It was not until 2012 I had the pleasure of seeing the techno giant who to be honest I knew little about at the time. In my naivety, my impression had been he wasn't quite as unique and important in the techno world as other big guns like Ricardo Villalobos, Sven Vath, Loco Dice and Luciano.

Without doubt that assertion was proved wrong, I instantly became a big fan as he owned Mint Warehouse in Leeds (you can read my review here) with a typically extended set of delightful beats. That minimal, grooving, bass heavy sound is not one I've heard from anyone else and I quickly learnt it to be the distinctive sound of Carola.

Later that year, having been one of the driving forces behind Ibiza's underground clubbing scene for a number of years, playing with the aforementioned artists at DC10 and Cocoon Amnesia on the regular, Carola went solo. He created what has quickly become one of the biggest underground house and techno brands firstly on the island and subsequently the rest of the world; Music On.

For some, this is the reason they take their holiday in Ibiza and for others it is a huge part of it. And then there are the seasonaires, who throughout the Summer make it their mission to attend week in, week out, every Friday. I certainly did, as well as more of his UK shows, including this classic set at Sankeys.

The consistently filled dancefloor goes nuts whilst Carola seamlessly mixes through carefully selected, high calibre tunes deep into the morning, occasionally moving the party to an afters elsewhere on the island where he will continue for hours on end.

Stand out moments are rife, my most recent being him epically dropping David Gtronic's edit of Villalobos' 'Easy Lee', the eerie vocals flowing across the Amnesia Terrace whilst the sun rose above us. Never a dull moment at Music On. 

Marco Carola is now one of the most favoured DJs on the White Isle. His Music On success has seen him rise to become one of the most popular techno DJs in the world. Luckily for us in the UK, we are fast approaching his return to London, Manchester and Liverpool and for those of us heading to Ibiza, a new season of Music On is teetering on the horizon. 

You can see Marco Carola's upcoming shows here, which include playing for Circus at Albert Hall in Manchester and the huge Asylum event in Liverpool from Cream and Freeze over Easter Weekend.