Early Career
Gigi D'Agostino (born 17 December, 1967, Torino, Italy) is a DJ, remixer and music producer. In 1986 he started his career as a DJ spinning Italo Disco, and releasing his first mix "Psychodelic". He soon moved to London.
His first single "Bla Bla Bla" entered the US and Italian charts at number 4. He described this single as "a piece I wrote thinking of all the people who talk and talk without saying anything!" Other hit singles included ''I'll Fly With You, Another Way, La Passion, The Riddle, as well as Super (1, 2, 3) Carillon (remix of Italian DJ Magic Box), and more recently Goodnight.
As a DJ, Gigi D'Agostino is known as one of the "pioneers of Mediterranean Progressive House" (Source: Yahoo! Music), consisting of minimalistic sounds and catchy, latin melodies and expecially mediterranean melodies. As a producer, Gigi D’Agostino’s strength - or "GGDAG", the pseudonym he uses for himself in club productions - consists in transforming a piece, originally destined only for the discos, into a success for the main-stream public.
Gigi D'Agostino spent an eventful childhood between Torino and Brescia (where the Media Records studios are placed). As a child, Gigi D'Agostino always had a big hope: to be someone in the world of the disco music. Working first as a mason and fitter, he started his musical career as a DJ by organizing parties in clubs. His debut was in a club near Torino (Italy) called "Woodstock". He was a resident DJ of Ultimo Impero (an Italian disco) from 1993 to 1998.
Success in the 90s
After successes like Sweetly, he entered in the team of Gianfranco Bortolotti, the general manager of Media Records and suddenly reached the top of the hit parades. His single FLY, published in 1996 with BXR Noise Maker, the label created by Media Records for the Mediterranean Progressive house, reached the top of the sales in Italy. This was followed by his single Gigi's Violin which was very popular in clubs and in the national and european music networks. It confirmed the Mediterranean Progressive House as an overground phenomenon. Following on from this success, Gigi D'Agostino released the song Angel's Symphony with R.A.F. by Mauro Picotto, a friend from Media Records. His biggest project was the self-titled album Gigi D’Agostino - consisting of 19 tracks, it sold over 60,000 copies and as a result turned gold.
With Gigi D'Agostino's increased popularity, his musical style has changed, with his sound becoming more melodic, at midway between House and Progressive, with more energetical and melodical sonorities and less obsessive rhythms.
In 1997 he released the single Gin Lemo, and in 1998 Elisir (Your Love), an instant success.
In 1999 Gigi D'Agostino released the single Cuba Libre, followed by Bla Bla Bla, also an instant success. He later released the album Eurodance Compilation which contained 5 unpublished tracks. With this compilation he obtained the Platinum Disc and was awarded with "Best Producer in 1999" at the Italian Dance Awards. In October, Gigi D’Agostino released another hit single, this time Another Way.
2000s: L'Amour Toujours and more
In 2000, his second album, L’Amour Toujours, consisting of of 23 tracks on two CDs including the song "L'amour Toujours", brought him to the 10th position in the sales parade in Italy and as a result he reached the Platinum Disc. This contained 3 songs: two version of L’amour Toujours; and Un Giorno Credi, a single made in collaboration with Edoardo Bennato. Un Giorno Credi reached the top of the parades in Italy and became one of the most played songs in the the national and international music networks. He was also awarded with "Best DJ-producer of the year" at the "Red Bull Awards" in Italy. Later in the year, his song "The Riddle" sold 1,000,000 copies in Germany, and 200,000 copies in France. He also released the album Tecno Fes in August 2000, and Tecno Fes E.P. Vol. 2 in December 2000.
In 2001 he released the hit "Super", as a result of a collaboration with Albertino (an Italian music artist), and which won him the awards "Best Dance Producer" at the PIM (Italian Music Award); and "Public Award" at the Danish DJs Award in Copenhagen, Denmark. In December of that year he released Il Grande Viaggio, a compilation of his favourite songs, including old electronic pieces and new rhythms and melodies. As a result, he was awarded with "Best Dance Producer" at the Italian Dance Awards.
On July 15, 2004, his compilation "Euro Dance" won Platinum certification with 120,000 copies sold in a few weeks.
Gigi D'Agostino has played in some well known clubs throughout Europe including in Italy, Spain, France, Holland, Germany, Switzerland and England (in 1996 he played at the Ministry of Sound in London with Mauro Picotto) .
Discography
- 1994: A Journey Into Space (A)
- 1996: Le Voyage 96 (C)
- 1996: Le Voyage Estate (C)
- 1996: Gigi D'Agostino (A)
- 1996: The Greatest Hits (A)
- 1997: Progresive Hyperspace (C)
- 1997: Gin Lemon E.P. (EP)
- 1999: Tanzen (EP)
- 2000: L'Amour Toujours (A)
- 2000: Eurodance '99 (C)
- 2000: Gigi D'Agostino (Coletanea Building Records, Brasil Release) (A)
- 2000: Tecno Fes (EP)
- 2000: Tecno Fes Vol. 2 (EP)
- 2001: Il Grande Viaggio Vol. 1 (C)
- 2003: Il Programmino (C)
- 2003: Live At Altromondo (Exclusive Edition) (C)
- 2003: Underconstruction 1: Silence E.P. (EP)
- 2004: Underconstruction 2: Silence Remix (EP)
- 2004: Underconstruction 3: Remix (EP)
- 2004: Live At Altromondo Part II (Exclusive Edition) (C)
- 2004: Laboratorio 1 (C)
- 2004: Benessere 1 (C)
- 2004: L'Amour Toujours II (A)
- 2005: Laboratorio 2 (C)
- 2005: Laboratorio 3 (C)
A=Album, C=Compilation, EP=Extended Play
Singles
External link
References
- This article is based on text from this website.