MAZZOCCHI IS COMING TO CAVO THIS OCTOBER

Tell Us About Yourself

I’m MAZZOCCHI, an Italian DJ and producer. I started my journey in 2018, and over the past few years music has allowed me to experience things I could only imagine when I first started. I come from Avezzano, a small town in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, and I think growing up in a place like that gave me even more hunger, discipline and motivation to build something of my own.

Today, I spend most of my life between the studio, travelling and clubs, constantly trying to evolve both as a DJ and as a producer. At the same time, I try to maintain a very active lifestyle. Sport and training are a big part of my daily routine and they help me stay balanced, especially with the intense rhythm that comes with this job.

For me, MAZZOCCHI is not just a music project. It’s an identity that is growing with me, both inside and outside the club. My goal is to make that identity stronger and more recognisable, and to keep taking it further.

How would you describe your sound and artistic identity right now?

I’m still in an emerging phase of my career, and I think that’s exactly why my sound right now is shaped by several different influences that feel very natural to me. There are hypnotic grooves, house music elements, energetic buildups and explosive drops, with a strong tech house foundation.

At the moment, I’m especially drawn to sounds that have one very clear purpose: to create a party. I want my music to communicate energy and movement, and to create that immediate feeling that makes people completely let themselves go on the dancefloor.

I’m still evolving and defining my identity more and more, but the common thread is already very clear to me: groove, energy and music designed to make the dancefloor come alive.

What inspired you to start your journey as a DJ and producer?

It all started during the summers of 2016 and 2017, when I worked as a promoter in Gallipoli, in Puglia, southern Italy. At that time, the city was experiencing an incredible boom in terms of nightlife and club culture.

I came from competitive sports, but music had always played a huge role in my life, even in the smallest everyday moments. I would listen to music from the moment I woke up until I went to sleep. I was always the one playing music when I was with my friends, even if it was just through a Bluetooth speaker, and driving for hours without loud music was basically unthinkable for me.

Working in Gallipoli allowed me to experience the nightlife world from the inside. I would see young DJs, often around my age, performing in front of thousands of people and think to myself, “This has to be the best job in the world.” That was when I decided I genuinely wanted to try to turn this passion into my career.

The real turning point came in 2018, when, after appearing on a television programme, I had a kind of platform that allowed me to start working in different parts of Italy almost immediately. I gained a huge amount of experience on the road and had the opportunity to meet and work alongside many resident DJs and club professionals who had a very positive influence on my artistic and professional development.

Over the past few years, I’ve also started taking music production much more seriously. I’m studying, working and collaborating with producers who are helping me develop a more personal musical language. It’s still an evolving process, but my goal is to build a sound that people can eventually recognise as mine immediately.

What is your approach when you start creating a new track?

I usually start by searching for old samples that immediately give me a strong identity or an interesting idea to develop. I love finding elements that already have a certain character and then building everything around them, especially the drums and bass, until I find the right groove.

Of course, I also take a lot of inspiration from established producers who have influenced my sound. Listening to how they structure tracks, control the energy and approach the details is something that really helps me as I continue to develop.

At the same time, I never want to simply replicate a reference. The goal is to take inspiration from it, reinterpret it and bring it into the identity I’m trying to build for myself.

Which artists have influenced your sound?

There are several artists who have influenced the way I see this job, not only musically.

Franky Rizardo is definitely one of them. I really like the way he builds his sets, but I also connect with him on a human level. In certain aspects, I see a lot of myself in his approach and in the way he lives his journey as an artist.

Joseph Capriati has always impressed me with his almost obsessive attention to detail, his technical ability and especially the attention he gives to the dancefloor in front of him.

For me, Dennis Cruz represents the essence of groove. When I listen to his sets, I often feel as though every record is exactly where it should be. His sound is very close to my personal taste.

I see Ilario Alicante as one of the most complete examples of what a DJ can be: energy, technique, versatility and an incredible ability to read the dancefloor.

And then there’s Jamie Jones. What I admire most about him is his discipline and attention to detail. I think he represents many of the qualities I consider essential in a DJ: identity, control, experience and a deep awareness of what is happening on the dancefloor.

What has been the most important or meaningful moment of your career so far?

The most important moment of my career so far was definitely my first show in Ibiza.

It wasn’t only because I was playing in Ibiza — which, for anyone doing this job, is one of the most important places in the world, and that alone already made me incredibly emotional — but also because I felt that I had rewarded the trust of the person who had chosen me and believed in my project at that moment.

I’m talking about my first show at Tantra. There was an incredible energy around me that night. I felt completely connected with everything around me, from the dancefloor to the club staff and the friends who were there supporting me.

It was one of those moments where you really feel that all the work you’ve done up until that point has meant something. For me, it was a small but incredibly important milestone, and it’s something I’ll always carry with me.

What’s next for MAZZOCCHI? Any upcoming releases or goals?

I have two important releases coming up. The first is “Ven Paca”, made together with my friend and fellow DJ/producer Manu Dadamo, which will be released on Mood Child. The second is “Answer”, produced together with Blow (ITA) and Manuel Ribeca, which will be released on Golden Recordings, Claptone’s label.

In terms of personal goals, I want to keep growing within the scene and start working more consistently around the world. I believe that travelling, playing for different crowds and being exposed to different cultures can have a huge influence on the way you make music and the way you experience this career.

More than anything, though, I want to remain the same guy who still dreams of doing what he believes is the best job in the world: being a DJ. I want to grow, evolve and reach new goals without ever losing the excitement that made me start in the first place.

Are you excited to play in the UAE? Have you been there before?

Absolutely. I’m really excited because this will be my first time in the UAE, both professionally and personally. I’ve never even visited before.

That makes this date feel particularly special to me. It represents a completely new experience, a new audience and the opportunity to discover a culture and an environment that are very different from what I’m used to.

I honestly can’t wait to arrive, experience everything fully and, most importantly, bring my sound and my energy there. It’s one of those dates that already feels special before you even get on the plane.