artist

Gaetano Parisio

Since his debut in 1992, Gaetano Parisio, aka Gaetek (born in Naples, Italy in 1973) has been one of the most consistent and progressive DJs and producers in the realm of techno. He released slabs of vinyl on revered labels in addition to his own portfolio of innovative imprints, contributing to the development of the late 90s hard groove scene. Stepping out of the spotlight to solely dedicate himself to the art of making music for the past decade, the Naples-born artist reemerged in 2019 with a reinvigorated vision to propel techno through yet another phase in its ongoing evolution. On a path to highlight the importance of the genre’s early beginnings and to strip it of its now commercially-driven motive, Gaetano’s productions and label efforts are created with the intention to reestablish techno’s founding purpose; to promote unbounded artistry and free expression.

Starting his career as Gaetek in the 90’s, he released a flurry of classics on labels like Drumcode, Planet Rhythm Records, Primate Recordings, Zenit, Kombination Research and Mosaic, to name just a few, that were immediately elevated into regular rotation by icons such as Dave Clarke, Sven Väth, Richie Hawtin and Jeff Mills. In 1997, as Italian techno was finding its footing, Gaetano launched his first label Conform, which quickly became a beacon for the Neapolitan perspective on the international techno circuit. During these seminal years in the imprint’s history, Gaetano began both living and collaborating in the studio with Marco Carola. The two championed the nouveau Neapolitan sound in all its untapped glory, becoming fixtures at the world’s best clubs and festivals with a four-turntable/two-mixer set-up that left a lasting impression with audiences. It was at this time that the C&G Southsystem members began meeting like-minded artists like Adam Beyer, Ben Sims, and The Advent, all of whom subsequently contributed the the Conform discography. In 1999 Gaetano brought the techno scene together on a charity compilation, Techcommunity 4 Kosovo, the first and perhaps until now, the only charitable project produced by the global Techno scene, which included Sven Väth, Laurent Garnier, Surgeon, Adam Beyer, The Advent, Marco Carola, James Ruskin, Cari Lekebush, Ben Sims, and Gaetek himself. The charitable initiative aimed to aid the children of war-torn Kosovo - a rare and quite shocking flare-up of violence within the relatively peaceful boundaries of modern Europe. 

 

If Conform was about community, Gaetano’s next label, ART (Advanced Techno Research - 1998), was a one-man affair that issued a series of 10 limited-edition, precision-crafted, two-track singles over the span of two years. He continued the conceptual approach to production with the book-inspired Chapter series, released in the year 2000 on his new Southsoul label which introduced a deep house-flavored techno sound that was eagerly endorsed by DJs of all stripes. 

 

In 2007, Gaetano took a step away from the frenetic life of an international DJ. During that time, he continued recording hundreds of tracks for the pure pleasure of bolstering his musical knowledge and creativity, compiling a niche discography that represented some of the most revered productions of Parisio’s career. A decade later the Neapolitan native moved to Barcelona, Spain, setting up a new music studio before deciding to revisit the iconic back catalogues of his imprints. Starting with the community-driven Conform Records, Gaetano invited some of techno’s most respected artists to breathe new life into the imprints’ cardinal cuts; an impressive feat for any producer sampling from DAT without access to stems. Across its four volumes, the Conform Re-Touched Series featured the likes of Honey Dijon, Ben Sims, James Ruskin, Mark Broom, Ken Ishii, Steve Bricknell, The Advent, Oscar Mulero, Radio Slave, Shlomi Aber and Sterac, among others, who all paid homage to the historic label with tasteful reworks for the modern audience.

Following this initial revival for the label, Gaetano revisited its storied discography of indispensable vinyls. Consisting of 90 records across 24 releases, the formative techno collection was distributed for the first time digitally since its original DAT release, and served as essential listening for modern fans across the globe to appreciate the roots of the culture we adore so much. Split into two compilations by era, the Conform’s 20th and 21st Century Cataloguesfeatured the likes of Adam Beyer, Ben Sims, Marco Carola, C&G Southsystem, Davide Squillace and Markantonio to name a few, all of whom contributed to the authenticity and artistic vibrancy that has defined the label’s purpose and output to this day.

Along with his continued efforts on the label front, Gaetano spent the last few years presenting his ORIGENS tour, a live performance format which sees Gaetano play on three turntables just as he did at the start of his career. Additionally, Parisio has been working hard behind the scenes on his GAETEK LIVE project, reenacting a career in music that spans 25 years, aimed at engaging the next generation of techno fans. A true master of his craft, Gaetano Parisio’s newest works show his dedication to the traditions he began, while demonstrating his desire to contribute to the further progression of the genre.