Born in Turin, Gigi D’Agostino spent an eventful childhood between his native city 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.
D’Agostino’s first release was “Noise Maker Theme”, a double-A sided record with a track by Daniele Gas on the other side, which launched the Noise Maker label, under the direction of Italian house producer Gianfranco Bortolotti. D’Agostino would continue working with Daniele Gas, as well as Mauro Picotto’s production team for the following years.
His 1999 single “Bla Bla Bla” became a major European hit. He described this single as “a piece I wrote thinking of all the people who talk and talk without saying anything!”[1] Other hit singles included L’Amour Toujours, “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, D’Agostino is known as one of the “pioneers of Mediterranean Progressive Dance”[2] consisting of minimalistic sounds and catchy, latin melodies and especially mediterranean melodies. As a producer, Gigi D’Agostino’s strength - or “Gigi Dag”, the pseudonym he uses for himself in club productions - lies in transforming a piece, originally destined only for the discos, into a success for the main-stream public.
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”.
Subsequently 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, which sold over 60,000 copies. L’Amour Toujours album (1999). L’Amour Toujours album (1999).
After his rise to success, Gigi D’Agostino musical style 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 Lemon”, followed by 1998 “‘Elisir (Your Love)” (1998), “Cuba Libre” (1999) and “Bla Bla Bla” (1999). 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, entitled “Another Way”.
In 1999 his album, L’Amour Toujours (released in 2001 in the United States), including 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.
2000s
In 2000, his remake of the Nik Kershaw song “The Riddle” sold 1,000,000 copies in Germany, and 200,000 copies in France. He also released the albums Tecno Fes (August 2000) and Tecno Fes E.P. Vol. 2 (December 2000).
In 2001 he released L’Amour Toujours E.P., consisting of 3 songs: two new versions 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 national and international music networks. He was also awarded with “Best DJ-producer of the year” at the “Red Bull Awards” in Italy.
In 2001 he also released the hit “Super”, as a result of a collaboration with Albertino (an Italian music artist), 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. Il Grande Viaggio Vol. 1. Il Grande Viaggio Vol. 1. Tecno Fes Vol. 2. Tecno Fes Vol. 2. L’Amour Toujours II. L’Amour Toujours II.
Gigi D’Agostino has played in some well known clubs throughout Europe including in Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and England (in 1996 he played at the Ministry of Sound in London with Mauro Picotto) .
In 2006 he created his own new record label, called “Noisemaker Hard”, to differentiate the style of music released under his older record label, “Noisemaker”.
In 2007 Gigi released Lento Violento e Altre Storie, a compilation which contains two CDs and his new 35 Lento Violento songs. The most important hit is “Ginnastica Mentale”.
After some months, he released the compilation “La musica che pesta” under the name “Lento Violento Man” which contains two CDs for a total of 38 unmixed tracks.
Discography
Albums
- Gigi D’Agostino (1996)
- The Greatest Hits (1996)
- A Journey Into Space (1996)
- Gin Lemon E.P. (1997)
- Tanzen (1999)
- L’Amour Toujours (1999)
- Tecno Fes vol. 1 (2000)
- Tecno Fes Vol. 2 (2000)
- Gigi The Best (2001)
- Underconstruction 1: Silence E.P. (2003)
- Underconstruction 2: Silence Remix (2004)
- Underconstruction 3: Remix (2004)
- L’Amour Toujours II (2004)
Compilation
- Le Voyage 96 (1996)
- Le Voyage Estate (1996)
- Progressive Hyperspace (1997)
- Eurodance ‘99 (2000)
- Il Grande Viaggio Vol. 1 (2001)
- Il programmino di Gigi D’agostino (2003)
- Live At Altromondo (Exclusive Edition) (2003)
- Live At Altromondo Part II (Exclusive Edition) (2004)
- Laboratorio 1 (2004)
- Benessere 1 (2004)
- Laboratorio 2 (2005)
- Laboratorio 3 (2005)
- Disco Tanz (2005)
- Some Experiments (2006)
- Lento Violento (2007)
- Suono Libero (2008)
Singles
- 1995: o “Sweetly” o “New Years Day” o “Gigi’s Violin / Elektro Message” o “Fly” o “Angel’s Simphony”
- 1997 o “Music (An echo deep inside)” o “Gin Lemon”
- 1998 o “Elisir (Your Love)”
- 1999 o “The Riddle” o “The Riddle Remix” o “La Passion” o “La Passion Remix” o “The Riddle feat. Bla Bla Bla” o “Cuba Libre” o “Bla Bla Bla” o “Another Way”
- 2000 o “Reanimator feat. Vanilla Ice - Ice ice baby 2001” (Remix)
- 2001 o “Super” (with Albertino) o “Magic Box - Carillon” (remix) o “L’Amour Toujours”
- 2002 o “Put on your red shoes” (remix) o “Te Aviso,Te Anuncio” (remix)
- 2004 o “Silence” o “Gigi & Molly - Con il nastro rosa” o “Gigi’s Goodnight”’ (Gigi D’agostino & Pandolfi) o “Summer of Energy”
- 2005 o “Wellfare” o “I Wonder Why”
- 2006 o “L’Amour Toujours (I’ll Fly With You)” (AATW release with remixes - UK)
