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Chicago’s DJ/producer/COSIMEA event brand boss Azzecca brings high energy to techno, house, dark dance, the newly huge ‘cosmic’ sounds: ‘I love the juxtaposition between euphoria and darkness.’ Launched by her 13mil+ streamed ‘Other Side’, she now plays the likes of Coachella, Movement Detroit, ARC Chicago, HARD Summer, Portola, EDC Vegas, Radio 1 Ibiza, Printworks, fabric, The Warehouse Project; has sold out headline shows inc. Elsewhere Brooklyn, Sound LA, It’ll Do Dallas (x2). She’s released gems like ‘Who’s That Girl’, ‘Ego Death’ et al, on Ninja Tune’s Foreign Family Collective, Polydor, Kompakt, Maccabi House, DGTL, REALM, Higher Ground, Another Rhythm, Pop Tomorrow… In July 2024 she unleashed her new event series COSIMEA, ‘an open exploration of forward thinking and other-worldly club sounds’, to spotlight emerging talent, and the slightly left of centre ‘cosmic’ vibe, in an inclusive space where all communities feel safe to party.
First year career highlights: Once boosted by her 13mil+ streamed track, in just a year Azzecca: was Beatport’s Radar artist of the month; landed Radio 1 spins from Pete Tong (+ 30-minute mix), Sarah Story, Danny Howard (+ Mini Mix), Jack Saunders (Next Wave slot), Arielle Free; hit summer festivals like HARD Summer, Neon Garden @ EDC Vegas, Electric Forest, headlined at Stereo Montreal, Halcyon SF…; while releasing on Adam Ten’s Maccabi House and Gorgon City’s REALM, delivering a red-hot remix of TIBASKO’s ‘Still Rushing’; created her female-safety-focused event series, originally branded Dirty Disco.
Azzecca’s genre-bending productions are perfect for massive club systems. ‘My sound is always dark and sexy, but I experiment with different genres and vibes. My sets are dynamic, I love to surprise the crowd. I start my own tracks with a bassline, a lead or a vocal sample, I love to use funky arps. My diverse musical tastes give me extreme versatility as a DJ/producer, resulting from early influences like the harsh but emotional elements of electro rock.’
Early influences/musicianship: Azzecca aka Allie DeCastris cites as Massive Attack, Portishead, Nightmares on Wax, Little Dragon, Bjork, Pink Floyd… ‘I’ve always been massively into Bristolian electro rock sounds.’ Born to a musical family and attending rock concerts from an early age, she grew up playing flute, bass piano and piano. She began DJing and production as hobbies, until COVID’s enforced re-think started her DJing for small parties winning attention from promoters, while Higher Ground dropped her first single and EP, and she launched her first event series ‘Dirty Disco’ in Chicago, to create spaces where women could have fun without unwelcome attention.
As her career spirals ever skywards, Azzecca’s targets include conquering new territories, pushing musical boundaries, and touring COSIMEA to continue giving a platform to emerging underground artists she loves.
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