Movers, shakers, magic makers
CircoLoco has evolved from an underground daytime party in Ibiza into one of the most influential brands in global club culture. Now it’s expanding into the worlds of fashion, design and recording – while remaining true to its roots. L'OFFICIEL IBIZA speaks to founder Antonio Carbonaro and his wife Chicca Senia about a multifaceted future for the club scene.
Those who attend CirocoLoco parties are in the know and are there for only one reason: the music. No triflers, no slackers - just real music lovers and raw music vibrations
Launched as an after-party event in Ibiza more than 20 years ago, CircoLoco has become an iconic global brand with multiple residencies around the world. As its following continues to grow, CircoLoco is expanding into creative collaborations with some of the hottest names in fashion and design.
L’OFFICIEL IBIZA: Can you tell us how CircoLoco started and what made it such a huge success?
ANTONIO CARBONARO: In 1999 I created the brand CircoLoco, resident in Ibiza, which has been celebrated every Monday during the summer season for 24 years in its home and temple, the notorious DC-10 club. Initially, Circo Loco (the name was subsequently changed to CircoLoco) was an event that began as a free after-party on Monday mornings, from 6am until 6pm. This was infamously known as ´the Monday Morning Sessions´. We focused on programming each Monday session with unknown underground artists based in Ibiza, along with others from around the world. Those who attend CircoLoco parties are in the know and are there for only one reason: the music. No triflers, no slackers - just real music lovers and raw music vibrations.
LOI: How has CircoLoco evolved over time?
AC: Over the years CircoLoco built its own community, which is spread all around the world, and consolidated its name and its philosophy. From an underground music party on Mondays, CircoLoco became a community, then a lifestyle. And lately, it´s evolved even further: it is now a recognized global movement with a unique, almost tribal sense of belonging that is the common denominator for those who attend its parties, wherever they are held. From its early beginnings, CircoLoco has always been an inclusive, multicultural, transversal movement that attracts eager partygoers of all age groups, nationalities, classes and backgrounds. Under its logos and distinctive red lighting, it unites very different people in large-scale events that are celebrated around the world as state-of-the-art in terms of electronic music quality.
LOI: What´s the connection between CircoLoco and the Made in Italy brand?
AC: Chicca and I are Italian; our souls belong to Italy. We export the CircoLoco concept worldwide throughout the year in a series of tours, touching key cities across many continents, so the spirit around our parties and our brand is international. During these events CircoLoco works with local communities and supports local artists, as it aims to create a space where the international and local music senses converge. The spirit and lifestyle of CircoLoco is now experienced by hundreds of thousands of people around the globe every year.
LOI: Despite a pause caused by the pandemic, a new record label has been born: CircoLoco Records. How did this come about and what does this new venture entail?
AC: The strong friendship between Sam Houser, Rockstar Games´ founder, and I was the real beginning. Our friendship evolved over time through sharing the same passion for music. We had talked for a long time about doing something together that would contribute something new and meaningful to the scene. This took on more shape as we talked during the lockdown period, when dance music culture was hit very hard. Sam and I both had the feeling that it was the time to join forces to create something special for the sake of music and our community. CircoLoco launched a joint venture with Rockstar Games, the world-leading company in the video-game space, responsible for the iconic Grand Theft Auto series. Its first discography label, CircoLoco Records, is a joint venture born from a passion for electronic music, with a far-reaching vision to enter into the world of the new generations through video games. CircoLoco music will be produced and spread globally through one of the world´s most-played video games.
LOI: Fashion and club culture currently seem to be intersecting. Can you tell us more about your own collaborations with the fashion and design world?
AC: Today CircoLoco is considered a visionary brand that deeply influences the music world. It is the undisputed trendsetter in the electronic music space. This has in turn evolved into recent collaborations in the art and fashion worlds - a cultural exchange with the most brilliant minds of these fields, like the artist Maurizio Cattelan and the design studio Toiletpaper, as well as fashion brands like Off-White and Adidas Originals. Our latest collaboration is with No Soul For Sale. The platforms manifesto embodies the essence of this project - as it says, we are an underground global community who connects like a family, united in our love of electronic music and our desire to stay true to ourselves and what we believe in.