Bottin

Bottin is a Venice-based producer and DJ inspired by a wide variety of retro-futuristic sounds, particularly soundtracks to Italian thrillers and space disco. Initially active producing downtempo and acid jazz, and working with Italian pop singers, he moved to dance music with 2009's appropriately titled Horror Disco. Bottin released numerous club singles and established side projects such as Tinpong and Cristalli Liquidi, then released the pop-influenced disco albums Punica Fides (2014) and I Have What I Gave (2017). The library music-influenced Quality Time appeared in 2021. Guglielmo Bottin originally recorded a mixture of funky, breakbeat-driven acid jazz and languid trip-hop as Bluecat, releasing the album Chill Reception on Irma Records in 2001. He continued with this style for 2004's I Love Me Vol. 1, an eclectic effort credited to William Bottin, and additionally worked on albums by artists including Rettore and Chambao. He resurfaced a few years later and operated on a last-name-only basis. In 2009, he released "No Static" on Italians Do It Better and an unapologetically kitschy album, Horror Disco, on Bear Funk. An assortment of 12" releases followed on labels such as Eskimo, Nang, and Tin. A mix-CD titled Discoursive Diversions appeared in 2010, and he formed the abstract disco-funk project Tinpong with Swiss-Ghanaian singer Joy Frempong (aka Oy). He collaborated with the likes of Rodion, Justus Köhncke, and Visage's Rusty Egan ("Atzaro"), and he also remixed tracks by the likes of In Flagranti ("EX EX EX"), Sally Shapiro ("My Fantasy"), and Blood Orange ("The Complete Knock"). Additionally, he began releasing new wave-influenced singles as Cristalli Liquidi, initially presenting the project as a full band. His second album as simply Bottin, the more pop-oriented Punica Fides, was released in 2014. It featured guest appearances from Visage's Steven Strange, as well as Rodion and Lavinia Claws. Collaborative singles with Rodion and Italo godfather Alexander Robotnick followed in 2015. Deardrums, an experimental techno project with Leonardo Di Angilla entirely featuring sounds generated by analog drum machines, released two EPs in 2015, followed by a self-titled full-length in 2016. Bottin's Arreboles EP arrived in early 2017, preceding the full-length I Have What I Gave, released by 2MR Records. Cristalli Liquidi's self-titled debut LP appeared on Dutch label Bordello A Parigi later in the year. In 2018, Bottin and Diva released a cover of Patty Pravo's 1984 single "Per Una Bambola." A solo single titled "Respiraré" appeared in 2019, and "Love Life" (with Francisco) followed in 2021. Additionally, Bottin debuted a library music-inspired project titled Quality Time, releasing a self-titled LP recorded entirely on vintage Casio keyboards.
© Andy Kellman & Paul Simpson /TiVo