Published
Wed, Jan 24, 2007, 14:00
- He set up Plus 8, he founded Beatport, he made one of the first CDs using Final Scratch. No, not Richie Hawtin. RA checks in with Canada's unsung dance pioneer John Acquaviva.
Dance music has its fair share of self-appointed pioneers, but Canada's John Acquaviva is the real deal. Acquaviva's career stretches back to the late eighties when he founded the Plus8 imprint with Richie Hawtin, home to Hawtin's Plastikman and F.U.S.E works as well as early Speedy J and Kenny Larkin twelves. Acquaviva was also one of the first to tout the Germans: Back in 2001 he released 'Mainhatten Sound', a compilation of tracks from seminal techno stable Force Inc., which was also one of the first ever mix CDs created with Final Scratch. He was also one of the first to embrace electronic music's digital future: if you didn't know it already, Acquaviva is always wearing a Beatport T-shirt because he founded the company - together with Hawtin, Bad Boy Bill and a few business partners, and he's one of the online store's proud dads.
Yet Acquaviva has never been one to rest on his laurels. In the past twelve months he's relaunched his label Definitive, releasing electrohouse by a stack of new talent. He also took on Ibiza with a residency at Privilege, one of the biggest clubs on the island. Finally, he also squeezed in a new compilation 'Acquaholic: The True Electro Experience', seventeen cuts of ravey electrohouse for Germany's biggest dance label Great Stuff.
Is there anything John Acquaviva hasn't done? RA chats to John Acquaviva about Beatport, electrohouse vs. minimal and running off to join the circus.