Azuli Records facts for kids

Azuli Records was a British independent record label that focused mainly on house music and other types of electronic dance music. It was started in London, England, in 1991 by a DJ named Dave Piccioni. The company closed down in 2009, but some of its music was later sold to another company. Dave Piccioni then relaunched Azuli Records, and in 2012, it was fully sold to Defected Records.

The label released popular music, including a series of albums called Choice.

History of Azuli Records

Azuli Records became known as the longest-running house music label in the UK. It released a total of 278 singles and over 60 albums. The founder, Dave Piccioni, was a DJ who had lived in New York. He started by selling 12-inch singles from the back of a van.

In 1990, Piccioni took over a music shop in London called Black Market Records. The next year, in 1991, he started Azuli Records. He wanted to release more American-sounding house music that was becoming popular in London.

Azuli's first release was a song called "In A Fantasy" by Chocolate Fudge. By the mid-1990s, the label started to have songs that became popular on the UK music charts. Even though they were getting a lot of attention from magazines, it took some time for their sales to really grow.

In 1998, Azuli released a big hit song called "Needin' U" by David Morales. After that, they had other successful songs. These included "Makes Me Love You" by Eclipse in 1999 and "Pasilda" by Afro Medusa in 2000. "Pasilda" even reached number 31 on the UK Singles Chart in October 2000. Over the years, Azuli released more than 200 singles. They also put out many compilation albums. These albums featured music chosen by famous DJs like Frankie Knuckles, Joey Negro, François K, and Danny Tenaglia.

Azuli Records also released several DJ mix and compilation album series.

Popular Album Series

The Choice compilation series featured older, classic songs. All the tracks on these albums were chosen by well-known DJs. Some of the DJs who selected music for the Choice series include Danny Tenaglia, Tony Humphries, François K, Derrick L. Carter, X-Press 2, Jeff Mills, and John Digweed.

The label also released yearly compilation CDs. These were named after famous clubbing destinations like Miami, Space: Ibiza, and Made in Italy.

Finally, the Club Azuli project was another compilation series. It featured the most popular dancefloor hits of the time. These albums were available in both mixed and unmixed versions. "Club Azuli" was also the name of Azuli's event program. For several years, these events visited top clubs around the world.

Discography

Azuli Records released many albums and singles. Here are some of their notable album series:

Choice Series Albums

• Derrick L. Carter 2 x CD Album
• Roger Sanchez (Unmixed) 2 x CD Album
• Roger Sanchez (Mixed) 2 x CD Album
• Louie Vega (Unmixed) Limited Edition 2 x CD Album
• Kenny D*** (Unmixed) 2 x CD Album
• Kenny D*** (Mixed) 2 x CD Album
• Danny Howells (Unmixed) 2 x CD Album
• Danny Howells 2 x CD Album
• John Digweed 2 x CD Album
• Xpress 2 2 x CD Album
• Jeff Mills 2 x CD Album
• Louie Vega 2 x CD Album
• Tony Humphries 2 x CD Album
• Danny Tenaglia 2 x CD Album
• Francois K 2 x CD Album
• Frankie Knuckles 2 x CD Album

House and Club Albums

Azuli also released many albums focused on house and club music, often named after popular clubbing spots or events. Some examples include:

• Miami 2008 (Mixed and Unmixed versions)
• Club Azuli 5 (Mixed and Unmixed versions)
• Azuli Presents - Space Annual 2007 (Mixed and Unmixed versions)
• Club Azuli Ibiza 2007 (Mixed and Unmixed versions)
• Space Tranquil - Volumen Tres
• Circo Loco 2006 - Mixed by Tania Vulcano & Cirillo
• Azuli Presents - Miami 2006 (Mixed and Unmixed versions)
• Big Wheels Of Azuli
• Joey Negro - Back To The Scene of The Crime
• Romanthony - Romanworld
• Another Fine Mess - Fila Brazillia
• Space: Ibiza 2003 (Mixed By Smokin Jo & Reche)
• La Troya - Ibiza 2008
• 10th Anniversary Groove Armada - Are Friends Electric

Events

• Club Azuli was an event program that hosted parties at clubs around the world.