Crate Expectations: Carlo Lio

If you ever find yourself in Carlo Lio’s car, expect endless amounts of MGMT.

August 27, 2014, 5:00pm

Like most people, DJs and producers have specific songs tied to events throughout their lives. In Crate Expectations, we extract a playlist from their memories to tell their story. This week's subject: Carlo Lio.

THUMP: What's the first song you ever loved?
Carlo Lio: Peter Cetera's "The Glory of Love." I was a huge Karate Kid fan and this song gave me super powers of some sort. Love, rage, emotion and everything else. I still can't watch this movie without wanting to kick and hug someone.

What are the first two songs you ever mixed together?
Armand Van Helden's "Necessary Evil." My friend lent me two copies of this record when I first got my decks. I was super into that whole turntables/DMC stuff back then so I was trying to learn to scratch, beat juggle and mix with these two records.

What is your worst guilty pleasure song?
Chris DeBurgh's "Lady in Red." Yeah, I know kind of cheesy, but being Italian I've been to 7,500 weddings from age 0 to 16 and this tune was played at all of them. So it kind of has some influence on me. But nonetheless… sick chune!

What song have you had on repeat in the last month?
I've never really been into bands, but MGMT really blew me away. This is one of my favourites from them, but I basically have their album on repeat in my car all the time.

Which track of your own do you love the most?
My remix of Sian's "Purple Bang," I don't know what came over me that night but I banged out this remix in three hours. Those are the best ones! Still to this day I get all kinds of requests for it. I guess that's a good thing.

What track of your own do you hate the most?
Anything before 2009-ish. Like any artist, you're always trying to find your sound, and when you look back, your always like "What the fuck was I thinking" and that's the case here. Not for all the songs before 2009, but a lot! Too many to name just one!

What track are you most excited to drop in a set?
Tripmastaz's "Tomzwork (Carlo Lio Remix)." This is a new remix I did for DJ Sneak's label I'm a House Gangster. I am super happy with it, and its been doing great damage on the floor, so I'm always excited to play it.

What's your favourite track that you wish worked in a set?
My guilty pleasure track, Peter Cetera's "The Glory of Love." Yeah, it will never work, even though I wish it would. Imagine playing it, and karate kicking someone? Because that's what I do!

What's the last song you want to hear before the lights go on?
Martijn's "Acid," just one of those nitty gritty after-hours tunes that will have you grinding your teeth. Deep and slow with a dark vocal—definitely a journey of a track. I've closed with it many times.