With over 25 years of digging, and more than 2 years in curation, "House Of Riviera", Nick V’s debut compilation, pays homage to forgotten gems of the classic Italian House scene, circa 1991-1993.
In the early 1990s, Italy hosted one of the most flourishing scenes in the burgeoning world of House music. Whilst the majority of Europe was only just beginning to digest the arrival of this new musical genre born in the US, Italian clubs, DJs and labels were at the forefront of the scene. The clubs of the Adriatic coast near Rimini and Riccione – also known as the Italian Riviera – were full every weekend with resident DJs who had been honing their trade since the early 80s, behind the decks but also in the studios. By the early 90s, Italian House music was being regularly exported around the world with labels such as UMM, Zippy, D-Vision, MBG, Flying, Palmares, DFC and Irma releasing tracks inspired by the original New York House and Garage sound, but with a very different, unique and emotional take. This was the specific aesthetic that was to become the House sound of the Riviera, the soundtrack of the golden era of Italian House music.
Nick V’s compilation on Mona Musique brings together 8 iconic tracks from this specific period, covering the whole spectrum of the riviera sound. From the powerful vocal tracks by Korda and Be Noir to the dubbier cuts by Syncopate and Underground Ghosts, without forgetting of course the characteristic Riviera deepness with tracks from Subway Ground Master, Centric House, Groove Sense and Optik. Artists featured include legendary DJs and producers from the day Ricky Montanari, Alex Neri, Enrico Mantini, MBG and Ivan Iacobucci. House of Riviera comes in a double gatefold sleeve, illustrated by Alice Hubert with liner notes by Nick V illustrated by flyers and photos from the original Riviera days. This is a DJ friendly 45 RPM vinyl only release, all tracks have been remastered with the sound staying true to the dynamics of early 90s production.