South America is well known for its passion for electronic dance music and club culture. The continent has also produced some of the world’s best DJs and producers in recent years, and a new addition to this list is Argentinean Nicko Izzo.

Born and raised in Buenos Aires, he has dance music running through his veins. That’s hardly surprising as the young Nicko would spend every weekend at Pacha Buenos Aires, widely respected as one of the finest clubs there is. Between 1999 and 2001 he heard all the big names when they came to town, and so the seeds of his own DJ career were sown. Encouraged by friends, Nicko was playing at house parties and small clubs in Buenos Aires aged 18.

A few months later he moved to Barcelona, quickly becoming immersed in the Spanish dance scene. Nicko secured residencies at renowned clubs like Café del Mar in Barcelona, Club Lla in Granada and Tab.00 in Seville. There were regular trips back to Argentina too playing at clubs like Mint in Buenos Aires as well as the Proton Radio Festival and the Creamfields after party.

Other international highlights include a trip to the USA in 2006 taking in New York and Miami, and a tour of Asia in 2007 culminating in a headline set at an open-air festival in Kazakhstan. Back in Spain, meanwhile, Nicko could be found playing at the Buddha Bar in Barcelona and Aixa Galiana in Madrid.

Perhaps the most important development came in the summer of 2005 when he secured a residency at La Terrrazza, Barcelona’s famous summer venue which DJ Mag has praised as the best openair club in the world. By 2006 Nicko was involved in the artistic direction and promotion of the venues, and a successful partnership was formed with Albert Tió, the founder of La Terrrazza.

Danny Howells, Darren Emerson, Nick Warren, Sébastien Léger and Lee Burridge were just a few of the DJs they brought to Barcelona. With the La Terrrazza name known worldwide, the pair decided to take the club on the road, and after the 2007 summer season they embarked on a tour of South America with Nicko as resident DJ. Parties were held in Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Peru.

These events proved particularly successful in Brazil where La Terrrazza is very popular. Based on the success of the tour, Nicko and Albert formed their own DJ booking agency, Closure Artists. Based in Buenos Aires and Barcelona, and focusing on the South American market, the Closure roster includes Darren Emerson, D.Ramirez, Paul Woolford, Arno Cost, Smokin Jo and many more of the most respected names in dance music.

The last two years have been a rollercoaster ride for Nicko, and he’s played alongside James Zabiela, Chris Lake, Steve Lawler, Nick Warren, and Danny Howells to name a few.

Favourite moments include Brazil’s Sunshine Festival in Porto Alegre for 12,000 people, the Rio de Janeiro carnival in front of 10,000 people, and some of the best clubs in Brazil like Sirena, Pacha Săo Paulo and El Divino. As well as La Terrrazza, Nicko is also an official resident for Sirena tour and Pacha Ibiza club tours in Brazil, and in 2009 he headlined a spectacular Pacha Ibiza event in Aracaju.

Despite his packed DJ schedule and role with Closure Artists, Nicko has still found time to develop his studio skills. In fact, his first release was a resounding success. In collaboration with Tim Davison, they remixed Sound 5 and ‘The Hacienda Must Be Re :)built’ to devastating effect. Released on RIP Records in the summer of 2010, its supporters included Carl Cox, John Digweed, Sasha, Hernán Cattáneo and Danny Howells. Tom Novy also included it on his recent Global Underground mix Album, and Nicko is currently busy in the studio working on new tracks.

After 12 years as a professional DJ, Nicko has developed a style that is uniquely his own. As a child he grew up listening to all kinds of music from rock, punk and indie bands to blues and jazz before discovering house. It’s this breadth of musical knowledge and taste that he adds to a blueprint of house, progressive, minimal and techno to create a rich dancefloor tapestry.

“I try to bring the best of every style together,” explains Nicko, “and tell a story with many different sounds. It’s all about variety, and bringing everything together in harmony. I am happy when people dance and have fun, but I also want them to take home a special memory of the night.”

All of which leads to 2011 and the future’s looking bright for Nicko. This summer he’ll be back in Barcelona for his annual residency at La Terrrazza, the club that has become known for its forwardthinking music policy and proper party atmosphere. Nicko Izzo is a man on a mission to bring this vibe to the rest of the world.

www.myspace.com/nickoizzo