KOKO

About

The sound

KOKO is the alias of Italian DJ and producer Francesco Rinaldi, born in 1998. Based in Italy, he has developed a groove-led house sound with deep-house, minimal and tech-house contours, balancing stripped percussion with warm swing and playful references to Italian culture. His artist-controlled Bandcamp traces the project from Mostrami Come (2019), La Speranza Muore and Waitin' for Zenit through La Porta, Italia Chic and edits for Nicola Cruz and Bassline. The ITALIA 2000 EP, released through Shall Not Fade in 2023, pairs six original tracks—ITALIA NO RAVE, BRISCOLA, KILL BEE, 93 GUNS, PANAREA 80 and LAURA NON C'È—with a deliberately dancefloor-focused palette. Earlier releases include the Generation K EP on Infuse, with Rimmel, Own Town, Versailles and House Weekend, and work on Banoffee Pies, Drumma Records, Re.Face, Surge and Locus. KOKO's tracks favour low-slung bass, swung drums, garage-tinted warmth and a touch of psychedelic colour, making room for both intimate minimal detail and the lift of a busy room. His sets carry the same balance: tightly mixed house grooves, vocal fragments and rhythmic turns that keep the momentum moving without sacrificing texture. The KOKO name has travelled from Italian rooms to London-facing underground circuits, while the catalogue continues to grow through collaborations such as Chiquita with Giovanni Ephrikian and edits that reshape leftfield Latin and electronic material. Francesco Rinaldi's project remains focused on direct, characterful dance music with a clear Italian identity and an open ear for the wider house continuum.