MIKE SIMONETTI (Italians Do It Better/Troubleman Unlimited)

Born in Bayonne NJ, Mike Simonetti grew up a hardcore punk kid in the New York hardcore scene in the mid 1980s. Through friends involved in the club scene, he began going to nightclubs during the heyday of NYC nightlife- the late 1980s. By 1989, he landed a job at the legendary club Mars as a promoter. During that time he became friends with the djs and clubpromoters of the day, and it was then he got his first taste of djing- going out and working at clubs like Palladium, The Tunnel, Save The Robots, Soul Kitchen, The Red Zone, Building, NASA, The Limelight...

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1987: sneaks out of his house to go to his first hardcore show at CBGB at age 15.1988: got a job as a lowly receptionist at club Mars in NYC through a friend in Feb when he was 16.1988 worked his way up to “promoter” by mid 1988 going to clubs and handing out flyers1989: promoted his first party at Mars called ‘FRIDAY NIGHT FEEVER’ in March. a disco themed party. the only one in NYC at the time. DJ Duke Of Denmark was the resident.1992: started Troubleman Records with money saved from working as a stockboy at a supermarket1993: started djing house parties and lofts for fun1996: signed Glass Candy in 19961997: got first “real gigs” in NYC1998: starts the CONTORT YRSELF party in the basement of the Knitting Factory playing post punk, disco, funk and hip hop lasts until 9/11 shuts the club down for almost a year.1999: is a ‘resident’ at the infamous HAPPY BIRTHDAY HIDEOUT parties in Brooklyn. his bookings increase throughout the hip parties in NYC.2000: is a ‘resident’ at Rubulad which he still holds to this day. known as the best loft party in Brooklyn. his 8 hour sets are legend.2000: is a resident at Lit in NYC, a legendary party thrown by Justine D. was one of the first djs to try out disco and house downstairs in the club, which was usually rock based.2000: is a semi regular resident dj at MOTHERFUCKER in NYC. the essential downtown club kid party and recognized as one of the best NYC parties of the era.2002: starts the AEROSOL BURNS party in Brooklyn. all night parties become legendary. The Fall plays unannounced show. capacity of bar is 70 people.2003: cops raid AEROSOL BURNS at 11am, everyone gets arrested. party ends.2004: Troubleman signs CHROMATICS, releases HEALER 12”. it sells out in a week.2004: begins djing seriously, traveling all over the world to play records to people in any club they will have him2005: Glass Candy plays their last show with a drummer, opting for a more electronic , dancey sound.2008: Mike and Johnny start an offshoot of Troubleman for dance music in Mike’s kitchen while drinking red wine. They call it Italians Do It Better as a joke thinking it wouldnt be a big deal2008: After Dark compilation is released, and a mini revolution is born and the bar is raised…2010: releases his first songs and does his first remixes, almost 20 years after going to Mars for the first time2010: starts new sub label of Italians called Perseo focusing on edits.2011: releases debut LP CAPRICORN RISING