Interview Editing Mike Moggi Mannix

If you’ve been anywhere near Dublin’s underground in the last twenty years, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Mauro, better known as Dr Flamer—mid-hug, mid-laugh, mid-mix, and mid-making yet another newcomer feel instantly at home.

He’s the selector with chef’s hands, the promoter with marathon legs, and the lifer who carried Italy’s early rave spirit straight into Ireland’s dance DNA.

We spent an afternoon with Dr Flamer and Mike Mannix in Dublin’s Pawn Shop, rewinding through mountain-top raves, beach residencies, the chaotic birth of Italian Factory, and then fast-forwarding into Eclectrika Sundays, Ibiza chapters, and a new album from a man who finally swapped the kitchen pass for the front of house.

The stories came fast: needle-shaking nerves in front of 20,000 ravers, five-hour train runs for a few techno twelves, and the moment a “joke night” suddenly needed 2,000 wristbands.

Mauro grew up in Lenola, a mountain village between Rome and Naples. Long before the alias, he studied music with a Roman maestro and spent five years learning the fisarmonica. He laughs now remembering how he split his days between the family restaurant and any turntables he could get near.

When the family restaurant La Campagnola closed for renovations, his father sublet the space to local promoters Awana Gang—Aldo, Luka and Max. With his brother Orlando involved as MC, a fresh concept formed under Mister X called Invasion Production, supplying sound and lighting for local events. Teenage Mauro found himself in the middle of it all—wide-eyed, soaking up vinyl culture as it bloomed turntable by turntable. It was the ignition point.

By 16, he was taking long train trips to Rome, spending hours digging in record shops and returning with armfuls of house and techno. At 18, when most kids wanted a scooter, Mauro wanted something with a different kind of horsepower: a pair of black Technics 1210s. “That was my motorbike,” he grins.

A residency soon followed at KU Open Disco in Sperlonga in ’92, then winter nights at Giona Club in Fondi with Simone and Sandrino. Sharing the booth with Dany Masterpiece, Enrico Zuena, Claudio Iacono, Tino Venditti and Enrico Santamaria, he opened for Italian heavyweights and international guests—a crash course delivered at 120–132 BPM. Cooking school by day, the club booth by night. Relentless. Electric. Addictive.

The Room Comes Alive

Mike Mannix: For a young guy, that must have felt like strapping yourself to a rocket. Was there anyone who took you under their wing?

Dr Flamer: Roberto De Stefano—local legend—introduced me to art director Manuel Kerry. And Peter from H. Bogart Club, Atlantis Disco in Sabaudia, Bussola Club in San Felice Circeo, Bussola Inn in Fiuggi, Dada in Latina, Radio Londra in Rome, Hotel Girasole in Cassino, Appia Grand Hotel in Formia, Groove After Party in Fondi, Plaza Disco in Fondi—plus Tonino Lizard Promotions from Frosinone. He said to me, “You’ve got talent. I’m taking you with me. Just play like you always do… don’t look at the crowd.” Suddenly, I’m in the big rooms.

Mike Mannix: And the illegal raves? Woods, fields, the whole thing?

Dr Flamer: At first it was all ‘legal,’ but we fought with the system constantly. You’d listen to the radio for the secret location—no socials, just whispers and flyers. From 1992 to 1995, every Wednesday I was on Radio Studio 88 with Tony B., Tony Saccoccio and Attila “Filippone” of AID (Association Italian DJs), where I’d been a member since 1992.

He remembers 20,000-capacity raves—sometimes in clubs like Quasar in Perugia with Bresaola 6 from Maui Corporation and Milano Production; other times on mountains at Global Event Rave (Fiano Romano), Tabula Rasa Rave (Rome), Apotheosis Rave, Simpson Dance Rave with Tonino Lizard Promotions, Gianni Matteucci, Rocco Varlrsi, Dasny Angelelli, and Massimo Longo.  Crowds hiked in on foot while artists bumped gear in by car. The pressure was real. The first three records of one massive set: hands shaking so badly he needed both hands to lift the needle.

But then the switch flips. The ice breaks. Muscle memory takes over.

He played alongside legends like Lory D, Freddy K, Marco Trani, Claudio Coccoluto, Ralf, Luca Cucchetti, Frank Nastri, Giorgio Maté, Digital Boy, Solid State, Mauro Tannino, Eugenio Passalacqua, Ivan Iacobucci, and even Frankie Knuckles.

Dr Flamer:

You’re playing vinyl, and suddenly there’s a 15-metre stage and 20,000 people. First three records, my hands are shaking. After 15 or 20 minutes, the ice is gone. It becomes techno like a train”

The 90s Italian scene was a pilgrimage: Naples’ Angels of Love, Rimini/Riccione temple clubs, Rome’s Goa. Mauro even turned down a residency orbiting Cocoricò—as a hobbyist—because he still felt committed to the family restaurant.

Origins: Lenola Lessons & First Sparks (1987–1992)

Mauro’s origin story reads like a Fellini-style coming-of-age tale for a generation that discovered techno by accident and then never slept again. From age nine, he studied music; by his teens, he was juggling gastronomy by day and vinyl dreams by night.

Dr Flamer: My dad asked, “Motorbike for your 18th?” I said, “I want turntables.” I still have them—Technics 1210s. Black ones.

Mike Mannix: So the chef’s jacket by day, resident DJ by night?

Dr Flamer: Exactly.

Finish service at midnight, drive to the club, play till six, back to the kitchen. No sleep. At 18, it’s easy”

He wasn’t connected; he wasn’t plugged in. What he lacked in industry contacts, he made up for through trains, crates, and sheer stubborn passion. He learned his gear, learned the feel of a floor, learned promoters’ rhythms. Names, numbers, dates—everything passed hand-to-hand in those days.

The First Big Rooms: Beach Residencies & 5,000-Strong Raves (1992–1995)

By summer ’92, Mauro secured a Thursday residency at KU Open Disco in Sperlonga—sharing the booth with Roberto De Stefano, Dany Ma, Aldo. Five intense months that shaped everything. Italian titans like Claudio Coccoluto drifted through regularly, deepening Mauro’s understanding of what it meant to command a dancefloor.

From clubs came raves, from raves came flyers, and from flyers came bigger bookings. The rhythm: work → travel → play → repeat.

London Calling & The Crackdown (1996–1997)

In ’96, a friend—Andrea Allegra—pulled him to London and the now-legendary Adrenalin Village, where he spent a full week with barely any sleep. The city throbbed with illegal warehouse energy, but the atmosphere shifted quickly as the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 tightened its grip. The infamous “repetitive beats” clause chilled the entire ecosystem. Mauro felt the air thinning. He returned home, opened a cocktail/disco bar beside the family restaurant, and kept the music burning.

The Dublin Switch: New City, Same Fire (2002–2004)

Family ties brought him to Dublin in 2002. He arrived as a chef—turntables and vinyl in tow—and it didn’t take long before someone said, “Let’s do a party.” Living-room birthdays evolved into club nights, and hospitality friends suggested mid-week events since weekends were their workdays.

What started as an inside joke became something else entirely: Italian Factory.

Italian Factory: A Joke That Took Over the City (2004–2010)

Italian Factory began as a mid-week release valve for chefs, bartenders and hospitality workers. The core crew—Marino Rispo, MC Montana, Giovanni O’Gio,  DJ Cappy, F. Experience, Valentino V,  Lino, Thomas, l dancer Ruta, Daniel Vibes—brought a distinctly Italian theatricality to Dublin: dancers, percussion, wild energy, and a sense of looseness the city hadn’t really seen packaged this way.

They channelled early contacts and brought over rising names like Joseph Capriati, long before global stardom hit, as well as icons such as Dino Lenny, Savino Martinez, Jo Mills, Luigi Madonna, Rino Cerrone, Alex Neri, Ivan Iacobucci, Francesco Farfa, Joe T. Vannelli, Ralf, MC Cody, Cirillo, Emanuele Inglese, Uto Karem, Danilo Vigorito, Simi, Pako’s, Lino Di Meglio, Rame (Pastaboys), Carlo Carità, Lucio Aquilina, Ambivalent (NY), Karl Lambert, Barry Dempsey, Bubbles, Max Conte, Fernando Butzge, Jay Cisco, Paddy Sheridan, and more.

Festivals followed: Life Festival, Planet Love, Eden Ibiza, Electric Picnic, Trinity Rooms Limerick, Spirits, Andrews Lane Theatre, Sin, South William, Pyg, Tengu, Izakaya, Berlin D2, and MPG Group NOTTE ELETTRONICA Lenola (LT) and Button Factory.

Dr Flamer:

Coccoluto told us, “You’re serious guys. I’ll help you.” He was old-school—man-to-man, no agent. He knew every club owner’s number”

Mike Mannix: For the kids today—how important was Coccoluto to the Italian scene?

Dr Flamer: Two decades ahead. Producer, radio, everything. A mind that reshaped the culture.

By 2007/08, Italian Factory had evolved from a joke to a phenomenon. Spirit nights on Dublins Abbey Street hit 2,000 people. Ibiza came calling through Jo Mills, opening doors to Eden’s VIP room (Looking Glass) and eventually connecting the crew with Pete Tong’s Wonderland.

Days were spent on Savannah terrace or Café Mambo at sunset; nights drifted toward DC10 whispers.

Dr Flamer:

We’d land in Ibiza for a week and not sleep. Even when you sleep, you’re still dancing”

They also got a nomination for Best Irish Electronic Music Event in 2010. Then the economic crash hit. The team scattered: some to Canada, Mauro briefly went back to Italy to run the restaurant, before inevitably returning to Dublin.2011.

He was invited back to Rome by Black Sun (DJ Lino & Roberto) as 1 of 5 professional music DJ critics for a big DJ battle.

Eclectrika: Sundays, Second Wind & A New Family (2017–2019)

The second act began like the first: with friends. Mauro linked with Piero and Alessandro BeTricky, then Mike Ze German, founding a new community under the Eclectrika Project. They held court first at Turk’s Head, then scored a transformative Sunday residency at RiRa.

The formula: Sundays reserved for hospitality workers, rotating residents, always space for newcomers.

Mauro said the residents included Moduse, Pushee, Syl Black, Prown, Marcello Vinhas, Adrian Bilt (PHEVER FM), Dean Sherry, REOSC, Taxmen ,Eve Music, Sarah Mooney, Marco Corvino, William Medagli, Thallulan, Yuri Cicero, Giuseppe Tota, Osaema, Sarah Lennox, Fabiozed, Lalijohns, Leo Carpediem,

Souzac, Ozmann, Mhono Type, Mogo, Connect, Tracy Cass, Maggie Rose, Aaron Nolan, Different Animals, Concubhair, Alex Gram, Isak, Isko, ROMANETTO, NILA, Phil Bass, Carol Stefaniaks, Ben Garcin, Tony M, Caio CMS, MAE, Mkav, Gin/Ta & Aga Swancha, Mau R, Barista Boy,

Ervin, Kirstin Keegan, Apostle BNCS, Alex Dolby, Fizzy Water, Da Mango, Rocco, Alemao, Erick Khaliffa, Orazio Pariselli, Caio Legend, Jon Athan and many promotors and always always made space for DJS to touch a proper club system.

 

Dr Flamer:

Eclectrika was built to give new guys a shot

Everyone brings their little tribe. Rotate weekly so the room always feels fresh.

From RiRa, Eclectrika expanded to Opium Garden (2019), holding down Sundays and occasionally taking over the 1000-capacity main room—with no headliners. Just trust-the-brand energy.

They also welcomed international guests: Dino Lenny, Manuel De La Mare, Hi Brasil (Will Kinsella), Leonardo Gonnelli, Tino Venditti, Massimo Madeddu, Igor Marijuan (Ibiza Global/Sonica), and more.

Dr Flamer: One night I’m still at the door taking in 500 guest-list names. I shouted, “Lads, you take the rest—I need to go play!”

Eclectrika’s reach extended to festivals too: Life Festival, District 8 in the Garden (with Boris Brejcha), Index (Maceo Plex, Anfisa Letyago, Joseph Capriati), Higher Vision, Fuinneamh, Shangri-La and more.

Lockdown, The Sunday Problem & The Big Move (2020–2023)

The pandemic shook the foundations of every promoter in the country. Sundays—Eclectrika’s spiritual home—became the hardest night to rebuild. But where most saw a dead end, Mauro saw the same thing he always sees: an opening.

A new venue—the crew jokingly called it “The Big Man”—was completely closed on Sundays. No one wanted the night. Perfect.

They flipped a dormant room into a weekly ritual. Industry workers, DJs, friends, old heads, new blood—everyone filtered in. Even after the format changed and bookings shifted, Dr Flamer and Piero continued playing solo there, which says everything about how deep their personal connections run through the city.

Mike Mannix: You turned an empty Sunday in RiRa The Globe into a packed out scene. Again!

Dr Flamer: Ye, man. We know every chef, every bartender. Sunday is their Saturday.

With the early nightclub restrictions and earlier closing times, Mauro and Piero refused to let the vibe die on Sundays at Opium Garden. Instead, they flipped the script: why not draw people in during the afternoon with a Pop-Up event? So the idea was born—Graft Made Market, live music, and a lineup of passionate artists and friends ready to fill the day with soul and energy.

First up were SKAKKI BLUES, followed by the TRAFFIC LIGHT Project, featuring: Giuseppe – Bass Lorenzo – Guitar & Vocals, Massimo Barese (aka Massimo Galaxi) – Cajón & Percussion, Chiara – Vocals, Pilar – Vocals, Charlie M – Vocals, Pino Jazz – Guitar.

Then came the COSMIC BOYS project, the new collaboration between Massimo Galaxi and Lorenzo, bringing a fresh sound and cosmic flair. Rounding things out were Gapata Rumba and Locanda Music, keeping the afternoon rolling with rhythm, groove, and good company.

Philosophy: Open Arms, No Noses in the Air

If there’s one through-line across Mauro’s entire life, it’s this: make space.

Space for young DJs.

Space for the curious.

Space for the unexpected.

Space for the version of himself who once stared at a pair of Technics like they were a doorway.

He rejects gatekeeping. He rejects the ego and the pretence that often infect small scenes. He remembers the kid with the shaking hands at his first 20,000-cap rave.

Dr Flamer: It’s not “good heart”—it’s practical and human. Everyone has their own followers. Rotate residents, give new people a chance, and the room breathes.

Mike Mannix: Some crews keep their circle tight, noses up.

Dr Flamer: For what?

We’re not gods. Keep it simple. Keep it human”

 

Heroes & Blueprints: Coccoluto, Capriati, Ibiza

When Mauro speaks of influence, Claudio Coccoluto sits firmly at the centre—a visionary DJ, producer, radio host and club statesman. A man who believed in direct, human connections. No agents. No intermediaries. Just people.

Coccoluto’s passing in 2021 shook Italy’s club scene to its core. Mauro still speaks of him with reverence: “Twenty years ahead of everyone.”

He lights up at the mention of Joseph Capriati, who Italian Factory hosted in Dublin about 15 years ago, long before global fame. Capriati’s now one of Italy’s defining techno exports, releasing on Drumcode, running Redimension, and headlining the world’s biggest stages.

And then there’s Ibiza—always Ibiza.

From Jo Mills’ connections to sunset sessions at Savannah, to whispers of DC10 Mondays, to friendships with radio icons like Igor Marijuan, Mauro’s story repeatedly loops back to the Balearics.

Dr Flamer: Even when you sleep—you’re still dancing.

He says it casually, but he means it.

The Chef Hangs Up the Whites & The Album Begins

After three decades of balancing pans and platters, Mauro finally stepped away from the kitchen seven years ago to focus entirely on music—events, DJing, production. The transition wasn’t sudden, but once he crossed the threshold, everything aligned.

He’s rebuilding his label with a fresh logo and finishing a new album—something that pulls together the threads of his past, the fire of his present, and the sound of where he’s heading next

Dr Flamer: My mother always said,

“You were born for this—why are you in the kitchen?”

She’s happy now. I bring her to shows—she’s even happier.

Teasers & Transporting Soundtracks: What’s Next

There’s a big, hush-hush project landing at the end of summer—a thread that stretches all the way back to 1996 and a certain iconic soundtrack that defined a generation’s late-night sprint. He can’t reveal details yet, but the edges are tantalising: a writer friend, a Dublin plan, no agents involved, and a nod to the era that shaped him.

Then there’s next spring—a festival.  And in between, a global spread of dates: Ibiza, Italy, Tiberio Club with Massimo Madeddu, Terrazze Chiaia di Luna, Ponza, Deep Jungle Festival, Sri Lanka (Feb 2026) Naturalis Festival, June 2026, A new festival in Ireland, May 2026, Ministry of Sound (London) with Francesco Poggi, ADE 2026 album showcase with his German distribution team. It’s the perfect triangulation of his past, present and future.

 

Back to the Room: The Last Word

Mike Mannix: What keeps you doing it this way—the open-door policy, the long Sundays?

Dr Flamer: Because music gave me everything.

Keep the needle steady, keep the people first, and never stop dancing

—even when you’re asleep.

Mike Mannix: (laughs) Put that on the album sleeve.

Dr Flamer: Done.

And when he says, “Even when you sleep, you’re still dancing,” you believe him—because after three decades living between burners and booth monitors, he’s earned the right to set down the pan, raise the fader, and let the next generation find their own first three shaky records.

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