Introducing...

Rosario Internullo is a controversial person.
A name that is both consecrated and respected on Romania’s house music scene as one of its innovators, but one that has also been at the centre of controversy and scandal. Looking at his career, where Rosario had started from and how he developed into one of Romania’s most influential house music pioneers, we might consider that the turbulences he’s been through are all part of the game, the life he leads, that of a pioneering artist. Challenging: yes; uncertain: yes; filled with controversy: definitely!

Arriving in a recently post-communist Romania at the end of the 90’s from Sicily, Rosario quickly fell in love with the young and hungry house scene there. The energy, the people’s unprejudiced love for music convinced him to stay and fight for good times. He started organizing the first ever Romanian afterhours in Bucharest at Karma club and many unforgettable events Kudos Beach, Mamaia. Everything was going only up at dizzying speeds for Rosario, but soon followed a period in which scandals, excess and controversy made of Rosario a daily appearance in the news. Media and people started taking sides and for a good few months forgot about the most important thing: the music...
Now, in 2011 the situation on the Romanian scene is quite different than what is was back in 1998. Most clubs in the country now resonate of the infamous 4/4 house beat and the people’s ecstasy screams on the dancefloor until the late hours of the morning.
Now, in 2011 Rosario Internullo is back on the stage full-throttle, this time for the right reason ... music.

Codekontrol: Hello Rosario, greatly loved yet controversial Romanian house music innovator!
How are you already five months in 2011? What began in 2011 for you?
Rosario Internullo: Hi and thanks a lot for invitation! thanks ah :)! I feel very good with how 2011 has started for me, from New Year's Eve onwards it has been very good. I have many projects throughout 2011 and most importantly many trips in Europe, which I love!

Codekontrol: Although originally from Sicily, you chose Romania, Eastern Europe as your cradle of music making and life. How did this happen? How were you treated by the audience there along the past over 13 years of music and parties?
Rosario Internullo: My move to Romania was a pure coincidence; a friend had brought me to play in a national tour in Romania. I took the chance and I started to know people here which grew into relationships. I fell in love with Romania, with the people’s raw energy and love for music, so I started to do afterhours parties, first of their kind if I remember correctly, at Karma Club in Bucharest. The audience received me very well and I think that was the main reason for which I moved here, energy was so positive and all we needed something new! I think we built something very good together, right? :)

Codekontrol: You are one of the first pioneers of Romania's house scene, and yet today, in 2011, you are still as influential as ever. Tell us a little about how the Romanian house scene evolved from her scanty beginnings in the late '90s until today? A comparison with the global scene?
Rosario Internullo: It was all very underground and slow burning until 2000. Then, in 2000, there was a boom, all clubs started to put on house nights. Many parties appeared in Bucharest and at the sea side, at Mamaia, then there were The Mission mega-events and then came the Sunrise ones. After that everything evolved quickly, promoters began to bring world famous DJs to do parties of thousands of people!
Today I can say that the scene in Romania is noted for and loved by many, yet I feel a loss in terms of smaller parties with smaller guests and local djs. And it's a real shame because the local djs are actually the ones who nurture and grow the scene. The world now wants top DJs, festivals and dozens of international artists on a single line-up. That in my opinion, is not so good and unless you have a very very rich line-up, your event can go wrong!

Codekontrol: Now with the controversies at the end of 2008 over and done with, how were the last three years for Rosario Internullo the dj and Rosario Internullo the man?
Rosario Internullo: That was surely not an easy period for me. Although I was used to public attention, in those moments I was on the lips of everyone, but not for my music. Because of that I lost many friends, I had even times of depression, but slowly yet surely ...I came back, got back to writing music, work on my radio shows and touring. That was my answer to all the bad press I got in those days and eventually it was the right one, and I returned back to normality.

Codekontrol: Your rise of you as a DJ is well documented. But how it all began? What made you want to become a dj?
Rosario Internullo: Whn I was still at school, teachers told me I had a musical ear, I loved music and I was buying vinyl and going to the local radio, whose owner was a friend of mine. After a while he gave me a show on the radio. Two years later I made the passage to the club. Since then I have done many things and visited many places, I grew and I became hooked on the house music feeling. And…here we are today!

Codekontrol: What do you consider to be your "tipping point" as an artist?
Rosario Internullo: I think what propelled me to a new level was the song "Sentimente" which was released on Desolat.


Codekontrol: What’s your perspective on the gig happening this Friday at Egg in London? Together with you on Technicolour’s line-up is one of the Romania’s new wave of house pioneers, Ali Nasser? It will be a night of Romanian as on the London sound so the entire line-up next to you two were made up of local names houseului London.

Rosario Internullo: I am very happy you guys invited me to do this gig. I love London, I lived there more than a year when I was 19 years. London was the first time when I had leaved from home in Sicily. In London my tastes changed, and my perspective on life. I think if I had not experienced London, then probably my present would have been very different and we would not be speaking here today.
As for Ali, I think he is a very good artist as a producer and as DJ! I'm glad he's with me at Technicolour. We’ve known each other for a long time and we always had fun together :)

Codekontrol: What is the sound of Rosario Internullo at Technicolour?
Rosario Internullo: I think I am a spontaneous dj, and this is one of the things people love about me, you'll see there that im live and breathe the world!

Rosario Internullo - Live @ Studio Martin (December 26-2009) by Mandarina 9 Bookings

Codekontrol: What are your plans in 2011? New releases, remixes?
Rosario Internullo: "This Love" EP will be released in Four:Twenty Rec. At the same time working on a project with a female singer voice, something a bit more elegant and classy, and another project is finishing the text for a song sung by me in Romanian.

Codekontrol: Which artists on the Romanian scene gets your attention in particular right now? Who do you see rising rapidly in 2011-2012? That if the world doesn’t end in 2012 :)
Rosario Internullo: There are many young talents in Romania but I think that BOg has the best chances at the moment!

Codekontrol: Thanks for taking the time to Rosario! A final message for us here in London?
Rosario Internullo: I thank you for the interview! What I can say is: Expect Friday to be a night full of colorful feelings!

Rosario Internullo will be headlining in the Basement Room tomorrow, 20th of May at Technicolour:Cinematographic House Music

Technicolour BASEMENT ROOM line-up:
Rosario Internullo (Desolat, Relations)
Fabio Agostini b2b Philip Row Live
(Nachstrom Schalplatten / Naked Lunch / Kazima Rec)
Charles Thomas-Espionage
Deep S (Relations)
Gabriel Chip (Codekontrol Crew)