Music
Theo Kottis turns up the heat with a power-hour of ‘80s Italo house
The Beautiful Strangers boss celebrates the latest release on his label with an uplifting Choice Mix packed with vintage house and disco tunes.
“My love of creating music has always extended beyond DJing or producing," explains ambitious jack-of-all-trades, Theo Kottis.
The Scottish DJ and producer spent his late teens putting on parties across Edinburgh and producing tracks for various underground labels. But the further he fell into the electronic music scene, so his fascination with the music business grew. So much so, that a few years ago – propelled by a drive for total creative control – he took the leap and created his own brand: Beautiful Strangers.
Listen to Theo Kottis's Choice Mix below:
That label-slash-party provides a space for all of Kottis’s sonic interests to come together in one place, while avoiding the frustrations that can sometimes come with working with other imprints. And just like his own DJ sets, the music he releases on Beautiful Strangers demonstrates a keen ear for a diverse range of house and electronic styles.
“The label isn’t defined by a specific sound,” he says, “so I’m free to experiment.” His 2018 debut LP of the same name was a mission statement of sorts, comprising seven versatile club tracks spanning breakbeat cuts, acid-tweaked disco, sun-dappled house and more.
The label has also given him the opportunity to flex his promoting muscles once again. “Being able to book line-ups has my younger self buzzing – and getting to play alongside them is even better,” he says. It’s all part of a plan to build a brave new world for ravers around the globe. “The dream is to tour the brand, while being able to support and release music from friends and upcoming talent.”
Theo Kottis
© Press
For now, his main focus is on the music. Kottis launched into 2020 with the release of his neon synth anthem Clear on Skint Records, written after his 2019 club hit, Want Me Back, was stifled by licensing issues. Now comes Nothing To Lose, his new EP on Beautiful Strangers – three warm, atmospheric and otherworldly tracks. “Midland described it as ‘sounds like Floating Points making something for Afterlife’,” Kottis says. “I’ll take that!”
To celebrate the release of his new EP, Kottis has put together an exclusive Choice Mix for us featuring a truckload of new finds. “I’ve tried to create an uplifting mood,” he tells us. Spanning ‘80s Italo, disco and house, he more than delivers on that promise. Listen in the player above.
