Carlo Lio occupies a rare space in electronic music. He is a DJ and producer whose sound can lean into the rolling grooves of tech house or charge forward with the pulsing intensity of techno. For him, the line between the two has never been a barrier, but rather the core of his identity. While others have urged him to “pick one lane,” Lio has built a career on proving that the intersection is where the magic lies.
Photo credit: Carlo Lio – Official
His journey began in Toronto’s underground, where the rave scene taught him patience, endurance, and how to listen closely. Hours in the techno rooms introduced him to the hypnotic pull of Detroit’s pioneers and the Neapolitan school, while marathon sets from figures like Danny Tenaglia showed him how slowing down or shifting context could turn a familiar record into something transformative. These early lessons gave him the tools to craft a sound that is phat, groovy, loopy, sexy, hypnotic, and always fun to mix.
What started as a passion with no clear career plan quickly became more. “It was never a plan to become a career. I did it all for the love,” he recalls. The transition happened naturally as local DJs began to play his tracks, then international heavyweights followed. “I got the highest validation as an artist, and I wasn’t gonna miss this opportunity to go all in.”
The breakthrough came when two icons, Dubfire and Carl Cox, took notice. Dubfire discovered him on MySpace, signed him to SCI+TEC, then brought him onto The Bullitt Agency roster, taking him on the road for nearly three years. “I pretty much opened for him in every show all around the world. He definitely introduced me and brought me from local artist to a touring one.” Around the same time, Carl Cox championed his music on INTEC and invited him to Ibiza, giving him the stamp of approval that every young producer dreams of. “It was an amazing feeling to have two of your idols back you and give you the stamp of approval in this scene.”
By 2009, his tracks were drawing attention worldwide. The momentum accelerated the following year with ‘Breakfast in Bag’ on Paul Ritch’s Quartz label. “That got huge plays from just about every big dawg and really caught attention.” At the same time, his relentless touring schedule with Dubfire cemented his reputation on a global scale.
Even as his profile grew, so did the pressure to narrow his sound. Promoters, managers, and agents often wanted to box him in, to make him one thing. Lio pushed back. “Promoters have the hardest time with it. When a promoter listens to my last release, then to them, that’s what I only make now, or how I play now. Which is BS.” Instead of choosing, he doubled down on his philosophy: to keep releasing across house and techno, to let the music prove that both could coexist. “It’s not like I’m making rock music and techno. Then picking a lane may make more sense.”
That refusal to conform was risky, but it became central to who he is. “Staying true to yourself as an artist these days is risky. I’ve seen many artists surpass me because they follow the trends or what’s hot. I am always growing and adapting, but without compromising my sound, my soul, and why I started doing this in the first place.”
Running his own labels gave him another outlet to assert that vision. Rawthentic became the home for his groove-led work, while On Edge Society gave a platform to his darker, heavier instincts. “Both labels hold the elements and formula of how I produce music,” he says.
What keeps him moving is not strategy but instinct. “I live and breathe music. I was built for beats. I was built to tour and perform. I love everything about playing and making music as a career.” He thrives on challenge, even when it feels like the odds are stacked against him. “I love pressure. It’s what keeps me going, motivated, and makes me grow.”
Looking ahead, he wants to shine a brighter spotlight on his techno side, push On Edge Society through label events, and land releases on a handful of “goal” labels that he has set his eyes on. On a personal level, he is chasing something even harder to master: a balance between the touring grind, family, and health.
And if there is one lesson he hopes others take from his path, it is patience. “Take the time to allow yourself to build and to find your own sound. Once you achieve a sound only you have, nobody can take that away from you. You become the blueprint versus always following someone else’s.”
For Carlo Lio, the path has never been about fitting into categories. It has been about trust, instinct, and proving, again and again, that he was built for this.
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