Robert Armani, the Chicago based legend, took up DJing in 1984 after seeing friends playing on turntables at house parties (that is house as in brick, doors and windows).

He took up the name Mixing W. Rob but this did not last long, as the females picked up on the Giorgio Armani clothes he used to constantly wear and began calling him Armani. It's a name he has been labelled with ever since.

Four years later after his first shot on the decks, Robert became interested in finding out how the music he played was actually made. He set out to master the electronic studio. It soon became apparent that Robert had a natural talent for production, and his by now extensive DJ experience meant he knew what would work on the dance floor.

?When I make a track, I try to picture how good a crowd's response will be to it,? he says.

Robert's first release which came out in 1990, through Chicago label, Dance Mania. It was ?Circus Bells?. Soon after, he made ?Ambulance?, another timeless piece.

His innovative, unique, sound was down to hammering lo-fi and outdated synths, pulling sounds out that no one had ever imagined had worked as a dance track.

?A lot of sounds come from really cheap keyboards. Little battery keyboards that people do not know about. I used to use a Sonic Dream Machine and a keyboard that my mother bought for about $100, real basic equipment. And they were what I used to create ?Circus Bells?. You see I'm original, I never sampled shit until recently. I have my own style and I mix down live.?

The release picked up momentum and at such a pace, that he had to take on other various pseudonyms such as Eric Martin, Traxman (when co-producing with his cousin Paul) and Mark Bernard, to cover up the fact that he was Dance Mania's most consistent artist at the time. He created his own assault on the Chicago sound. International recognition was inevitable, well deserved, and not long in the making. He was soon taking his self-initiated style all over the world.

His travels opened a new chapter in his career, as he landed in Rome one weekend. He had been booked by an event organisation fronted by a producer called Leo Anabaldi. During Robert's visit, Leo introduced him to a record label he was working with - ACV. Label owner Tony Verde recognised Robert's talent and potential as a producer, and asked him to sign up for a five year recording deal. Still being new to the music game, and not realising what his skills are worth, he signed on the dotted line for a lot less in comparison to his worth. This turned out to be the best deal ACV were ever to make, as Robert tore out hit after hit, with single such as ?Fuse Box?, ?Burnout?, ?Big Dick?, ?I'm Gonna Tear This MotherFucker Up?, and remixes like Dave Clarke's ?Four Seasons?.

His hits, including a license of ?Circus Bells? were nearly all remixed and re-released. Then there were his outstanding albums ?Muzik Man?, ?Right To Silence? and ?Madman Stand?, two of which made it into the NME and Melody Maker charts. Looking at the ACV discography, about 50% of their releases were Robert Armani related, with the most popular Acv releases being?. You've guessed it, Robert Armani records. I think it would be safe to assume that Robert was their frontman and could do no wrong.

Towards the end of 1996 many problems suddenly came to head. During their relationship, Tony Verde had been licensing Robert's material to other labels without telling him, or paying him. This had also happened to Leo Anabaldi and led to his departure from ACV. Realising that ACV's most successful artist would no longer be producing for them, Tony Verde decided to release an album and a single of Robert's studio out-takes that were mixed up with previous releases on ACV that he had left in Rome. This resulted in ?Seventh Chapter? and ?Crash?, both of which Robert was not informed about or paid for.

As if that was not enough, Tony Verde then began taking DJ bookings for Robert in Germany without his knowledge. Tony received the advance, never told Robert about the booking, and pocketed the money, leaving Robert's reputation for appearances devastated.

Now the inevitable has happened, and ACV has had to pretty much shut down, with nobody left to produce for the label, and no one interested in working with Tony Verde.

Robert has continued to push his sounds his own sound on Dance Mania, and new labels such as Dust Trax, remixing Joey Beltram and Novamute, Gary Numan and Beggars Banquet, and he has recently finished a new eight track album, due out for release later this year. His Djing schedule is as hectic as ever, and, fortunately for us, the future sees Robert doing exactly the same as he has been doing since day one.

Let's be grateful he hasn't burnt out?.

For more information go to http://www.fantazia.org.uk/