In 2008, Italian duo Francesco ‘Phra’ Barbaglia and Andrea ‘Bot’ Fratangelo were among the hottest names in dance music thanks to rowdy house bangers such as ‘Knobbers’ and their remix of ‘Day ’N’ Nite’ by Cleveland rapper Kid Cudi. Bot left Crookers in 2012, meaning it’s now Phra’s solo concern, but his departure has had minimal impact on the Crookers sound. Take ‘Ghetto Guetta’, for example. Thudding kick drums and a dopey synth loop build and build, before snarling digital fuzz rips you apart. It’s the kind of thing that, at 4am, with sweat dripping from the ceiling, would send you popping across the dancefloor like a bouncy ball. It doesn’t work quite so well in daylight, but it has its place.
Chris Cottingham