Franchino, Italian disco and progressive trance legend, dies at the age of 71

Considered a pioneer in the field of electronic music, Italian DJ Franchino has died at the age of 71. The announcement was made through a post on his social media, stating that he had lost a long-standing health battle. 

“With immense sadness and deep pain, the family and closest friends communicate the passing of their beloved Franchino. You were a special person for all those who were lucky enough to know you and you lit up our lives with your smile, your strength and your courage.”

Born in Sicily and relocating to Tuscany at a young age, Franchino made his debut as a DJ and disco-music speaker in 1970 at the Seven Eleven in Montelupo Fiorentino. After opening a hairdressing boutique on Elba Island, he simultaneously worked as a DJ at Capo Nord in Marciana Marina. Until 1987, he spent summers on Elba Island and winters in Brazil, where he sang in a blues band in Arraial d'Ajuda, a town in southern Bahia.

In the late 1980s, Franchino, having fallen in love with electronic music during his summers in Ibiza, returned to Elba Island and met the well-established DJ MIKI "il Delfino," then resident at Club 64 in Portoferraio. Inspired by this encounter, he transitioned from spinning records to working as a vocalist alongside DJ MIKI.

The following season, at Club Imperiale in Tirrenia, Franchino began collaborating with notable DJs such as Francesco Farfa, Roby J, Sandro Vibot, Ricky Le Roy, Alex Neri and Alessandro Tognetti. In a revolutionary performance in 1992 at Tartana in Follonica, he used sampled voices and sound effects, transforming his role into that of a storyteller and creating a unique atmosphere that gained him fame throughout Italy. He continued at Club Imperiale until 1994 with resident DJ Andrea Giuditta.

During the pivotal years of Italian progressive trance, Franchino released his first 12" record, Escandalo Total, a collaboration with Giuditta and the Falsini brothers of Interactive Test Records. His second 12" release, A Night in Tirrenia, came out in 1994 under the Holy Moly Music label, marking him as a key figure in the music scene.

From 1995 to 2000, Franchino worked at Insomnia Disco Acropoli d'Italia in Ponsacco with DJs from Club Imperiale, including Joy Kitikonti, Sandro Vibot, Zicky Il Giullare and Leonardo Brogi. In 1997, they, along with Ricky Le Roy and Mario Più, founded the Metempsicosi record label in Ponsacco. 

Franchino also performed at venues like Dylan and Aida, and worked extensively in techno clubs in Piemonte, including Ultimo Impero, Shock!, Parhasar, and Naxos. After the closure of BXR Superclub in May 2000, he was part of the MATRIX project in Brescia. He continued to perform periodically at Jaiss in Empoli until its closure in 2004, and at Alias in Florence between 2004 and 2005.

In 2011, Franchino returned to production, releasing a new album with musician Giovanni Ghisleni, known as Jo Gala. His final album, C'era una volta, was released on March 11, 2022.

Franchino’s final performance took place on April 26, 2024, performing alongside Ricky Le Roy at Alpen Village Hotel in Livigno during the Snowland Music Festival, before he was hospitalised before his death on May 19 2024.