Listen to a journey through cosmic disco curated by Daniele Baldelli

Welcome back to Selections, a series of artist-curated playlists from those in the know.

Veteran Italian DJ and producer Daniele Baldelli is an icon. Hailing from the town of Cattolica near Rimini, his pioneering combination of highly-technical DJing, exploration of seemingly endless genres and multi-instrumentalism (he once quipped in an interview that he needed an especially big car to transport his own decks, mixer, monitor, drum machines and two types of keyboard to sets) transformed the dance floors of the 1980s and his influence has been felt there ever since, worldwide.

Famed for playing sets out of a DJ booth in the shape of a space helmet (later the cockpit of a space ship) at influential Italian club, Cosmic, Baldelli, now in his mid-seventies, pioneered the cosmic sound – dance music synonymous with synth experimentation, dry ice and futuristic visuals.

Below, to coincide with his headlining slot at Limbo Festival in Tuscany, the Italian master takes listeners on a journey through his cosmic sound from the 80s until now, spanning collaborations, his own cuts and even a little Cat Stevens thrown in for good measure.

Daniele Baldelli played Limbo Festival 2026 which took place July 10-13 in Tuscany, Italy.