Dr. Kucho!

After more than two decades in the industry, there can be no denying that Spanish house sensation Daniel Manzano, or Dr. Kucho! as he’s known to the masses, remains one of the most industrious and long- standing producers and DJs on the planet. With more than 300 releases to his name since his early entry onto the circuit in 1993, The Doctor is as strong as ever as he continues to prescribe his fans – and music lovers the world over – dose after dose of his tried and tested medicine. His vast, diverse, and ever-increasing portfolio, including releases on some of the most notable labels in the industry (Sony, Virgin, Defected, Pacha, Spinnn’ and Africanism to name but a few), has been received with open arms by discerning audiences across the globe, securing Dr. Kucho! a well-deserved place as one of the stalwarts of the European and Latin American house music tradition. Early successes for Dr. Kucho! included ‘Lies To Yourself’ and ‘Can’t Stop Playing’, the latter of which enjoyed number one status in the Dutch radio charts for five weeks. Further integral to Kucho’s rise were two hits on Weekend Records; ‘Patricia Never Leaves The House’ and ‘La Luna’ in 2001, both of which reached No. 1 in charts worldwide, simultaneously making a huge contribution to the rise of Spanish house music which had previously been so discreet. Original tracks and remixes have since come thick and fast, and to name them all would be one hell of a task. But the track that really put Kucho! on the map, even beyond those held by dance-music buffs, was to be ‘Belmondo Rulez’. The release enjoyed such success that it arrived in at No.6 of DJMag’s ‘Best of 2003 Hype Chart’. Kucho’s! popularity grew quickly following this, and he soon became one of the ‘one’s to watch’ on the European circuit, so much so that DJ Magazine UK crowned him “The Undisputed King of Spanish House Music”. When 2006 hit ‘Hallelujah’ reached No. 1 in Malta, beating the likes of Shakira, Madonna and Justin Timberlake that very same week, there was no doubting the credibility of the homage paid three years earlier; Dr. Kucho! had officially become part of dance music royalty. Plentiful releases on prestigious labels have been an obvious sign of success, and a personal benchmark for Dr. Kucho! But let’s not forget arguably the most noteworthy string to be added to the ever-growing 20- year Kucho! bow – the founding of his very own label in 2003, ‘Disc Doctor Records’. Eager never to compromise on quality, the launch of the Disc Doctor label has been nothing short of a triumph for Dr. Kucho!. With almost 100 releases to date and counting, he has used the Disc Doctor platform with full-effect to distribute first-rate house music produced by himself and other hand-picked artists, whilst maintaining the absolute quality control towards which he so famously strives. Testament to this lies in the sonic hedonism of hit releases such as ‘New School Tribal’, ‘Green Planet’, ‘La Isla’, ‘Funkatron’ and ‘The Rave’, the follow up to which (‘Beyond The Rave’), is set for release on the mighty Spinnin’. Dr. Kucho!’s latest’s most successful tracks are ‘La Tarde Se Ha Puesto Triste’, ‘The Return Of The King’, Dr. Kucho! & Zenbi ‘Echale Candela’, Dr. Kucho! & Funky Truckerz ‘Lots More Lovin’ and the vocal version of ‘Can’t Stop Playing’ together with Gregor Salto and Ane Brun for 2015. Although the commitment to extensive studio-time is a must for Kucho!, he has not, importantly, let this hard work behind the scenes hinder him from what is arguably the most central attribute for any dance music star – shaking the dancefloor! Making regular ‘house calls’ at some of the biggest and best clubs from all corners of the globe, the Doctor continues to prove that he is the complete package by smashing every party he plays.