There is a particular confidence to the way KOOKOO Records approaches dance music’s past. The Montreal label has built its catalogue around records that understand the lasting pull of disco, soul and early club music without treating them as museum pieces, reshaping familiar textures into something that feels direct, functional and very current.
Across releases from artists including Evan McVicar, George Smeddles and Manuel Falardeau, the label has gradually carved out a sound that balances warmth, weight and restraint, pulling as much from Montreal’s overlooked club history as it does from contemporary dancefloors.
For this latest Magnetic Magazine mix and interview, KOOKOO founder Francis Cucuzzella reflects on the label’s roots, the evolution of its sampling-led approach, and why preserving the feeling inside older records matters more than chasing nostalgia.
Alongside a mix packed with unreleased material and forthcoming cuts, the conversation offers a clearer picture of where KOOKOO is heading next as the label moves further into darker, more refined territory ahead of Amsterdam Dance Event later this year.
KOOKOO leans into reworking dance music’s past through a modern lens. What first pulled you toward that idea when you started the label?
What pulled us toward that wasn’t a strategy, it was always about keeping the sound alive, and proximity played a big role in that. We grew up around these records. Montreal has a deep-rooted music history, especially around disco and club culture, that doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves globally. But locally, it’s embedded in the DNA, through the clubs, the DJs, the collections, and the people who lived it.
Being close to that world, and having access to a catalogue like Unidisc, you start to understand that this isn’t just nostalgia, it’s still functional music. It still moves people. It still works on a dance floor.
There’s already decades of rhythm, soul, and energy that haven’t been fully reinterpreted for today’s context. KOOKOO came from that instinct, taking something timeless and putting it back into circulation in a way that feels current, not archival. It’s less about looking back and more about recognizing that a lot of the future was already there, you just have to unlock it properly.
In the early days, what felt missing in the music around you that KOOKOO was trying to address?
Early on, a lot of the music felt disconnected from its roots. It became formulaic, tracks built to fit trends rather than to last, and you could hear that immediately on a dancefloor. What was missing was something that could carry the emotion, groove, and imperfections of older records into a modern context without watering it down. Not edits for the sake of edits, but records with intention.
KOOKOO was built to bring that weight back into contemporary dance music—to make records that feel as good as they sound, and that hold up beyond a moment.
Montreal isn’t always centred in global dance conversations. How did the city shape the identity and early direction of KOOKOO?
Montreal shaped everything. It may not always be at the center of the global conversation, but historically, it’s been one of the most important cities for disco and early dance music.
There’s a real legacy here, from clubs like Limelight to the producers, DJs, and collectors who helped define a sound that traveled far beyond the city. That history isn’t theoretical, it’s still very present.
What Montreal gave us was a certain independence. It’s not a city that chases trends, it absorbs them, reshapes them, and moves differently from the rest of the industry. That allowed us to build KOOKOO without feeling the need to follow what was happening elsewhere. The identity of the label naturally became a balance of heritage and forward motion-grounded in where we come from, but not limited by it.
Sampling sits at the core of the catalogue, drawing from disco, soul and early club records. How has your approach to sampling evolved over time?
In the beginning, sampling was more instinctive, it was about finding moments that hit emotionally and flipping them into something that worked for today.
Over time, the approach became more deliberate. It’s not just about what you sample, but how you treat it, how you preserve the feeling while giving it a new context. We’re more selective now. Not every great loop needs to be used, and not every idea needs to be pushed.
There’s also a deeper respect for the source material. These records carry history, so the goal isn’t to overpower them, but to build around them in a way that adds something meaningful.
At its best, sampling becomes a dialogue between eras, where the original energy is still intact, but the final record stands on its own.
There’s always a risk of leaning too heavily on nostalgia. How do you know when a record feels like it’s actually pushing things forward?
Above all, we’re driven by feeling, not genre. For us, it’s never been about fitting into a category, it’s about whether a record actually moves something, whether it has weight.
That’s why the catalogue isn’t locked into one lane. You’ll hear house, deep house, disco, tech house, even more minimal records but they all share a certain DNA. There’s always a focus on groove, musicality, and a sense of purpose behind the production. Being open doesn’t mean being scattered. If anything, it forces you to be more selective. Every release still has to feel like it belongs, like it contributes to a broader identity rather than just filling space.
At the end of the day, we’re not chasing genres, we’re building a sound.
Looking back, which releases felt like real turning points for KOOKOO, where the identity became clearer?
There wasn’t one single turning point, it’s been a series of releases that each clarified a different part of the identity. The George Smeddles rework of Last Night a DJ Saved My Life was an important one. It showed how we could take something iconic and reframe it in a way that still felt relevant on today’s dancefloor without losing its essence.
The EP from Evan McVicar and The Director pushed things further into a more contemporary space, while still keeping that underlying musicality we care about.
More recently, releases on After Dark from The Holy and Manuel Falardeau reflect the next phase, where the sound is evolving, a bit darker, more refined, and more confident in its direction.
Each of these records didn’t redefine the label on their own, but together they helped shape a clearer identity over time.
KOOKOO talks about balancing analogue sensibility with modern production. What does that look like in practice when you’re working on records?
In practice, it starts with the source material. We’re naturally drawn to sounds that already carry character, whether that’s from older recordings, live instrumentation, or textures that don’t feel overly processed.
From there, it’s about restraint. We try not to over-polish records. Leaving space for imperfections, groove, and movement is key. That can mean working with analog gear, reprocessing sounds through hardware, or simply resisting the tendency to clean everything up digitally.
At the same time, modern production gives you precision, especially in the low-end, arrangement, and how a track translates across systems. So it becomes a balance between keeping that raw, human feel intact while shaping it for today’s dancefloor.
When it’s done right, it shouldn’t feel like a contrast between old and new—it should just feel natural.
This mix is built entirely from KOOKOO releases and forthcoming material. What were you trying to show about the label as it stands right now?
The idea was to present a clear snapshot of where the label stands right now. A big part of that is range, you hear everything from house and deep house to disco, tech house and more minimal records but still within a consistent identity. It’s not about jumping between genres, it’s about showing the different angles of the same sound.
There’s also a more cinematic thread running through the mix. A lot of the tracks carry a certain mood and progression, which was important in how the mix was built—it’s not just a collection of records, it’s meant to feel like a journey. And finally, the inclusion of unreleased material was key. It adds tension and unpredictability, but more importantly, it hints at where things are heading, not just where they’ve been.
Are there any unreleased tracks in the mix that hint at where KOOKOO is heading next?
Yes, roughly half of the mix is unreleased. That was intentional. It gives a clearer sense of where the label is heading, not just where it’s been. There’s a noticeable shift toward a slightly darker, more refined sound, while still keeping that core focus on groove and musicality.
It’s less about teasing individual tracks and more about setting the tone for what’s coming next.
Looking ahead to 2026, what feels most important for KOOKOO at this stage, both musically and more broadly as a platform?
Looking ahead, the focus is on deepening the identity, both musically and beyond. On the production side, it’s about sharpening the sound while collaborating with artists who bring a distinct perspective, not just technical precision. The aim is to evolve naturally without losing the core DNA.
At the same time, there’s a strong push toward expanding our event brands, creating spaces where the music can truly resonate, where sound, energy, and crowd come together in a way that reflects the label’s vision rather than simply presenting it. We’re also developing projects that extend past standalone releases, approaching music as part of a broader experience where visuals, storytelling, and context all matter.
Some of these next steps will be introduced around the Amsterdam Dance Event this year, as we move toward more cohesive bodies of work across records, events, and visual concepts, projects that feel unified and contribute to pushing the culture forward on multiple levels.
For more, head to: https://kookoorecords.com
Mix tracklist:
Djomood – The More I Need (Manuel Falardeau’s Deep Punch Remix) [releasing May 15]
Monty Kiddo – For: Richard
Inda Jani – Slowlee [unreleased]
Axel Beca – C’Mon
Toomy Disco – No Luv
Overexpose, Manuel Falardeau – ID [unreleased]
Manuel Falardeau – Cruise Control
Lost Prince – Groove In You
Overexpose, Francis Zella, Manuel Falardeau – Get Myself High (At Dawn)
Manuel Falardeau – Tonight [unreleased]
A Little Bit Orange – Physical Pleasure [releasing May 1st]
Manu (CA) – Beacon
