After being one of the leading figures in the progressive scene during the 1990s in Italy, alongside names like Robert Miles, Mario Più, or Gigi D’Agostino (the latter eventually fully embraced the broader dance/italo-dance sound), Mauro Picotto, born in Cavour, in the province of Turin in 1966, definitively conquered the global trance scene in the early 2000s thanks to incredible hits, often bordering on hard trance and techno music.
From the fusion of these sounds, which the Italian artist and producer skillfully combined in his productions, the track Back To Cali was released in 2002 as part of the album The Others: the track, co-produced with Andrea Remondini and Gianfranco Bortolotti, carries the hallmark of his earlier successes: a trance/tech-trance groove with a “dry”, minimalist feel, while still infused with dreamy and bright atmospheres.
Alongside the original version, the famous BXR label immediately released a remix by Push, the most prominent alias of Mike Dierickx: by putting his own spin on Back To Cali, the Belgian DJ and producer crafted what is arguably the most well-known version of the track, adding his legendary fast-paced and euphoric trance sound, particularly in the chorus: this version does not stray from the original sound, but rather enhances its trance energy.
Back To Cali was also remixed by other big names: in 2002, a remix version by G-Spott (aka Richard Durand) was released, as well as a highly techno-oriented version by Picotto himself, the Picotto Mix. The original version that we know is the Claxixx Mix, which is similar to the version released by Mauro Picotto and Riccardo Ferri under their alias Megamind.
The first version of Mauro Picotto – Back To Kali, released in 2002 on BXR:
Logo Side: Back To Cali (Megamind Mix) 7:43
Info Side: Back To Cali (Push Remix) 8:31