Riko and Gugga – Retro Sounds, Modern Energy, and Brazil’s Rising Dance Scene on the Virtual Sessions 10/6/25

From São Paulo, Brazil, Riko and Gugga bring their infectious energy and love for nostalgic sounds to an exciting conversation about their music journey and creative chemistry. Known for blending 80s pop, disco, and modern indie dance, the duo describe their style as “heavy, fun, and 80s-inspired,” taking cues from artists like Tears for Fears and Duran Duran while reimagining their sound for today’s dance floors. Their recent release Motherlovers—a cleverly renamed track to dodge censorship—recently hit the Beatport charts and showcases their playful yet polished approach to production.

The pair’s story reflects a unique balance of passion and discipline. Producing, mixing, and mastering everything in-house, Riko and Gugga average two to three days to complete a track and release around 30 each year. With multiple Beatport top-charting singles under their belt, including the breakout remix of Voyage Voyage, they’ve proven that independent dedication can lead to international success. Their work has appeared in genres from progressive house to melodic techno, earning recognition for both artistry and consistency.

Beyond the music, the duo discuss their shared struggles with social media, the challenges facing Brazil’s shrinking club scene, and the power of festivals and underground events to unite dance culture. They share hilarious gig stories, like holding their vibrating mixer in place mid-set, and heartfelt moments such as hearing their songs played at major festivals for the first time. For Riko and Gugga, it’s all about authenticity, connection, and bringing people together—whether it’s in a packed club or a Buenos Aires bookstore.

Topics

0:12 – Introducing Riko and Gugga from São Paulo and their 80s-inspired style 3:00 – Creating retro-modern sounds using classic synth tones 5:29 – Behind the making of Motherlovers and avoiding censorship 7:48 – Climbing the Beatport charts and top-ranking releases 9:56 – The duo’s creative workflow and fast production pace 13:14 – Favorite tracks, milestones, and breakthrough hits 17:55 – Hearing their music unexpectedly at major festivals 20:04 – Early musical roots from heavy metal to trance influences 24:23 – Labels they admire and insight into today’s dance industry 35:58 – Reflections on Brazil’s club scene and social media struggles

Connect with Riko and Gugga

Instagram: @rikoandgugga

About RIKO & GUGGA –

RIKO & GUGGA is a Brazilian duo whose unique musical identity is the captivating fusion of 80s energy with the pulsating elements of modern electronic music. With a sound that transcends genres, their productions blend Indie soundscapes with the progressive energies of Techno and House.

This retro-modern combination has conquered the international scene, drawing the attention of major names such as Vintage Culture, Solomun, Innellea, Adriatique, Massano, Colyn, Nicky Romero, Ferry Corsten, Kölsch, Kevin de Vries, Max Styler, Cassian, Chris Avantgarde, Miss Monique, Nora En Pure, and D-Nox.

The innovative strength of RIKO & GUGGA is notable, not only on the dancefloor but also in their essential role in transforming Brazilian electronic music.

The duo continues to redefine genre boundaries, taking audiences on a musical journey

without limits. This unique blend of styles has stood out at iconic events like Tomorrowland, Awakenings, Afterlife, Rock in Rio, So Track Boa, Zamna, CRSSD and Ultra Music Festival.

With a successful trajectory, RIKO & GUGGA have secured top positions in the prestigious Beatport rankings, reaching #1 in Progressive House twice, #1 in Indie Dance, #5 in Melodic Techno twice and appearing in the Top 10 six times.

About The DJ Sessions –

“The DJ Sessions” is a Twitch/Mixcloud “Featured Partner” live streaming/podcast series featuring electronic music DJ’s/Producers via live mixes/interviews and streamed/distributed to a global audience. TheDJSessions.com

The series constantly places in the “Top Ten” on Twitch Music and the “Top Five” in the “Electronic Music”, “DJ”, “Dance Music” categories. TDJS is rated in the Top 0.11% of live streaming shows on Twitch out of millions of live streamers.

“The DJ Sessions” is listed in the Feedspot directory as one of the Top 60 EDM Podcasts.

It has also been recognized by Apple twice as a “New and Noteworthy” podcast and featured three times in the Apple Music Store video podcast section. UStream and Livestream have also listed the series as a “Featured” stream on their platforms since its inception.

The series is also streamed live to multiple other platforms and hosted on several podcast sites. It has a combined live streaming/podcast audience is over 125,000 viewers per week.

With over 2,700 episodes produced over the last 16 years “The DJ Sessions” has featured international artists such as: Matt Staffanina, The Midnight, Felix Sama, Jens Lissat, BT, Plastik Funk, Redman, Youngr, Dr. Fresch, Ferry Corsten, Robert Owens, Darude, Herbert Holler, Meecah, YORK, Martin Jensen, Sevenn, Amber D, Joey Riot, Drove, Martin Trevy, Thomas Datt, Siryuz & Smoky, Simon Shackleton, SurfingDJ’s, Jacob Henry, Rïa Mehta, Vintage & Morrelli,  Joachim Garraud, Mizeyesis, Drop Out Orchestra, Dave Lambert, Tom Wax, Kenn Colt, Nathassia aka Goddess is a DJ, Joni Ljungqvist, mAdcAt, Wuki, DiscoKitty, Handshake in Space, Thaylo, Moon Beats, Barnacle Boi, IAMDRAKE, Spag Heddy, Scott Slyter, Simply City, Rob Gee, Micke, Jerry Davila, SpeakerHoney, Sickotoy, Teenage Mutants, DJ Mowgli, Wooli, Somna, Gamuel Sori, Curbi, Alex Whalen, Netsky, Rich DietZ, Stylust, Bexxie, Chuwe, Proff, Muzz, Raphaelle, Boris, MJ Cole, Flipside, Ross Harper, DJ S.K.T., Skeeter, Bissen, 2SOON, Kayzo, Sabat, Katie Chonacas, DJ Fabio, Homemade, Hollaphonic, Lady Waks, Dr. Ushuu, Arty/Alpha 9, Miri Ben-Ari, DJ Ruby, DJ Colette, Nima Gorji, Kaspar Tasane, Queen City Hooligan, Andy Caldwell, Party Shirt, Plastik Funk, ENDO, John Tejada, Hoss, Alejandro, DJ Sash U, Arkley, Bee Bee, Cozmic Cat, Superstar DJ Keoki, Crystal Waters, Swedish Egil, Martin Eyerer, Dezarate, Maddy O’Neal, Sonic Union, Lea Luna, Belle Humble, Marc Marzenit, Ricky Disco, AthenaLuv, Maximillian, Saeed Younan, Inkfish, Kidd Mike, Magitman, Michael Anthony, They Kiss, Downupright, Harry “the Bigdog” Jamison, DJ Tiger, DJ Aleksandra, 22Bullets, Carlo Astuti, Mr Jammer, Kevin Krissen, Amir Sharara, Coke Beats, Danny Darko, DJ Platurn, Tyler Stone, Chris Coco, Purple Fly, Slantooth, Dan Marciano, Johan Blende, Amber Long, Robot Koch, Robert Babicz, KHAG3, Elohim, Hausman, Jaxx & Vega, Yves V,

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Written by The DJ Sessions