Sickotoy: Playful Sounds, Global Collabs, and Creative Passions on the On Location Sessions at ADE 2023 10/18/23

Sickotoy: Playful Sounds, Global Collabs, and Creative Passions

In this exciting Virtual Session from Amsterdam Dance Event 2023, The DJ Sessions host Darran Bruce sits down with Romanian DJ and producer Sickotoy to discuss his music, collaborations, and creative journey. Known for his playful yet emotional style, Sickotoy’s name reflects both his real surname, Cotoy, and his approach to crafting music that is both weird and danceable – a mix of sicko and toy.

Sickotoy shares insights into his recent single Bad Girls, created with UK songwriter Wayne Hector, Roland Spreckley, and Romanian singer Antonia. Combining infectious grooves with a theme of female empowerment, the track reflects his commitment to producing music with both energy and meaning. He describes his process as fast but intentional – while some songs take weeks, others come together in just a few days, with a steady pace of new releases nearly every month.

The conversation explores Sickotoy’s home base at Global Records in Bucharest, his upcoming travel to Dubai, and his vision of steering his sound toward more electronic, radio-friendly directions while staying authentic. He also reflects on memorable shows, including a no-phones night at Berlin’s Watergate, which reinforced his belief that fans connect more deeply without distractions.

Beyond music, Sickotoy reveals his growing passion for photography, a hobby that keeps him inspired and prevents burnout. With future collaborations on the horizon and dreams of working with David Guetta, Sickotoy emphasizes persistence, passion, and embracing creativity in multiple forms as the keys to his artistic evolution.

Show Notes – 

Host: Darran Bruce
Guest: Sickotoy
Location: ADE – Amsterdam, Netherlands
 

Overview:
Darran Bruce sits down with Romanian DJ and producer Sickotoy to discuss his latest releases, inspirations, and creative passions beyond the studio.

Topics Covered:

• Meaning behind the name Sickotoy and his playful musical style 
• Creation of Bad Girls with Wayne Hector, Roland Spreckley, and Antonia 
• Fast but intentional production process, averaging one release per month 
• Home base at Global Records Studios in Bucharest 
• Upcoming travel to Dubai and future direction toward more electronic sounds 
• Memorable no-phone experience at Watergate in Berlin and thoughts on phones at shows 
• Philosophy on collaboration and dream of working with David Guetta 
• Reflections on burnout, breaks, and pursuing other passions 
• Growing interest in photography with Fujifilm gear and plans for film cameras 
• Inspirations from cinema and dream portrait subject Al Pacino 

Call to Action:
Follow Sickotoy on Instagram @sickotoy and stream Bad Girls and his latest tracks on all platforms.
Discover more exclusive interviews and live sessions at thedjsessions.com

[Darran]
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of the DJ sessions presents the on-location sessions coming to you from ADE in Amsterdam It’s our second year here. And right now we have a wonderful guest and it’s his first year coming on the show Ambient at ADE we have Sickotoy. How you doing today?

I’m good. How are you? I’m doing great doing great How how much of this?

Amsterdam have you got to take in so far since you’ve been here.

[Sickotoy]
It’s actually not my first time in Amsterdam. Okay, so I did some work here some sessions before actually last year. Well, it’s fine because like The last period I was passionate about photography and I just bring my gear here and shoot some some pictures of up So that means really nice, you know, I love the city.

[Darran]
It’s so beautiful walking around Obviously, we’re on this beautiful houseboat location right on the canal here this year and we’re super excited to be here at ADE What is gonna be some of your primary things that you’re looking forward to doing here at ADE this year?

[Sickotoy]
I mean like for sure, I’m gonna meet some friends and some some people that I worked a lot with I’m gonna do like connections and Establish some some future projects and future collaborations for my project for different stuff.

[Darran]
Definitely Are you allowed to talk about some of your future projects? I know we did a little pre-show interview like free show stuff. But what is what is the some of the stuff?

What’s what are you working on right now?

[Sickotoy]
I mean like I’m I’m working on Sickotoy. Like what’s the next releases and I’m gonna do some some sessions in the Ending of this year. Mm-hmm I’m gonna travel actually to Dubai At the beginning of November that that’s a feat in itself.

[Darran]
I’d love to go to Dubai.

[Sickotoy]
Yeah, it’s actually not my first time there I’m gonna try to like move the The direction of the sound towards a little bit more electronically. No, it’s like electronic whether it’ll be radio Oriented awesome. I’m gonna be more hardcore.

Mm-hmm now Sickotoy How did you get your start?

[Darran]
Where did you get? Where did this Sickotoy come from? What first name Sickotoy the name?

[Sickotoy]
Yeah, how long you been doing this for the name is kind of like Interesting because my name is actually Alex cotoy. Okay, so it rhymes there with the name, but the thing is like my music feels a little bit like Weird and interesting but at the same time is like playful and danceable So it’s kind of like sicko and the toy So I heard weird and playful and I was gonna ask you if you could describe your music in three words How would you describe it, but you just used for? But no, I mean it’s it’s always interesting how long you’ve been doing this for Producing I’ve been doing this Since 2009, okay Pretty young guy.

Yeah, I’m not actually that young really. Yeah, you look younger than me. I know I’m 49 Thank you, no, um, you know your latest single tell us about that my single was is with you know, and About emotion Antonia.

[Darran]
Mm-hmm.

[Sickotoy]
It’s called bad girls I actually worked on it last year in Dubai with Wayne Hector, which he’s like a big big songwriter in the UK and Roland Sprigley also, he worked with I have a max Rita Ora and all big artists and It’s kind of interesting cuz like it’s a It’s a dance song, but it’s also like girl empowerment. So how long does it take you on average to produce a track? Actually, it depends on the track it could take me maybe a week I’m thinking like two months depends on the track But like effectively when you when you start working on it and like being in the studio probably is not gonna be more than three Four days actually, that’s pretty quick.

I know people to say sometimes three four years How often do you produce tracks how often you’re releasing tracks Probably I’m Releasing once a month. Okay, some some sometimes like that and Producing it’s probably every day Where is this producing taking place at?

[Darran]
Where do you live? Where are you from? I live in Bucharest Romania, and I’m mainly producing at global record studios Okay, so that’s my hub any upcoming tours anywhere any outings anything other than Dubai?

[Sickotoy]
Actually, I don’t think so.

[Darran]
I have anything planned for this year probably next year If you could throw an event and have five things at that event no limitations black American Express card sky’s the limit What would you have at that event?

[Sickotoy]
I’m I’m super excited about the the whole globe, you know in Vegas That’s everyone. You know that that show it’s kind of looks amazing and I would love to perform there. I Don’t love Phones at shows.

I feel like people when start recording and Doing all that thing that they don’t enjoy that much of the actual show.

[Darran]
Mm-hmm.

[Sickotoy]
So Yeah, probably that’s gonna be my my peak place. Mm-hmm. Something else appears

[Darran]
You know, they have these parties They call them no signal parties and you actually check your phone in at the door and they put it in a bag And then you know, you’re not Watching the show like we used to watch it back in the day, you know, I mean we didn’t have cell phones and like And then the audio looks like crap and then the video looks like what are you gonna ever watch this? Oh my gosh, that was so cool.

[Sickotoy]
Nobody ever watches and you don’t enjoy the experience. I actually was in in Berlin a month ago And I saw James Hype at the Watergate and it was no phones show. So everybody was into into the music Mm-hmm.

Absolutely.

[Darran]
I always thought it’d be cool if they took I don’t know if they still make them but those disposable Kodak cameras Yeah and I didn’t say you when you check your phone in you get one of those disposable cameras and then you take pictures throughout the Night with that disposable camera and then you turn it back in to get your phone back But then the pictures get published. I will be to the website, you know It’s like I think that’d be a really cool idea, you know that way people are still kind of capturing the night Yeah, but it’s not invasive.

[Sickotoy]
They’re not just like Yeah, exactly they’re not so like tights to their phones definitely that would be a cool idea Yeah, I sometimes have cool ideas But I don’t think they make those anymore.

[Darran]
Do they even make film cameras anymore? They still Where do you process you gotta send it into Kodak or something and So if you could collaborate with one artist who would that be and why Probably my dream is like to have a collaboration with David Guetta because I I admired his stuff since he He started and I saw his evolution and I really get inspired by him. So definitely What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given in the industry?

[Sickotoy]
Probably the best advice is not to give up Definitely and if you and still be passionate about what you’re doing How do you provide you how do you how do you make sure that you don’t get burnt out?

[Darran]
I know that I’ve been burnt out probably over 20 years. I’ve burnt out like four or five times I’m just gonna take a break for like four or five months sometimes eight months

[Sickotoy]
More than one two years then then probably it’s okay Breaks actually are pretty good for that and also like different passions That’s why I told you like I’m into the photography thing and I’m doing street photography and stuff like that Gets me also inspired in doing music so Probably lots of different things here.

[Darran]
And when did you start doing the photography? When did that come into all this? It’s actually pretty close.

It’s like two months ago.

[Sickotoy]
Oh, okay. Okay. Well, I’m so driven into it What kind of camera guy I have a Fujifilm Fujifilm.

[Darran]
Alright, cool. Cool. Cool, you know I always wanted to get the Canon Rebel when I was a kid.

I started in a film Yeah, you know and I just shot film film film film film film as much as I could shoot But then I had to pay for all the processing of it Yeah, you know and that’s where it kind of start breaking the bank

[Sickotoy]
So I will go maybe later to film maybe with the Hasselblad or something like that

[Darran]
Absolutely, if you could have the most who would who would you want to shoot if you could shoot somebody? Who would you want to have? On the end of your lens, who would that be?

[Sickotoy]
Probably Al Pacino I Think now that that’s he’s he’s older it gets even the photo more interest I was just I was just gonna watch Scarface last night.

[Darran]
Yeah. Yeah crazy crazy crazy Well, you know, is there anything else you want to let our DJ sessions fans know about before we let you get back to this Wonderful world of 80 out there.

[Sickotoy]
I would love them to follow me on Instagram or Spotify on Instagram.

[Darran]
It’s Sickotoy on Spotify it’s also Sickotoy and like check my music and everything S-i-c-k-o-t-o-y All right hashtag at mention Sickotoy come to you from 80 Thank you so much for coming on the show Absolutely. Have a good evening On that note, don’t forget to go to our website the DJ sessions comm find us on X find us on meta find us on I got those right. Okay, find us on tik-tok find us on Instagram But the best place to go is our website the DJ sessions comm over 600 news stories exclusive interviews on location interviews Exclusive mixes all that and more at the DJ sessions comm this is Sickotoy and I’m Darran coming to you from our on location Sessions at 80 e in Amsterdam and remember on the DJ sessions.

The music never stops