Montreal label KOOKOO Records has built its identity around house music that understands where it comes from without getting stuck in museum mode.
Founded by Francis Cucuzzella, the imprint moves through disco, soul, early dance music, sampling culture, and modern club production with a clear sense of function. These are records designed to carry history in the texture, but still land properly in the mix.
That balance defines KOOKOO’s lane: records with warmth, groove, and history in the texture, but built to move cleanly through vinyl sets, digital platforms, and club rooms.
As founder and label head, Cucuzzella has shaped KOOKOO into a club culture platform, not just a release outlet. For FM PRO 10Q, he breaks down its Montreal roots, vinyl strategy, artist development, sampling language, and KOOKOO-ready sound.
Vinyl still plays an important role for us because it carries a different kind of relationship to music, both culturally and physically. People engage with records differently, and that experience still matters.
Q1. KOOKOO Records has built a distinct lane within house music. What was the original vision when you launched, and how has it evolved?
KOOKOO Records was built around preserving the spirit of disco, house and dance music while pushing it into a modern context. From the beginning, the idea wasn’t driven by strategy, it came naturally from the environment around us.
Growing up in Montreal, that history was always present through the clubs, DJs, record collections, and the city’s deep relationship with nightlife and dance culture. We were surrounded by music that still felt alive and functional, not just nostalgic.
At first, the mission was really about carrying that energy forward and passing it to a new generation. Over time, it evolved into something broader, not just preserving sounds, but transforming them and building a distinct identity around them.
Today, KOOKOO is less about revisiting the past and more about using it as a foundation to create something current, emotional, and forward-moving.
Q2. The catalogue draws heavily from disco, soul, and early dance music. How do you balance heritage with forward-facing releases?
Above all, we’re lovers of music. It’s never been about staying inside one genre or one formula, it’s about whether the music actually feels right.
The balance comes from intention. You can’t just reuse elements from the past for the sake of nostalgia. What matters is how you reinterpret them, how you preserve the emotion and character while still bringing something new to the table.
The records that resonate most are the ones where the reference is there, but the final result stands completely on its own.
Q3. As a DJ and label head, how does your club experience shape what makes it onto KOOKOO?
Montreal’s nightlife has always been a guiding force behind the label’s A&R. Everyone involved with KOOKOO has been deeply connected to club culture in one way or another, and that naturally shapes how we select music.
Playing in places like Stereo, Le Salon Daomé, or underground warehouse parties, you develop a real understanding of what connects.
And by “works,” we don’t just mean what makes people dance, we mean what actually makes people feel something. That emotional connection is always the most important factor when choosing music for the label.
Q4. KOOKOO maintains a consistent identity while still evolving. How do you avoid creative stagnation across releases?
A big part of avoiding stagnation comes from staying open stylistically while still being guided by taste.
Across KOOKOO Records, After Dark, and Classics by, the genres can shift between disco, deep house, tech house, or something more minimal, but the common thread is always intention and identity.
Another important factor is active A&R. We spend a lot of time discovering artists, building relationships, and developing projects rather than simply waiting for tracks to arrive in an inbox.
And finally, we encourage artists to take risks. The most exciting records usually come from people willing to be bold, disruptive, and emotionally honest in their work.
Q5. How are you selecting and developing artists within the label right now?
We like to dig, so anyone with strong music and a clear artistic identity can find a place within KOOKOO.
Being a DJ is definitely a plus because it usually reflects dedication to the culture, musical curiosity, and an understanding of how music functions in real environments.
But more than anything, we look for intention. We’re not interested in signing isolated tracks, we’re interested in artists who have a point of view and want to build something coherent over time.
Q6. What current projects or releases best represent where KOOKOO sits today?
There are a few projects that represent different sides of where KOOKOO sits today.
On the house side, artists like Monty Kiddo and Toomy Disco reflect that groove-driven sound that feels both functional and timeless.
Djomood is also someone we’re excited about, especially because of the depth and emotion in the unreleased material currently in development.
On the After Dark side, The Holy represents a slightly darker and more refined direction while still staying rooted in musicality.
Together, those projects give a strong picture of where the label is creatively right now.
Q7. Vinyl still plays a role. How are you balancing vinyl and digital in 2026?
Vinyl still plays an important role for us because it carries a different kind of relationship to music, both culturally and physically. People engage with records differently, and that experience still matters.
At the same time, digital platforms are essential for accessibility and discovery, so it’s never been about choosing one over the other.
The goal is to let each format serve its purpose properly. We’ve been building toward a stronger vinyl presence, and there’s a lot planned on that side through 2026 and 2027.
Q8. Looking ahead, what’s the direction for KOOKOO over the next 12–18 months?
The direction over the next 12–18 months is centered around bold, emotional, and forward-thinking music made for the dancefloor, regardless of setting or genre.
At the same time, we want to push things further beyond the music itself. A major focus is developing our event concepts and creating spaces where the sound, visuals, and atmosphere all feel aligned.
We’re also increasingly interested in projects that function as complete experiences, where storytelling, design, and context are just as important as the music itself.
Some of these next steps will start to become visible around Amsterdam Dance Event this year.
Q9. What defines a “KOOKOO-ready” track—sampling, groove, and club mix translation?
There’s no exact formula for a “KOOKOO-ready” track because the label moves across different genres and moods.
That said, we’re always drawn to strong grooves, infectious basslines, emotional tension, and records that carry real character, whether that comes through a melody, a vocal, or even a bold disco sample.
At the end of the day, there are no strict rules, just music with intention and identity.
Q10. How do you engineer releases to function across both vinyl sets and digital platforms?
The mastering process is definitely different between digital and physical formats.
For digital releases, we usually lean toward a louder master, around -6 LUFS, while still respecting dynamics and overall frequency balance. For vinyl, it’s typically closer to -12 LUFS, with slightly more control in the low-end to ensure proper translation to wax.
At the end of the day, the goal is always the same: making sure the record works properly in both environments without losing its character or energy.
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