Crookers

Born in Milan in 2003, Crookers initially formed as a duo comprising Francesco "Phra" Barbaglia and Andrea "Bot" Fratangelo, before becoming from 2012 the solo project of Phra. The name Crookers remains associated with club electro, heavily shaped by electro house, dance-punk and crossovers with hip-hop, bass music and rhythms often abrasive, with a taste for short tracks, dry bass and floor-ready structures. The project emerged in the mid-2000s with singles and EPs such as End 2 End (2006), followed by Knobbers, Mad Kidz and E.P.istola (2008), before gaining international visibility thanks to its remixes and the reimagining of Kid Cudi’s Day ’n’ Nite. Crookers later developed a format more open to featuring on Tons of Friends (2010) and Dr Gonzo (2011), while circulating between electro scenes, festivals and international club culture. Among notable collaborations are Wiley, Kelis, Miike Snow, Hudson Mohawke, Soulwax, Yelle and Style of Eye. After Bot left, Phra continued Crookers in a more expansive direction, with singles such as Ghetto Guetta (2013) and the album Sixteen Chapel (2015), while maintaining the nerve, hybrid and direct signature that links the early blog-house heritage to a freer electronic approach in its formats.