5 Franky Rizardo Tracks You Should Know

Franky Rizardo is all about the flow.

His record label is called Listen To FLOW Records, his festival is called FLOW Freedom Festival, and this all started from a radio show in his native country of The Netherlands simply entitled FLOW. But when it comes to Franky Rizardo, flow is far more than just a brand name. It stems from his uncanny ability to flow between genres within the house and techno spectrum.

Rizardo has been in the dance music scene for over 15 years now, getting his start in the mid-2000s, and even before he had his empire under the FLOW moniker, he was dazzling audiences around the world with his diverse productions.

He’s made entries in the catalogs of classic house and techno labels like Pirate Copy’s Kaluki Musik, Nic Fanciulli’s Saved Records, and the notable Ibiza imprint Do Not Sleep. He’s also a regular on the world-renowned Defected. But he’s also touched upon labels extending outside the underground, like Armada Music and Ultra Records.

In short, Franky Rizardo’s beats have flowed through the ears of any listener who appreciates the sheer power of dance music. All are welcome when he’s on the decks, and the following five tracks demonstrate that universal appeal.

1. Marian Hill - Down (Franky Rizardo Remix)

Beyond his original productions, Rizardo has proven himself as an ace remixer time and time again. Whether he’s putting his spin on another house stalwart’s peak-time banger or taking something from outside the club and bringing it in, his knack for flow remains constant.

Take his interpretation of Marian Hill’s alt-trap hit, “Down.” When vocals are sped up they can often sound jarring and out of place, but when Franky Rizardo sped up Samantha Gongol’s vocals for his remix, it sounds like she’s excited to take this track to the dance stage.

2. Franky Rizardo, Ros T, Eunice Collins - Out The Fire (At The Hotel)

Rizardo is also not one to shy away from collaboration. He’s worked with fellow house artists like Ros T to bring a 70s classic into the 21st century, and he’s shared production credits with exciting newcomers like Marco Tropeano for releases on Listen To FLOW. And in all these collaborations, his style seeps through without overpowering his working partners. In the case of “Out The Fire (At The Hotel),” his style doesn’t dominate the historic vocal work of Eunice Collins either.

3. Franky Rizardo - Troubleman

In 2014 Franky Rizardo took a huge step forward in his career with his first release on Defected. Titled “Troubleman,” it featured two ice-cold, downtempo cuts perfect for the sun-cracking-over-the-horizon hour.

Defected is only one label in the world with the tagline “House Music All Life Long,” and Rizardo has added more than five releases worth of life to it.

4. Franky Rizardo - Primrose

Franky Rizardo put out the first release on his label, Listen To FLOW Records, in April of 2020—when the entire world had just been devastated by the pandemic, and no one was in the club. However, given the general jolliness of this track, it’s clear he wanted to remind people there was still joy to be felt through music.

5. Franky Rizardo - Call Upon Me

“Call Upon Me,” is a single from Franky Rizardo that came out on Joris Voorn’s label, Rejected. Given both artists in that equation are Dutch, there is an underlying understanding between them. Rizardo knows what Voorn wants to put out, and Voorn can predict what Rizardo is going to send him. “Call Upon Me” was the sonic embodiment of flow. The bassline and melodic pinpoints coast along like a river, rushing at just the right velocity to imbue a sense of calm focus to those relaxing on the banks.