Even if you haven't heard Mind Enterprises' music, you've likely seen them. A clip of the neo-Italo disco duo standing behind decks on a Mediterranean balcony, casually pouring Campari and blowing smoke rings, became a widely shared meme over the past year. It inverts the 'This is fine' dog: the world may be on fire, but in Europe, la dolce vita endures.
US Tour and Coachella
When Mind Enterprises embarked on an 18-date North American tour in early 2026, they fought to keep their hedonistic trademarks. 'It's been a daily diplomatic battle,' says Andrea Tirone via video call from Barcelona. 'Every concert, we argued with local crews who didn't want us to smoke or drink on stage.' The tour culminated at Coachella, an unprecedented booking for a band new to the US. Backstage, a sign read 'No drinks and no smoking,' but they brought their bottle and smoked anyway. 'At the end, we offered drinks to the public, and they let us.'
Origins and Sound
Former post-punk musicians, Tirone and Roberto Conigliaro met in Sicily in 2011. Tirone studied classical guitar; Conigliaro trained as a drummer. Both moved to London to become sound technicians. After phases including electronic bedroom pop and a 'three-to-four-year fixation with Fela Kuti,' they landed on a blend of 70s funk, 80s Italo disco, and 90s Eurodance, embracing their childhood music (both born in 1985). 'Italo disco retains a strong musical component,' says Tirone. 'We're classically trained, and Italo disco is like an orchestra transposed into synths.'
New Album: Negroni Love
Their third album, Negroni Love, reflects this eclecticism. Tracks like 'Da Sola,' 'Tacchini,' and the title track channel Eurosummer nostalgia. 'Another World' has trance hints, 'Aria sulla 4a Corda' reworks Bach, and 'Burn It!' toys with baroque harmonies. 'Tuttosport' and 'Discough' parody football score reports and news about colds. Releasing a full-length Italo disco album goes against the genre's singles-focused history. 'Our background is post-punk,' says Conigliaro. 'In that scene, you listen to an album from start to finish.'
Italo Disco Renaissance
Mind Enterprises represent a periodic Italo disco revival, first seen in the late 2000s to mid-2010s but filtered through hipster irony. Now, concepts like 'Europemaxxing' and 'Eurosummer' are lifestyle vernacular, making Italy and the Mediterranean safe escapism. 'Italo disco has always been more appreciated abroad,' says Tirone. 'We need lighter, funnier music to balance darker techno. We need a break from our problems.'
Analogue Identity
The duo's identity is analogue. Tirone collects secondhand synthesisers, his latest a 1983 Jupiter 6 from a man in Cagliari who needed cash for back taxes. Conigliaro scours thrift stores across Europe for vintage sportswear, especially Sergio Tacchini shorts with short inseams. Tirone gets vintage 1980s Cerruti suits altered. 'That's crucial, or you'll look like a bank teller.'
Basking in Stereotypes
Reducing Italo disco to a vignette doesn't faze them. 'In times like these, it pays to be Italian,' says Tirone. 'There are negative stereotypes, but also positive ones—we bask in them. We pay attention to things that make life enjoyable. When you're abroad, it's glaring.' On stage, their drink is Campari soda or on the rocks, not a negroni. 'A negroni will hobble you while performing.' Negroni Love is out on 22 May.
