First gracing the world stage in 1990 in tandem with techno titan Richie Hawtin, together founding the legendary Plus 8 Recordings as well as the seminal house label Definitive recordings, John Acquaviva’s influence has grown ever since to encompass so many aspects of the music business and nightlife culture.
Although his music and industry accolades sit amongst the greatest in the game, much more can be said about the kind of driven, open-minded character John Acquaviva possesses. A natural entrepreneur, an industry visionary, Acquaviva is as intrinsic to the progression of dance music as any and a true pioneer in the evolution of what we consider the modern DJ.
On the technological front, no other DJ has made such significant contributions to the advancement of how DJs perform. Acquaviva’s masterful technique and firm grasp of the trade led to his fruitful involvement with Final Scratch and Beatport. A vital founder and active member of both companies – the former, a tool that allows manipulation and playback of digital audio sources, and the latter, a major online hub for electronic music to this very day.
In 2013, upon the sale of Beatport, John Met Rishi Patel and launched Plus 8 Equity Partners, the first Music tech focused venture capital fund to begin 2014, where they were early investors in Spliice, Landr and Endel. Their most recent investments have expanded to cover the creative space more recently. with companies such as Overplay, which won an investment by Marc Cuban on the US show shark tank
2016 was another particularly notable year for John Acquaviva. Alongside Director and Writer Jimmie Gonzalez, Acquaviva Executive Produced The Red Man film. A modern day psychological mystery, which delves into the life of a contemporary DJ, The Red Man won numerous awards including ‘Best Feature Film Audience Choice Award’ at the 2015 Yellow Fever International Film Festival, ‘2015 Platinum Award Best Nevada Film’ at the Nevada Film Festival and ‘Best Screenplay’ and ‘Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Faraldo’ at the 2015 Macabre Faire Film Fest. as well as being screened at the Cannes film festival. On the music front, Acquaviva was acknowledged with his first lifetime achievement award receiving the ‘Electronic Music Pioneer’ at the 2016 DJ Awards in Ibiza.