Nic Fanciulli Returns to Miami on July 25

via facebook.com/nicfanciulli

​Like buddy James Zabiela, British super DJ Nic Fanciulli was, from the upstart, something of an upstart wunderkind. Growing up in Kent, some 30 miles outside of London, Fanciulli was, by just age 16, DJing around town. And just four years later, he would launch the by-now legendary ClubClass, a regular party that hosted all the heavyweights, from Tong to Digweed and beyond. It was auspicious for Fanciulli, who wowed the greats with his sound, a genre-hopping take that was a little progressive, a little deep, a little techy, and totally versatile.

The real press frenzy came some years later when Fanciulli teamed with Zabiela for the still-missed One+One collaboration. Although that is done they still remain friends, although their sounds have diverged. While Zabiela has always been pegged as the breakbeat half of that duo, Fanciulli has meanwhile gone into dubbier, even more techno-inflected sounds. Thanks to melodic vocal loops and a marked dose of soul, Fanciulli is the rare producer that can rock big rooms and still get the nod from underground heads. He's a favorite in Miami, and this time he plays Set's always-happening Sunday-night Sundance party.

Nic Fanciulli. 11 p.m. Sunday, July 25. Set, 320 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. Tickets cost $20 in advance from wantickets.com. Age 21 and up; 305-531-2800; setmiami.com