THE BLOODY BEETROOTS & BOB VYLAN – Killing Punk (2025)

THE BLOODY BEETROOTS is an Italian electronic music project founded by producer and DJ Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo, a pseudonym for Simone Cogo. Launched in 2006, the project quickly gained international recognition for its explosive fusion of electro house, punk rock, and hardcore energy, often accompanied by a masked, anarchic stage presence. Rifo, the mastermind behind the sound and image, is also a classically trained musician and punk guitarist, which heavily informs the project’s sonic identity.

The Bloody Beetroots became a defining force in the late 2000s electro scene, especially through tracks like “Warp 1.9” (a collaboration with Steve Aoki), which turned into a global club banger and festival anthem. The project’s debut album, Romborama (2009), is an eclectic and aggressive cocktail of genres, pushing boundaries with its intensity and punk ethos.

Rifo’s choice to perform wearing a Venom-style black mask with glowing eyes turned the project into a visual and performative statement, emphasizing rebellion and spectacle. Over time, The Bloody Beetroots evolved to include more live rock instrumentation, especially with albums like Hide (2013), which featured collaborations with artists ranging from Paul McCartney to Tommy Lee.

The project oscillates between DJ sets and full live band performances, often under the moniker The Bloody Beetroots Live. It has maintained a loyal following for blending raw energy, political and cultural commentary, and genre-defying soundscapes — always anchored in Rifo’s punk soul and classical discipline.

BOB VYLAN is a fiercely independent and genre-defying punk-grime duo from London, made up of vocalist Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan. They are known for their explosive live shows and uncompromising political stance, blending punk rock energy with grime beats, hip hop rhythms, and elements of hardcore and dub. Entirely self-produced and often self-released, Bob Vylan uses music as a tool for resistance, addressing racism, class struggle, police brutality, and working-class alienation with a rawness and urgency that have earned them a growing cult following. Their DIY ethos and refusal to conform to industry expectations mark them as one of the most radical voices in UK music today.