Badge and Talkalot

Badge and Talkalot project is the result of the talent of Gilberto Caleffi, Italian DJ-producer who is not confined to the repetition of patterns in the fixed or rigid application of the geometry of a sound, but creates a sound that combines influences purely electro and funk-soul elements. The variety of sounds and contamination at each track is a pleasant confirmation. A landmark even so far are the Hot Chip, especially where it goes a steps closer to electro-pop as for the single “Invisible”. The disc never loses appeal, even when it slows down for the last track “Down Time”. Accurate production in every detail, ready for export markets and, of course, for the dancefloors across Europe.
Corrado Minervini, Rock Sound magazine
- Rock Sound magazine

Badge And Talkalot is a project made by Gilberto Caleffi, DJ and producer active for some years in the club circuit with the moniker Badge and founder of Still Fizzy, the label that releases this album and some months ago also released the excellent debut album from El Cijo; he involved in many of the tracks a producer named 10ace, whose role seems to be the “sound layerer”: melodies and instruments that go to make more substantial pieces of the watermark. This collection of "Greatest Hints" represents a cross-credible dance music in which compositions offset breakbeat elements but also soul and electro, echoes and resonances expanded by the contribution of the vocalists Liz Melody or Ruben, which are suggestive as the title says: solid music for the body, cool and sensual, but with that little bit of soul that gives a hand to the tracks to go to put your nose out of the scene reference. On several occasions the album touches the pop style, which oxygenates the music best, maybe not so original but pretty fizzy.
Alessandro Besselva Averame, Fuori dal Mucchio magazine
- Fuori dal Mucchio magazine

Badge and Talkalot, not such a bad name though. It’s been chosen by Gilberto Caleffi, DJ and producer who with “Greatest Hints” summarizes two abundant years of work, assisted by his old musical collaborator 10ace and by the voices of Liz Melody, Curtis Santiago and Ruben. Everything sounds good, based on a canonical house pattern with enough touches of electro, pop and disco funk. “Ladies on the floor” as it is or pumped by a cool italian remixer could be a real hit. And the melancholic and pulsating “Invisible” is a valuable single, even if virtually made by the Junior Boys. The album sounds a bit too perfect but with all the leaps necessary to distinguish from a large and very, very fierce competition.
Andrea Pomini, Rumore magazine
- Rumore magazine

Everything begins some years ago with a remix for Linea 77. Then for personal reasons 10ace leaves Badge going on alone and, rather than giving up, he finds on the way a lot of new friends, including an unsuspected Eraldo Bernocchi to complete his project with. That's the explanation of “Greatest Hints”. Then Badge set up his own record label to publish his music, named Still Fizzy. Inside the album there is a dozen of irresistible disco dancing tracks stuffed with fat synths and sticky choruses (sung by Liz Melody - as in the case of the sparkling “Easy Ride” – by Curtis Santiago and Ruben), darkened enough to please the fans of electro (“Invisible”).
Roberto Mandorlini, Rockerilla magazine
- Rockerilla magazine

Welcome to one of the best Italian electro-dance album of recent times. The DJ and producer Gilberto Caleffi (aka Badge) is the driving force in this good debut record made together with the faithful collaborator 10ace. The name chosen by the duo is nicely translated into Italian as "chiacchiere e distintivo" and the album title is the funny deformation of the English name used to identify a collection of successful tracks. The material in "Greatest Hints" was developed over three years, between 2006 and 2008, then Caleffi could choose the best of his recordings made in a sufficiently long time horizon. Inside there is electronic dancefloor music, fresh and winking; an album, without even remotely approach the stylistic revolutions of Letfield or the so popular indie licks by LCD Soundsystem, it can still fit into a position of equality with the best names of the elettrodance world scene. In "Greatest Hints" there's absolutely nothing to envy to Tiga or Hot Chip, a work that might send the Italian dance school into orbit again. Even when it winks to the 70’-80’ soul-dance ("Easy Ride" and "Move On" with the English singer and songwriter Liz Melody) and when it turns to be a sort of technological rap ("Ladies On The Floor", with the Canadian singer Curtis Santiago) and especially when it launches in interesting dancefloor filler instrumental tracks, the work of Badge and Talkalot is well done and competitive. "Greatest Hints" is an album with elegant sounds (listen to the opening track “It's Been Very”, almost an homage to the more relaxed atmosphere of Massive Attack), but it remains in the fold of the mainstream and it will find its proper space within the best Italian and international dj-charts.
Claudio Lancia, Ondarock
- Ondarock

Badge And Talkalot is a new expected and brilliant Italian artist, which overlooks the Italian art scene with an album that will be noted and appreciated. "Greatest Hints" covers a wide range of electronic sounds and you surely feel the touch of vintage instruments in the recordings. The project includes Gilberto Caleffi, as dj and producer, featuring Eraldo Bernocchi, Liz Malody, Curtis Sanitago, Ruben and 10ace, Caleffi’s musical partner from over 10 years. The album was mixed by Taketo Gohara (Verdena, Mauro Pagani) at Officine Meccaniche in Milan and mastered by Giovanni Versari (Afterhours, Morgan, Giovanni Allevi) at Nautilus in Milan.
Beat Magazine
- Beat Magazine

A major electrodance release by Gilberto Caleffi. It breathes summer vitality in the "Greatest Hints" project from "Badge and Talkalot " a clear reference to the famous quote from Robert De Niro in the movie "The Untouchables" by Brian De Palma. Playing on the contrast between seriousness and irony, combining electronics for the dancefloor, house and club music, Badge releases a record with stylish sounds and one of the best electrodance releases of recent times, thought and designed to give positive vibrations, feeling to party, willing to dance. "Greatest Hints" appears immediately as a reaserch of different sound forms, with influences coming from the US and UK to give them new trends, a very special taste and a further charge of energy. Born from the ideas and efforts of Gilberto Caleffi, independent DJ and producer (he is the founder of Still Fizzy Records), who is behind the Badge moniker, the album has a significant number of collaborations: English singer and songwirter Liz Melody, Canadian singer/songwriter Curtis Santiago, who collaborated, amongst others, with Chromeo and Splitpop, 10ace (Caleffi’s long-lasting collaborator and in this album, too), German singer and songwriter Ruben who collaborated with Phonique. A real collective open to comparison and mixture of different ideas for an album of great pleasure. Different solutions applied to instrumental tracks and vocal songs flow together on this debut project in which stands among others the single "Invisible," with vocals by Ruben, and the beautiful "Ladies On The Floor" and "Move On," respectively with the vocals by Curtis Santiago and Liz Melody. "Greatest Hints" is a long-term album: recorded around the world between 2006 and 2008, it was then mixed by the Japanese sound designer Taketo Gohara, well known for his collaborations with Vinicio Capossela, Mauro Pagani, Cesare Picco, Verdena at Officine Meccaniche in Milan and mastered by Giovanni Versari (Afterhours, Morgan, Vinicio Capossela, Giovanni Allevi) at Nautilus in Milan. A cool and colourful record, which places new lifeblood to the dance school in Italy. To feel with joy, with themselves and with the others, to live your daily lives as a long and exciting party.
Daniele Orlandi, La Voce d’Italia newspaper
- La Voce d’Italia newspaper