Alberto Bertapelle, born December 23, 1958, in Ceggia, Italy, was an Italian symphonic electronic trance producer and guitarist who performed under the stage name Brainbug. He began playing guitar and keyboards in local bands from the age of 13 and later taught sound engineering at the Support Music Academy he founded. Bertapelle’s breakthrough came with the single “Nightmare” (1997), which peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and number 4 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, winning the International Award WMC in Miami and earning a gold certification in Australia. The track was featured in several film soundtracks, including Human Traffic and A Night at the Roxbury, and became a staple in football club entrances. He followed this with the singles “Benedictus” (1997), which reached number 24 on the UK Singles Chart, “The 8th Dwarf” (1997), and “Rain” (1998). Bertapelle performed extensively across Europe and collaborated with other trance artists through remixes. On November 23, 2016, while playing guitar at a concert in Tavagnacco, Italy, he suffered a suspected heart attack and died.
