Special Edition
20 YEARS OF ULTRA RESISTANCE THE ESSENTIAL 10 MMW AT SEA MIAMI'S NEW & NOTABLE
BEST OF ARGENTINA
CLASH LION
ROARING BEATS
TRACK BY TRACK
CLAPTONE’S
CROBAR BUENOS AIRES
JORIS VOORN
JAMES ZABIELA
NIC FANCIULLI
YOTTO’S FAVORITES
2017 WINNERS
OWN PROPHECY BALANCED
A NEW STAGE
BEATING HEART
DAVIDE SQUILLACE
THE WIDE SPECTRUM HIS OWN TOP 5
STUDIO BORN | CLUB READY
OVERALL SCORE: 9/10, Mick Wilson, DJ MAG (UK)
ALLEN&HEATH
Contact your local DJ store for more info. www.allen-heath.com/xone
Ecuador 367 piso 13 oficina A - CP: 1214 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires - Argentina +54 11 4778 1500
EDITORIAL Proyect Leader B A N Directors Nicolás Barlaro, Pety Peltenburg Editor Hernán Pandelo hernanp@djmagla.com
COMERCIAL Institutional Relationships Gustavo Rana gustavorana@djmagla.com
Sales & Advertising Leo Jurjevich leoj@djmagla.com
Event Production Roberto Fernández rfernandez@djmagla.com
It’s amazing how much we’ve grown in the region since we started in 2012. Six years later, the Latin scene is more alive than ever and our reach to the corners of the whole continent has increased quickly, peaking at the electronic events here in Miami with a magazine that proves the excellent moment we’re experiencing. Personally, things couldn’t be better. The magazine is growing steadily and the projects become bigger. We’re proud to contribute to the development of a scene that has suddenly expanded, bringing larger audiences to events, with the need of an outlet to help communicate the particulars of its vast complexity. The journey has began and there’s still a long way ahead. We will be out there to disseminate as the occasion warrants...
HERNÁN PANDELO Editor
Financial Assistant Belén Casas info@djmagla.com
DESIGN Director Alejandro Ramos aleramos@djmagla.com Design María Laura Sánchez marialaura@djmagla.com Layout Sergio Aguirre
TRANSLATION Grosman Traducciones www.grosmantraducciones.com
CONTENTS COMIN’ UP
FEATURES ANOTHER MARCH
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A new MMW is upon us!
MMW 2017 PICTURE RECAP
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A little tour through some of the highlights of last year’s MMW.
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WHAT SO NOT’S NEW ALBUM
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LA FERIA ON TOUR
DJ MAG MÉXICO
Ultra turns 20 this year!
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SUNMINISTERS
RESISTANCE
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YOTTO’S FAVORITES
The house & techno brand turns into a global monster.
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EMPO ACADEMY
AT SEA
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SOUTH AMERICA’S HOT SPOT
Some of the most epic parties during Miami Music Week are on the water!
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NEW MEXICAN SOUND
THE ESSENTIAL 10
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PORTER ROBINSON’S VISION
We choose the events that call our attention on this new MMW edition.
MIAMI’S NEW & NOTABLE
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CROBAR BUENOS AIRES
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ULTRA HISTORY
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Don’t miss the recent additions of the city.
BEST OF ARGENTINA 2017
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These are last year’s most voted artists.
BEATING HEART
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“My Heart” is Nic Fanciulli’s new project.
BALANCED
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James Zabiela did a mix for Balance Music.
THE WIDE SPECTRUM
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Joris Voorn has a new project.
MIND AGAINST
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The Fognini brothers are pioneering a new sound.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN NAPOLI
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Davide Squillace crumbles his new album.
ROARING BEATS
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Daniel Watts, Terr & Shall Ocin talk about their new label Clash Lion.
CLAPTONE’S PROPHECY
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The masked producer is about to release his second studio album.
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CROBAR
BUENOS AIRES BEGINS A NEW STAGE IN ITS HISTORY The club, set in Buenos Aires, has ended its ‘Be Techno’ cycle after five years leading the scene.
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or a long number of years, this club located on the Bosques De Palermo area has been one of the mainstays of the local industry. Back when flyers were handed out on the way out of the club, that is, before the digital communication era, this night club had already hosted sundry artists of the likes of Felix Da Housecat, Sander Van Doorn, Guy Gerber, Tiesto, Sven Vath and Armin van Buuren. Starting on 27 July 2012, Crobar has been doing credit to the burgeoning techno circuit through the launch of the ‘Be Techno’ cycle on Fridays, with Christian Smith at the deck and featuring techno selections, with a few exceptions of course. It’s not possible to provide a thorough list of all the artists that have graced Crobar’s booth, but anyone who has been up to date with the electronic music circuit in Buenos Aires knows well that they have been plenty. The club has featured everyone from Adriatique and Apollonia to Carl Cox, Hobo and Miss Kittin, including the most widely acclaimed talents and more risky, avant-garde proposals, gaining a high stature in the local scene and becoming a must among Buenos Aires’s club options. Five years into its inauguration, the cycle was still a serious, solid proposal unlike many others in the city. However, the managers decided to start the makeover in good time, looking to adapt to an ever-changing scene at the global level, something that clubgoers in this nook of South America demand as a result of seeing the changes on their social media. ‘It was necessary to keep the club at the forefront of the local scene with an innovative proposal. Crobar has always been at the leading edge and has been a spearhead in the whole region,’ they explained, speaking from the night club. Today, a little over a month into its reboot, it’s a different story and the club is opening its spectrum to achieve a complete renovation. How did it all begin? With the arrival of Cocoon, which brought two of its main artists, 8
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André Galuzzi and Christian Burkhardt, performing alongside local DJ Jorge Savoretti. Next up were Green Velvet and Nicole Moudaber, but gradually the club took things to a new level with artists such as Israeli DJ Guy Mantzur. ‘A true revolution is under way, including stage productions which can hold their own against the rest of the world, and a booth brimming with avantgarde artists. Our aim is to give the clubgoer a 360-degree experience, encompassing the sound, visual and sensory planes,’ they added with pride. It will be good to see how one of the great clubs in the country approaches the year 2018, staying on top of changes and trying to be always at the forefront of a movement. So far, they’ve been doing quite well. We’ll follow their steps closely... n
COMIN’ UP
A couple of beautiful things What So Not’s studio album Not All The Beautiful Things is out and it’s pretty beautiful in our opinion.
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lume’s ex partner in crime has made a name for himself in the international electronic industry as a result of the way he approaches his productions, something he has proven with his debut studio album, Not All The Beautiful Things, set to be released on 9 March, after a relatively quiet 2017. Well-established in the scene as a creative personality that never fails to deliver a wide range of ever-interesting sounds, careening between energetic and mellow, Chris Emerson has graduated as an artist with this release, his debut full-length studio album. Dubbed as an experimental piece of work, the album showcases a predominant presence of bass sounds and a steep influence of hip hop, especially evidenced in songs such as ‘Demons,’ in collaboration with James Earl and featuring vocals by Rome Fortune & Tommy Swisher. The Australian native has presented his credentials, earning a position in electronic music elite thanks to top of the line collaborations that have greatly expanded his exposition. Far from focusing on one unique genre, he presents a broad spectrum, adding dubstep to the list of styles with his hyperkinetic ‘Goh’ alongside attentiongrabbing Skrillex, a surprising collaboration with Toto, the band best known for their 1978 hit song, ‘Africa’ –which Emerson has grown tired of playing live–, as well as thick bass sounds, often with pitched vocals, and trap to keep his fanbase happy. Although he is already one of the sensations of electronic music in Australia, this album is expected to be the crowning achievement that will put him on the radar of electronic music fans around the globe. And this is bound to happen soon. n
1. “Warlord” (with SLUMBERJACK) 2. “Be Ok Again” ft. Daniel Johns 3. “Beautiful” ft. Winona Oak 4. “Stuck In Orbit” ft. BUOY 5. “Demons” ft. Rome Fortune & Tommy Swisher (with James Earl) 6. “Goh” ft. KLP (with Skrillex) 7. “We Keep On Running” (with Toto) 8. “If You Only Knew” ft. Daniel Johns (with San Holo) 9. “Monsters” ft. Michael Christmas & tobi lou 10. “Bottom End” (with Dyro) 11. “Same Mistakes” ft. Daniel Johns 12. “Us” ft. Daniels
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LA FERIA ON TOUR CHILE’S SUMMER MOOD
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own far south in the skinny country of Chile, comes a club that has gone most definitely beyond frontiers. La Feria is a magical place, an intimate encounter that invites 300 people every single thursday, friday and saturday to enjoy what we all love most, music. During 18 years the club has opened its doors to the local community and has brought international artists from all around the world. From Juan Atkins to Luciano, from Amelie Lens to Danny Tenaglia, the venue has the privilege to host more than 150 parties every year, including more than 50 international visits. For a second summer now, La Feria has gone big time. The city of Santiago, capital of the Chile, and the whole country travels towards the 5th region looking for sunny days, beach time and obviously good parties. In this necessity is that La Feria has taken the decision to go On Tour. This new concept, which maintains the quality and the level of the club, seeks to bring the La Feria style to more massive parties, going from 300 at the club to 5000 people in each event, in different venues in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar. With only 120 kms away from the capital, these two cities gives everyone have everything to make your summer unforgettable. With four events each season, two during January and two during February, La Feria brings the best shows of the year in a new format, for many of us to enjoy. The first event takes place in Viña del Mar, one of the most favorite cities for Chileans to live in. The hosts, master John Digweed and his inheritor Guy J, take the lead in the opening night of the second version of La Feria On Tour. A night full of emotion and expectation, brought people from all over the country and also foreigners to enjoy more than 6 hours of music and good moments. A giant replica of the club was the main concept of the ambientation of the venue. The club’s DJ stairway-like booth, two giant jellyfish (representing the club’s aquarium) and the iconic led ball at each side of the venue made you feel like the club just got way bigger. The first night of the season was just a snippet of what was to come.
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The second show, now in the city of Valparaíso, had a special title on it. The artists in charge were the argentinian Hernán Cattaneo and The Soundgarden’s boss, Nick Warren. Not only were they together for the first time in Chile, but for more than 8 years, they hadn’t played a b2b session in South America. This was a night to never forget. A sold out event was the proof that many, many souls were waiting for this moment to happen again. Thousands of argentinians that were in the region for vacations, many more that travelled, and Chileans that were happy to host them all, made an atmosphere of pure respect, concentration and admiration for the two artists. Chile and La Feria were making history, and everyone was aware of that. Third night, now in February, it was time to go more techno. The spanish Paco Osuna took the command of the most intense and heated up night of La Feria On Tour. It’s that his connection with the chilean public is definitely something else. Deeper sounds, groovy beats and a mixture of interesting melodies brought Paco’s public to a musical voyage worth of nonstopping dance. Three events set, one more to go. The final one, the one that identifies the entire country with one of his official ambassadors throughout the world. His beginnings were at La Feria, way back in the 90’s, where everything in the chilean electronic scene was uncertain yet. Once again, it was time to come back home but now, big time. Everything changes, we grow, the scene grows, La FALTA Feria grows. Certainly the final night, RECUADRO was an instance for the classical characters of the chilean scene to meet the new generations of dancers in the country. You make history Luciano, bringing them altogether. Music unites, and this is no exception. For more than 9 hours, with a special permit for going until 7 am, something not typical in Chile, all the attendees left with nothing more that joy in their hearts and minds. Four shows, 8 international artists, 23 national heroes and more than 15000 people had the chance to live La Feria On Tour. The season has ended, but only to go back to the club. See you all next summer, it’s only a matter of time. n
DJMAGMX.COM
MÉXICO DEAREST ELECTRONIC COMMUNITY,
we give you the best of our welcomes, as many of you should know DJ Mag Mexico is reinventing itself and now it comes stronger, the favourite dance music magazine best seller in the whole world arrives for all producers, promoters, djs and lovers of electronic music in general. We are proud to celebrate the expansion of one of the magazines that foments the knowledge of dance scene in the whole world, therefore we will bring to you exclusives with your favourite artists, such as reports, notes, live interviews and news will be available day by day. Besides we will be showing you the national top 20 of the most important and relevant artist of electronic music of the moment. We will bring to you all the news about concerts and dj sets on direct often, retransmitting in our web page or uploading them after in our YouTube channel or any of our social network accounts. DJ Mag is not only known by evaluations of new material, technology for djs and dance themes of interest in general, but principally for the voting of the top 100 most popular djs internationally since 1997. Thus we will arrange the DJ Mag awards Mexico where we will commemorate the winners with a big celebration, parties and events for the enjoyment of our followers with many of your favourite djs, where any follower of the magazine will have the opportunity of attending and take part of the contests. You will be updated our DJ Mag Sessions, where national and international djs will honouring us of showing us their talent with a special and exclusive set prepared for the magazine.
WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US IN THIS ADVENTURE AND THE CHALLENGE THAT IS REPRESENT THE ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN MÉXICO. Our web page www.djmagmx.com, is the indicate site to stay ahead in everything about clubs, music, fashion and djs equipment, this site is what you need for you not to loose any single detail and reach a big number of fans all around the world of the electronic music community and scene. Join us!
COMIN’ UP
SUNMINISTERS COLOMBIA’S BREAKTHROUGH ARTISTS
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hen we hear “breakthrough artist of the year,“ what comes to mind is something innovative, striking, memorable and, above all, making good progress. Sunministers, the trio of DJs/ producers from Cali, is all this and more. Its members, Juan Manuel Mondragón and brothers Pablo Andrés Morales and Juan Sebastián Morales, have created a style with a new vibe within the expanded universe of Colombian EDM, and their blueprint for success has led them to be included in the lineups of great international festivals that descend on Colombia and in homegrown, locally-produced festivals that book them at all times. One of these is Storyland, a festival that takes place in the Colombian coastal district in January, with top tier international DJs always making an appearance. Sunministers has been the go-to national act, seducing their compatriots with their energetic live performances and accomplishing great crowd control based on their unique confidence as performers, which creates an instant connection with the revellers and gets them dancing with unstoppable energy. Hailing from Cali, Colombia, the trio’s heat comes with the package. They’re young, innovative and enterprising, with a wide range of musical styles that get the crowds going, including bass house, dubstep, future bass, big room house, groove, progressive house, brazilian bass, trance and even hardstyle. When they’re playing, it is all you can do to ride a music roller-coaster. The three young producers set out on a comprehensive expedition in
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order to explore the endless jungle of sounds till they reached their much sought-after signature sound, that distinctive sound recognized by all that sets their productions apart from those of other artists. Thanks to the good results of this pursuit, the group netted Colombia’s 2017 “Breakthrough DJ/Producer” award, a high-prestige prize that had been granted to big names of the Colombian electronic industry such as Ortzy, KhoMha, DJ Fronter and Moska. Last November they dropped their new single, “Parana,” under Moska’s label, Amuleto, a powerful, textured big room track, ready to be used on major mainstages around the world. But that’s not all: their remix of Blader’s “Awake” is now available on all digital platforms, with a different sound that leans towards trap and moombahton. As a follow-up to these great steps taken, they have developed for 2018 an ambitious plan to release sixteen singles that will include the strength of festival trap, sentimental future bass, music aimed for the radio and sundry genres at 128 bpm seeking to win over the hearts of the massive global electronic audience. This mission has already started, as their music gets played in several Latin American countries such as Argentina, Chile and Mexico, and they look to expand to Europe and the US. If you love new sounds and the refreshing touch of new producers, you must listen to their music and follow them on their social media. n
COMIN’ UP
YOTTO’S FAVORITES The finish rising star grew with the help of Anjunadeep and is now widening his spectrum, joining Joris Voorn on his own label and party concept. From his own studio in Finland, he listed his favorites productions.
PERSONAL SPACE
This one was a very special record – I made it in one day in my studio, and thought it needed vocals or something. I added some more drums and we decided to release it as an instrumental. It has a special place in my heart because it got me my first Essential New Tune from Pete Tong and it has probably been my most popular track so far.
AZZURRO
Part of my first EP on Anjunadeep this got me my first plays on BBC Radio 1. I have not played this in ages, need to bring it back to rotation!
MARISA
Marisa is a bittersweet one – it’s somehow really happy but I wrote it on tour when I was really homesick. I ended up playing it on tour and the reactions were incredible. Likely the most played record in my sets over the past year, I was pleased to get this one signed to Green. It did really well over the last summer and it reminds me of that.
CYCLE
NORTH
Cycle is from a very old EP I did before working with Anjunadeep, this one is a deep rolling club burner that I still go back to every few months and play it out. n
This might be my favourite of my own tracks, possibly because I have not had time to grow tired of it. A very dramatic track with nothing too complicated, 2 chords, big drums and something mysterious. djmagla.com
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WHERE THE MEXICAN ARTISTS OF TOMORROW ARE FORMED With quality and joint effort, EMPO Academy has positioned itself as one of the most important and influential music schools in Mexico, is the best option for those who seek to build a career in music production.
PHONE (MEXICO): 0155-7824-9500 FACEBOOK.COM/EMPOACADEMY WWW.EMPOACADEMY.COM
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MPO ACADEMY is basically a school founded and supported by brands and alliances of powers within the electronic scene, who together seek to find and develop national talent at the highest levels. This is supported by teachers with extensive experience in mixing and production. The objective of EMPO Academy is discover, develop, promote and highlight the talent of those who seek their way into electronic music. Based on the extensive experience with which the Academy has on the scene, graduates can ensure their projection in the electronic music scene and thus the desired success. They seek to provide students with knowledge that highlights their skills, making use of the best-equipped facilities and a school program that, in addition to providing them with theoretical and practical knowledge, will also help them to understand and get involved in the social, artistic and commercial environment. DJ MIXING, MUSICAL PRODUCTION AND ARTISTIC TRAINING are the three subjects that will lead the student to develop professionalism and technique in a first level scenic environment, orienting their talents in the social and business environment, forming an artistic character and quality of handling within the scene. So far the Academy has it’s headquarters in Mexico City, but the plans for expansion and search for new talents are to be extended to the rest of the country, demonstrating what is the best option in professional. n
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SOUTH AMERICA’S HOT SPOT URUGUAY’S PUNTA DEL ESTE IS THE MAIN PLACE TO BE DURING THE SUMMER…
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or several years now, the South American summer has been a getaway place for DJs from the northern hemisphere who, after completing their summer seasons in Ibiza, head to warm regions away from the cold of their homelands. Eventually, the region’s wheat separated from the chaff and certain places stood out from the rest for several reasons. Punta del Este is one of them… Dubbed the Saint Tropez of South America, this seaside town in Uruguay is the place favoured by Latino jet-setters. Every January, tourists show off their abilities and set out to spend a summer in full form. Well prepared to receive the most well-to-do tourists of South America, Punta del Este caters to the needs of its demanding visitors and, year after year, raises the bar with high-quality events. This year was no exception, with a unique summer experience on the Uruguayan coast featuring some of the big names of the international music scene. To ring in the new year, Punta Del Este showcased a little of what lay ahead at several events held on December 31, with shows by Christian Smith and Federico Molinari, among other artists. Not to mention what was coming on the next few days: starting on January 2, a myriad of international artists graced the stage at the city’s various venues. Everyone from Sven Vath and his Cocoon party to elrow’s lineup with names of the likes of Joseph Capriati, Mathias Kaden and Hector Couto, the clubs brimmed with top-notch music. Yet this was not all: the production quality was taken to the next level with an amazing event featuring Solomun at Fundación Pablo Atchugarry, an enormous non-for-profit venue that holds expositions of various fine arts. In this case, Diynamic’s founder performed alongside his colleague and friend H.O.S.H. and local talent Matteo Americola. So, techno ruled among the thousand revellers that attended the various events held in the city. Surely, 2018 was a turning point for Punta del Este, which went from a mere tourist attraction to the envy of clubbers across the region. No doubt during the upcoming year the season will be even stronger… n
SOLOMUN AT FUNDACIÓN PABLO ATCHUGARRY
SVEN VATH AT KEY CLUB djmagla.com
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NEW MEXICAN SOUND MARIANA BO
The DJ and the Producer have been placed among the 100 most important DJs of the world electronic scene, positioned herself in the 84th, at the same level as the most renowned artists...
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COMIN’ UP
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ariana Bo is a Mexican DJ, more exactly from Culiacán Sinaloa in the north of the country. This girl began his career at a young age, with classical music roots and the potential to be more than she thought. Later and supported by her manager, Mariana decides to join the national scene as a DJ, but with a variant that has given weight and distinction to her career, the inclusion of his violin and melodic chords, which mixed with the synths make their productions and live sets as a unique experience. In recent years, Mariana has taken her career to unimaginable levels, placing herself as the first mexican DJ in the DJ Mag Top 100, with a well-deserved place 84th, which shows that her talent and perseverance are tireless. The previous thing was not easy, but the doors have been opening for her, so that’s how we have seen her perform in world-class venues and the biggest festivals as Ultra Mexico, Parooka Ville, Airbeat One, Daydream Mexico and many others. Also sharing the stage with Top DJs, those that today are in the same famous chart. From the Bigroom to the Psytrance, she shows versatile skills, that’s how the Sinaloan DJ describes her way of play and produce, which is redefined by his handling of the violin and the classical flair that increases the melody of the tracks she gracefully interprets in each performance. Collaborations with KSHMR and Mino Safy are proof that Mariana and her unique style are a perfect match in the studio and on stage, convincing her fans that more versatile productions will come to delight our ears with a mix of genres that we did not see together until Mariana Bo appeared on the scene.
MASTACHI
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ne of the growing talents into the Mexican scene is the young DJ, MASTACHI. This DJ and producer is in his first 20s, and with that youth ahead he has already stepped on renowned stages, showing what he has and where he wants to go.
Mariana has started her year touring for Asia, as well as signing her first track on Spinnin ‘Records... You can see by yourself about Mariana’s music and skills with renowned productions as ‘Kolkata’, ‘Kalopsia’, ‘Tic-Toc’, and many more to come. This mexican musician puts Mexico in the global electronic music map, being the first of many DJs and Producers that will appear son in the Top 100 of DJ Mag. n
Mastachi has had the good fortune to share the stage with famous and important DJs, staying at the level of the most influential artists of the medium. Likewise, this mexican guy has positioned tracks like ‘Bring The House’, ‘Pain’ and ‘Empty Nights’, among the favorites of many national fans. There’s no doubt that one of the DJs that we will have to have in our thoughts for this year and in the near future, because surely his genius will continue putting once again the Mexicans in the crosshairs of the world. n
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IS PORTER ROBINSON’S
OWN VISION EVERYBODY’S VISION? A leaked email that American DJ Porter Robinson sent to friends and industry members describes the current dance landscape and the goals of his latest project, Virtual Self. Words HERNÁN PANDELO Pictures EDM SAUCE
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promotional email that Robinson sent to his colleagues just before unveiling his latest project Virtual Self was leaked, and it gives some insight into the artist’s perspective on the state of electronic music. In the email, Robinson explained how excited he is to create something unique and new, which he called a kind of ‘new nostalgia’ intended to shake things up in the current state of the industry. He also expressed his frustration at artists who compromise their style to have a chance at having a hit, as well as a wish to make things a bit more interesting. The message was not intended to reach people but, after the leak, Robinson tweeted that he was OK with people reading it and that it was something he ‘probably should have been saying publicly anyway.’ In fact, it makes sense – and not because we are into criticising the world of EDM and its lack of originality. After all, to each their own. What’s interesting is the way he’s approaching the issue and the meaning he’s conveyed. First of all, he’s trying to lead by example. Instead of relying on his own words or on one his earlier works, he has set out to take a new path and express his discontent through beats. Not many artists take a risk and try something new without fear of backfire, a slump in sales and, apparently more importantly today, people’s backlash. Something else worth highlighting is how accurately he details what he has done. Showing his analytical skills and the thorough construction of his music, the young musician from Atlanta gives a detailed explanation not only of what he incorporated in the mix that eventually became Virtual Self but also what he intended to communicate through it. It makes sense! His work has a purpose, something that’s not always the case. Last and arguably more interesting is the moment in time of the release. There are no current trends supporting what he did. He didn’t follow the lead of other producers to reach a spot on the hit lists. He simply visualized it and did it. Perhaps, if everyone saw things this clearly, there would be greater diversity in EDM. Read his full email:
Virtual Self is my new side-project. With this E.P., I want to convey a certain kind of ‘new nostalgia’ and resuscitate some things that have fallen out of fashion, especially from the early 2000s. Musically, the project is super super inspired by rhythm games and electronic music from that time period. I could talk endlessly about the techniques that I learned to make stuff sound like it was written in 2001, but that’s probably boring to you — but I tried to authentically incorporate IDM-y, jungly drum breaks, era-accurate trancy supersaw sections, early hardcore and j-core elements, but all morphed into something that sounds kind of ‘big’ and thoroughly produced. In other words, I wanted to morph 2001 tropes into a 2017 production sensibility. Finally — and this might be the goal that’s dearest to me — is to push electronic music in a different direction. As electronic music essentially converged with pop in 2016 (for the second time in the last 10 years, the other time being 2011), I think it’s pushed a lot of artists away from risk-taking and passion projects. In the last two years, for most artists, all they really had to do was compromise their style by like 30% and add a safe, inoffensive tropical vocal to have a chance at having a hit — and I think for many, that temptation was too much. In my opinion, electronic music is at its best and its healthiest when new, exciting, unexpected things are happening. This is a genre that thrives on novelty. And to be totally clear, I don’t think that Virtual Self, early 2000s trance, or digital abstract art are the solution or the future at all. But!! I DO think this style is something unexpected, and something I’m uniquely poised to make, because I love it. And that’s the precedent I want to set, or at least the approach I want to remind other artists of. I really, really, truly, love electronic music, and I want it to be as good as it can be. I hope that by doing something unexpected, I can shake things up and hopefully inspire other artists to do something weird. Anyway, please listen and enjoy! Thanks for taking the time to hear about all this. – Porter Robinson n
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ANOTHER MARCH IS UPON US, and with
it comes what promises to be one of the most exciting Miami Music Weeks to date! Now in its eight year, Miami Music Week takes center stage in the world of dance music from March 20th - 25th. Dance music fans from around the world are descending on Miami as the city transforms itself into an electronic music paradise. With thousands of artists performing at hundreds of events that range from massive sun-soaked pool parties to intimate dark rooms, it is easy to say that this week of music in The Magic City has something for everyone. Most notable among the events this year is Ultra Music Festival’s landmark 20 Year Anniversary, which promises unexpected special anniversary performances. While the internet has been very much alive with guesses as to what might be in store, there is one thing everyone seems to agree on; they don’t call it Ultra for nothing! The festival’s reputation for exceeding expectations is well earned and the 20 Year Anniversary is bound to be one of the most spectacular events to date.
So lace up your favorite dancing shoes and get ready for MMW 2018, we promise it’s going to be one for the books!. u
MMW 2017 PICTURE RECAP EVERY YEAR AT THE END OF MARCH,
The Magic City of Miami springs to life as it plays host to one of the best weeks of dance music around the world and without a doubt, Miami Music Week was one of the best years in recent memory. Over 1,500 artists performed at more than 260 events around the city. From pop-ups to pool parties to yachts and beyond, the city sprung to life as hundreds of thousands of people from around the world enjoyed this magical week of music. Whether you prefer intimate spaces and warm vibes or the open air jaw dropping production of Ultra Music Festival, its easy to say that MMW provides a little something for everyone. So allow us to take you on a little tour of some of the highlights from last year’s MMW as we get ready for 2018.
ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL Placing the cherry on top of MMW 2017, Ultra Music Festival’s 19th edition took place over the final 3 days of Miami Music Week. Closing a stage that symbolized the pinnacle of all festival production, DJ Snake performed the final set on The Main Stage on Sunday evening after a raging lineup that included Armin Van Buuren, Alesso, Martin Garrix and Zedd to name a few.
ALIVE COVERAGE - ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL
ULTRA’S LIVE STAGE With multiple stages across the entire festival grounds, there is one that is always distinctly different than the rest; the live stage. Last year the live stage held Ice Cube’s performance, the Prodigy’s and most importantly, Justice closed out with a legendary performance Sunday evening. Guitars, drum kits and raw vocals pierced the air throughout the hilled auditorium and made for an easily remembered take on dance music.
ALIVE COVERAGE - ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL
RESISTANCE The deep and dirty techno sound of Resistance rang loud and clear at Ultra Music Festival across 2 stages. Notably the most head turning installment of Resistance, the Arcadia Spider’s atmosphere of fire & flying dancers was set to the tune of artists like Dubfire, Maceo Plex, Adam Beyer and more.
ALIVE COVERAGE - ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL
INTIMATE VIBES Capturing the essence of music in its purest form, this picture shows the shared unity and kindred spirit of coming together as one last year during Do Not Sit On The Furniture’s intimate show, the Joris Voorn’s “Spectrum” event. Uniting at the decks, Joris + Kölsch showcased the true beauty of the celebration of music and reminded us all how impeccable an entire week dedicated to music is.
JORIS VOORN’S “SPECTRUM” AT DO NOT SIT ON THE FURNITURE
MEMORIES MADE Festival season comes and goes but the unparalleled experience of unifying through music and its memories stay forever. Miami Music Week 2017 held the perfect energy and vibe and brought together strangers, turning them into new found friends or helping strengthen the bonds of already existing friendships. Embarking on exploring the city of Miami and how it radiates culture and a deep-rooted history of music, two friends shared a special moment.
PHOTO BY DARRYL ADELAAR
MMW HOTEL Known for hosting some of the most highly anticipated pool parties and events worldwide, Miami Music Week has always been about experiencing top-notch music at one of a kind venues. At The Miami Music Week Hotel at Delano, there’s always been the opportunity to do just that. Whether it was a memorable luxury poolside experience or dancing to some of dance music’s best DJs, the Delano Hotel was the perfect destination for some Miami fun during the 2017 installment of Miami Music Week.
AXTONE - DELANO BEACH CLUB
MMW AT SEA Why should anyone have settled for only clubs and pool parties when Miami’s one of a kind location allowed for the parties to never stop and to continue onto the beautiful blue ocean waters that encompass the whole city. From enormous boats to sleeker yachts, endless amounts of parties continued on Miami’s waters and played a vital role in a unique Miami Music Week experience.
PHOTO BY DANNY GERHARDT
MIAMI VIBES Miami Music Week is when artists, managers, fans and Miami locals all shared the same lively streets of the city and soaked up the sun as one. Becoming a city that blooms with excitement and anticipation for what the week has in store, artist by the likes of Hardwell, Marshmello, David Guetta and endless more lived our their best lives cruising down Ocean Drive and all throughout South Beach, taking in the livelihood of music culture.
PHOTO BY DARRYL ADELAAR
DELANO BEACH CLUB What a magical year 2017 was for Miami Music Week attendees; countless pool parties and the one and only MMW Hotel at Delano was the crown jewel of it all. Hosting some of dance music’s classic artists such as Nora En Pure, the Delano Hotel also featured the Firebeatz event, Axtone’s pool party, and Claude Von Stroke’s Birdhouse. An unreal experience solely based off of the music, in addition, the impeccable atmosphere of the MMW hotel made it a top mark in everyone’s itineraries.
NORA EN PURE - MMW HOTEL
MONSTERCAT As one of the hottest labels to date, the young Monstercat party during Miami Music Week 2017 was the epitome of new music and good vibes. Featuring some of dance music’s rising names, here Slushii and Jauz shared an awesome moment on stage in the midst of their animated sets that vibrated through the walls of the Hangar on the last day of the week-long run of festivities.
MONSTERCAT UNCAGED AT THE HANGAR
SPINNIN’ HOTEL Bassjackers member Marlon showed off some serious energy at the Miami Music Week staple, Spinnin’ hotel last year. Featuring the best labels throughout the whole week in different featured day parties, the Nautilus Cabana Club became one of the annual fixtures and made its mark even stronger on Miami Music Week culture last year with Heldeep Recording parties, Heartfeldt and Doorn Records parties.
SPINNIN’ HOTEL - NAUTILUS CABANA CLUB
FAM-JAMMIN’ AT TRADE Green Velvet crushed the Cajual vs. Relief party and kept the energy at an all-time high during his stop at Trade nightclub. This sweet picture captures the fun vibe that flowed through the event all night long as a special guest grabbed the mic and began singing along with the frisky beats making for a great impromptu change of pace.
CAJUAL VS. RELIEF - TRADE NIGHTCLUB
AFTERHOURS SHENANIGANS One thing is for sure, Miami never sleeps. Nightclubs and its’ attendees stay up from sunrise to sundown but there’s one particular party that stands out and that was The Martinez Brothers 24 Hour Party last year. Bringing out some top talent by the likes of Pryda, Paradise and Masquerade, the event’s lineup mirrored nothing less of the fully stacked lineup that Space had brought for all Miami fans and Miami Music Week participants to enjoy; creating a one of a kind experience that lasted more than just an evening but was the notable marathon event of the entire week.
MARTINEZ BROTHERS’ 24 HOUR PARTY - CLUB SPACE
WYNWOOD & BEYOND Bringing together two legendary acts, Diskolab curated a spectacular evening with Above & Beyond and Eric Prydz. Staging the setting in a most colossal, manner, this pop-up party in the heart of Wynwood truly stole countless hearts away as trance addicts piled into the formerly abandoned RC Cola Plant to reunite under the Miami night-sky for a serious dose of ‘group therapy’.
ABOVE & BEYOND - RUKES
20 YEARS
OF ULTRA HISTORY 2008 1999
2007
ULTRA is born. Rabbit in the Moon headlined the one-day inaugural event, Ultra Beach Music Festival, performing to an estimated 10,000 people.
Headlined by The Cure, ULTRA evolves into a two-day festival with the addition of the Live Stage.
2003 25,000 people attended the 5th Anniversary of Ultra Music Festival. Dance music legends, Underworld, make their Ultra-debut and first ever South East U.S. appearance.
2002 With another IDMA Award under its belt, Ultra moves to Bicentennial Park with headlining live performances by The Killers and The Prodigy.
2000 2004
2006
2001 An important year in Ultra Music Festival’s history as it made its move to Bayfront Park and featured its first ever performance by Carl Cox.
2005
A year of ULTRA packed with firsts! ULTRA features 2 Main Stages, debuts its first ever Live Stage and debuts the “Carl Cox & Friends Arena” to the world, which included performances by the likes of Cox, Christian Smith, Danny Howells, Josh Wink, Yousef and Mark Lewis. Moby joins the festival’s ever growing list superstar performers, ULTRA claims it’s first of 6 IDMA Awards for “Best Dance Event” and launches UMF Radio.
A key year in ULTRA history, highlighted by the fetival’s worldwide expansion with ULTRA Brazil in Sao Paulo. Its 10th Anniversary welcomes 70,000 people in attendance to Bicentennial Park as the festival brings home another IDMA while also claiming the title of “Best International Dance Music Festival” at the DJ Awards.
2014
2009 Ultra Music Festival sets a new record for the City of Miami for number of tickets sold at a single event.
Refusing defeat, Above & Beyond perform with their backs to the crowd during a rainstorm. Carl Cox assembles an outstanding lineup for the 10 year celebration of Carl Cox & Friends, including Marco Carola, Luciano, and Pete Tong.
2010 Ultra Music Festival sells out with over 100,000 in attendance. Florence from Florence & The Machine joins Swedish House Mafia onstage during their Main Stage debut.
2011
2013
2016 2015 RESISTANCE makes its Miami debut with the Arcadia Afterburner Stage. Axwell /\ Ingrosso put on one of their first ever sets as a duo and Skrillex performs with Diplo as Jack Ü, bringing out special guests Justin Bieber, Diddy, Kiesza and CL.
UMF Radio broadcasts live from the festival for the first time. Setting a new world record for the largest live radio broadcast of electronic music, the program airs on 58 networks in 38 countries. The fire breathing Arcadia Spider arrives at Ultra’s RESISTANCE stage. Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine performs an unreleased collaboration with Knife Party which sets the stage for the long awaited return of Pendulum who are joined by Deadmau5 for a historic grand finale. Ultra Music Festival is voted The World’s #1 Festival by the readers of DJ Mag.
Surprising fans around the world, Ultra Music Festival spans 2 weekends as it celebrates its 15th Anniversary. Swedish House Mafia play their final set as a group closing with their record-breaking hit, “Don’t You Worry Child”, Snoop Dogg & The Weeknd perform on The Live Stage.
2012 2017 For the first time, Ultra Music Festival expands to three days. Deadmau5 brings good friend & Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee on stage to perform and legendary new wave band Duran Duran puts on a spectacular set, highlighting their important role in shaping modern electronic music.
The debut of “ULTRA Live” streams Ultra Music Festival’s epic return to Bayfront Park to the world. Veteran electronic producers New Order perform live after years on hiatus, Armin’s ASOT debuts and Madonna makes a cameo during Avicii’s set, introducing him to the masses during his headlining performance.
With Carl Cox as its global ambassador, Resistance spans 2 stages at Ultra Music Festival as it takes over the MegaStructure (formerly known as Carl Cox & Friends) in addition to the Arcadia Spectacular ‘Spider’. Live performance highlights included Justice, Prodigy, Underworld, Major Lazer, Ice Cube & Cypress Hill. The festival once again claims DJ Mag’s title as The World’s #1 Festival. u
RESISTANCE IBIZA
ULTRA WORLDWIDE’S HOUSE
and techno brand RESISTANCE, has made tremendous leaps and bounds since its inception as a stage at Ultra Buenos Aires in 2015. Last year at Ultra Music Festival, the brand expanded within the festival, taking control of not only the Arcadia Spider, but the Friday and Saturday slots at the MegaStructure as well. That, however, wasn’t even RESISTANCE’s most ambitious move of the year, as 2017 saw the brand make the bold foray into its first Ibiza residency. A move onto the White Isle is audacious enough as it is, but Ultra took it a step further with their burgeoning underground brand by taking on the world’s largest nightclub, Privilege. Now, if you have been on the island in recent years, then you know that the once legendary nightclub was close to having its best days far in its rear view mirror. The massive fortress that overlooks San Rafael had become a shell of its former self, acting as a revolving door for a number of various parties that just never settled into the club in the long term to call it home. If Privilege’s recent history had anything to say about it, the odds were not exactly in Ultra’s favor. However, when you are an unstoppable force the way that Ultra is, you have the ability to overcome past trends and forge your own path, which is exactly what Ultra, and subsequently RESISTANCE did. Drawing inspiration from the mother festival’s beloved MegaStructure, RESISTANCE Ibiza looked to replicate and transplant that same experience over to the White Isle. Enormous LED panels hung from Privilege’s massive ceiling in the main room, lowering and raising themselves while tilting left and right. Lasers fired off and bounced around Privilege’s aircraft hangar sized main room, while CO2 cannons would blast smoke off into the crowd to cool off the dancing masses. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to travel in a spaceship with a killer fiesta going on inside of it, RESISTANCE was it. Anyone who’s been to Ultra Music Festival in Miami and has been inside the monstrous MegaStructure knows the feeling. Sasha & John Digweed led the charge for seven weeks during RESISTANCE’s debut season, headlining and performing together on Ibiza for the first time since 2009. For island regulars who were longing for a sense of the old - especially after the closure of the island’s historic Space Ibiza - the two legends’ progressive techno brought some refreshing nostalgia.
Following the iconic duo’s lead were the likes of Dubfire, Nicole Moudaber, Paco Osuna, Eats Everything, Sam Paganini, and a plethora of other DJs that varied from week to week. Whether it was slamming techno, chunky techhouse, or more melodic grooves, RESISTANCE did not fail in representing the wide-spectrum of underground music. RESISTANCE recently announced its return to the White Isle for its second season, this time adding another week to its residency for a total of nine weeks that will run on Tuesdays from July 17 September 11. The recently announced lineup for RESISTANCE IBIZA this summer includes Adam Beyer, Carl Cox, Dubfire, Eats Everything, Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, Loco Dice, Maceo Plex, Nicole Moudaber, Paco Osuna, Pan-Pot, Richie Hawtin, Sasha & John Digweed, Seth Troxler and many more. With a lineup that is set to be even heftier than last season’s, it’s safe to assume that the event will be a force to reckon with in Ibiza for seasons to come. The only question that remains: will you be a part of it and join the RESISTANCE? u
RESISTANCE™
LATIN AMERICA TAKEOVER
BUENOS AIRES
FOLLOWING
its debut residency on the White Isle last summer, RESISTANCE™ made its way to Latin America for its biggest tour to date. Ultra Worldwide™’s burgeoning house and techno brand took over 8 cities across two weekends — Mexico City, Asunción, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Lima, Rosario, Medellín and Córdoba. Underground heavyweights including Adam Beyer, Dubfire, Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, The Martinez Brothers, Matador, Nic Fanciulli, Paco Osuna, Sasha | John Digweed, Seth Troxler, Technasia and many more joined the RESISTANCE™ on this fall voyage. u
RIO DE JANEIRO
LIMA
ROSARIO
MEDELLÍN
MEXICO CITY
BUENOS AIRES WEEKEND 1
ASUNCIÓN
MMW AT SEA
WANT TO KNOW WHERE TO FIND SOME OF THE MOST EPIC PARTIES DURING MIAMI MUSIC WEEK?
You guessed it… on the water! But we’re not talking about beach or hotel pool parties, although those are hot topics too. We’re talking about the yacht parties! Imagine boarding a decked out mega-yacht, equipped with an outstanding sound system and one or more decks featuring an all-star lineup of DJs ready to deliver their best work, just for you and your crew. You get to stomp on the floor for four to six hours as the yacht navigates up and down Miami’s breezy coastline and soaking up the sunset. These parties are incredible for many reasons. Not only do you get to kick it, up-close and personal with the artists but the the energy of the audience and the connection everyone shares throughout the party can only be found in this unique setting. Everyone on board is present because they’ve planned it with their crew for weeks or months ahead of time because they all know attending these floating parties are always guaranteed to be exceptionally fun. Unlike most of the activations on the mainland, MMW yacht parties offer abundant opportunities to meet new friends. After-all, once the boat leaves the dock, there’s no going back till the party is over. To make it even more worthwhile, the view of the skyline while you’re out in the ocean is one, not many people get to experience in their entire lifetime. This year you can find a variety of yacht parties, each catering its own unique vibe. On some of the boats you’ll find world-renowned record labels showcasing their best talents while other boats will be featuring marathon B2B sets throughout their journey at sea. Whether it’s the first time you make it out to sea with your crew or you are already an experienced yacht-partier, now is the time to do whatever you need to do to secure your boarding pass to attend at least one of these nautical adventures. If you haven’t looked into it yet, you may still have a chance to score tickets. Be sure to check our website for a list of #MMW2018 boat parties. u
THE ESSENTIAL
10
MIAMI MUSIC WEEK
has become known worldwide for being the week-long celebration of the world’s top parties the days leading up to Ultra Music Festival. Housed in the most celebrated city of Miami, the range of different parties is what sets MMW apart from any group of music parties anywhere else in the world. At any time of the day or night, there are 270+ destinations to choose from for an impeccable music event experience whether you’re on a boat, in a club, or at a pool party. In this section we’ve highlighted a few events, by category, that should definitely be on your radar as you make your way through MMW 2018.
01
INTIMATE VIBES 18 +
Event: Ultra The Modern Love Affair Event: Music Festival Venue: Wall Lounge Venue: Bayfront Park Date: March 20th Date: Tuesday, Friday March 23rd - Sunday March 25th Time: 10pm 5am Time: Various Twonoofsecret the most talents in underground dance music It’s thatdistinguished a long history of top notch lineups & ground breaking will collidehave inside the Ultra snugits environment of Wall Lounge the production earned place at the forefront of danceonmusic opening night of MMW 2018. Don’t miss this chance for a more experiences around the world. This year, however, The World’s Premier personal with Damian Lazarus andBayfront Lee Burridge Electronicmusic Music experience Festival returns to Miami’s stunning Park as they kick this year’s Music Week in style at in onecelebration of Miami’sof most boasting theofmantra “Expect The Unexpected” its unique venues. landmark 20 Year Anniversary. Considering their reputation for over-thetop-surprises it’s pretty safe to say that this year’s event is sure to exceed all expectations and bring Miami Music Week to another wondrous close.
02
LABEL PARTY Event: Last Night On Earth Sunset Cruise Venue: Biscayne Lady Date: Thursday, March 22nd Time: 3pm - 9pm When it comes to high quality “underground music”, you really can’t do much better than Sasha’s ‘Last Night On Earth Sunset Cruise’. Named after Miami’s most exquisite bay front, the Biscayne Lady boat is hosting Sasha’s label party and is you’re only chance to see this legendary artist performing outside of Ultra Music Festival.
03
HOME GROWN
04
AFTERHOURS
05
BOAT PARTY
06
MARATHON
Event: HoTL Miami Venue: El Patio Date: Wednesday, March 21 Time: 8pm - 3am Sticking true to the element of Miami’s high-energy and deep-rooted culture, Miami natives and longtime local favorites David Tort & Markem are helping captivate the lifeblood of Miami’s music culture at their event, HotL Miami at El Patio. Hosted at a unique open concept venue inside of Wynwood, this event is the perfect option for those looking to get a taste of the quintessence of The Magic City.
Event: Do Not Sit In Wynwood Venue: 1-800-LUCKY Date: Sunday March 25th Time: 5am - 5am Do Not Sit On The Furniture is back with an All Day / All Night enchanting off-site event to close off Miami Music Week 2018 with a solid lineup featuring their favorite artists, favorite foods and favorite vendors to make it a true Do Not Sit experience.
Event: Justin Martin’s Life Aquatic Yacht Party Venue: Le Musette Date: Saturday March 24th Time: 6pm - 11pm Have you ever heard the expression “you missed the boat”? Of course you have, because everyone in the world knows that The Best Parties are Boat Parties and no MMW is complete without attending at least 1. As a fan-favorite of Miami Music Week 2017, this year’s Life Aquatic Yacht Party is pretty much guaranteed to get you dancing. As you glide and sail along Miami’s waters, Justin’s Life Aquatic will not only give you the opportunity to soak in the breathtaking sunset on the water but will also feature some of the highest quality dance party music around. So take it from us, this is one boat that you do not want to miss.
Event: Aly & Fila (Open to Close) Venue: Heart Date: Wednesday March 21st Time: 11pm - ??? For those individuals who seek an intense and enriched nightlife experience, getting lost inside a proper marathon of dance music is an absolute must. When done right, events like these have the potential to create magic and launch dance floors far out into the great beyond. Sound fun? Damn right it does and lucky for you…Miami knows a thing or 2 about hosting proper marathons. On March 21st, you’ll find Aly & Fila inside Heart Nightclub brewing the vibes that open doors and unlock minds. Good luck….and don’t forget your sunglasses.
07
NIGHTCLUB
08
FREE
09
INTIMATE VIBES
10
POOL PARTY
Event: Hardwell Venue: LIV Date: Thursday March 22nd Time: 11pm - 5am A night that’s hosting one of the world’s top DJs, Hardwell, deserves the world’s leading nightclubs; LIV. With a staggering $10 million renovation recently completed, you can expect LIV to be a hub for many of the top acts of Miami Music Week 2018. Hardwell’s kickoff to Ultra weekend is sure to be a spectacular night of supreme festival tracks and the progressive electro sound that keeps Miami’s blood pumping.
Event: House of M.A.N.D.Y. Venue: Doheny Room Date: Friday March 23rd Time: 10pm - 4am With hotel, flights and food costs piling high, it’s nice to give your wallet a break but you don’t want to miss out on the exceptional events. No worries! Events like House of M.A.N.D.Y. at Doheny Room are what help fuel a fantastic music week experience by putting on an unbeatable show, all for free. Only needing to RSVP for access, it’s such a relief knowing that Miami has accommodating events for all budgets but never demoting the quality of events.
Event: The Modern Love Affair Venue: Wall Lounge Date: Tuesday, March 20th Time: 10pm - 5am Two of the most distinguished talents in underground dance music will collide inside the snug environment of Wall Lounge on the opening night of MMW 2018. Don’t miss this chance for a more personal music experience with Damian Lazarus and Lee Burridge as they kick of this year’s Music Week in style at one of Miami’s most unique venues.
Event: Robin Schulz & Friends Pool Party Venue: Nautilus, a SIXTY Hotel Date: Thursday March 22nd Time: 12pm - 11pm Nautilus is holding down the fort in South Beach, hosting some of the week’s fines pool parties. This year’s highly anticipated Spinning’ Hotel will feature 5 consecutive pool parties showcasing some of the label’s most well-known artists. On Thursday the 22nd, Robin Schulz & Friends take control for 11 massive hours that are sure to amount to one of the best pool parties of MMW 2018. So grab your swimwear, sunscreen and a good partner in crime and head to the Spinnin’ Hotel on Thursday because this event is sure to make waves!
MIAMI’S NEW & NOTABLE THE WEEK-LONG RALLY OF MIAMI MUSIC WEEK
showcases the best of the best in terms of pool parties, club nights, boat parties and beyond. This year, however, you’ll want to take note of a few recent additions to the cities already extensive menu of venues.
LIV NIGHTCLUB
Shuttered away for all of 2017’s summer, LIV nightclub recently reopened after a $10 million renovation that has remixed the property into one of the most jaw dropping nightclubs in the world and further established LIV as a leading global nightlife brand. Although the club was already known for its lavish style, the new renovation boasts state of the art production that features a 360 degree fully immersive club experience. A center staged installation of 410 individual LED screens form to create a spider of projected visuals, coined with the title ‘Lola’, setting LIV Miami apart from any other club to have ever existed. While there are a few staples and favorites that MMW attendees have learned to love over the years, there’s plenty of emerging venues that keep adding to the intricacy of music week. A huge part of Miami’s club culture is Club Space but going beyond just the usual club floor, Club Space have expanded their horizons to open up The Ground + Floyd. Focusing on live music, The Ground is different from its sister sector Floyd which covers live music but also applies an artist spin on events, introducing the elements of poetry and comedy shows; all while staying true to the sexy, nighttime element of Club Space and the entire city of Miami. Diskolab has also left a new imprint on Miami’s music scene by introducing the C&L Warehouse; a massive space for pop-ups, art installations, and events all in the heart of Wynwood. Diskolab’s dedication to creating some of the most sought after events due to their high quality and prosperity is what makes the company stand out and be a timeless success among MMW events. A few other new gems revealing themselves this upcoming music week are the SQL Lounge; having been transformed into a completely redesigned space from its previous namesakes Steam & Vagabond. Just down the street from SQL is 1306, is a smaller venue that is composed with timeless style and is a destination to experience the leisure of signature cocktails and beautiful design. Lastly, Ora Nightclub is pushing to become the nightclub of Miami that takes you back to beloved club culture and hold onto that historic specialty that Miami has always held with its nightlife energy. Modernizing the space into a grand club that accommodates more seating and more features for a tailored VIP experience, Ora is a venue that sticks to the roots while introducing a modern flare. u
FLOYD
ORA NIGHTCLUB
1306
BEST OF
ARGENTINA 2017 With fifteen categories in the poll, voters chose their favourites… Words HERNÁN PANDELO
It’s getting more and more interesting! Over time, we have built up a solid fanbase eager to support their favourite artists and projects, and we completed the second edition of Best of Argentina with all-round success. From 19 December to 19 January 2018, more than 40,000 fans accessed the voting platform to help us shape a clearer perspective of our most popular homegrown artists here in the continent’s southernmost country. Unlike what happened in the first edition, preferences did not hold steady from the beginning. The tendencies registered over the first few days shifted as weeks went by. Up to the very last minutes, certain categories showed uncertain results, whereas others remained unchanged from beginning to end. These are the winners of the fifteen categories we developed this year, brought to you by our buddies at Ballantine’s.
1. BAREM
2. FRANCO CINELLI 3. BODELER
BEST HOUSE DJ
Mauricio Barembuem was once again chosen “Best House DJ,” followed by Franco Cinelli. Both talents garnered more than 50% of the votes and were way ahead of their competitors. The Argentinian owner of Fun has long settled snugly in the house music terrain and is one of Argentina’s stalwarts in the genre. In a year with numerous highlights, Barembuem was once
1. HERNÁN CATTANEO 2. MARIANO MELLINO 3. MARCELO VASAMI
BEST PROGRESSIVE HOUSE DJ
Once more, the poll category that showed the most variation was best progressive house. With 68.5% of the votes –a little up compared to the previous year–, Hernán Cattáneo was logically chosen “Best DJ” of his favourite genre. It is worth mentioning that he performed in his homeland only in December, at two top-notch parties in the city of Córdoba. The rest of the podium changed, and this is arguably another triumph for Cattáneo, as we can assume the fervour of his Argentine audience will take him to the top time after time – and the artists sharing
1. ELIO RISO
2. MATÍAS SUNDBLAD 3. ARIEL RODZ
BEST TECH HOUSE DJ
The “Best Tech House DJ” category once again has Elio Riso at the top spot, well above his fellow nominees. The Argentine talent of Italian ancestry is one of our main entertainers, not only in our homeland but around the globe. The favourite of DJs such as Marco Carola and Carl Cox, Riso has performed extensively around the country, with standout performances in major cities of the electronic music circuit, and had the honour of representing
1. HEATBEAT 2. CHRIS SCHWEIZER 3. TOMÁS HEREDIA
BEST TRANCE DJ
The first category with an unchanged podium is trance. Heatbeat maintains the lead ahead of his colleagues and friends, Chris Schweizer and Tomás Heredia, with a good chunk of votes from their loyal fanbase, who have long been supportive of the duo. In 2017, they travelled the world, touching down on all continents and many localities in Argentina alongside big talents
1. GUTI
2. TROCCA 3. ALEXIS CABRERA
BEST LIVE PERFORMER
Live Performer is another category that remained unchanged in terms of its protagonists. With an updated list of nominees, the top spot once again went to international talent Guti and his eclectic, shifting house, with the peculiarity that he won with
again one of the top picks of Buenos Aires promoters, and shared the booth with big names of the likes of Richie Hawtin and Danny Howells. Also, he was a headliner at parties held in major clubs in Argentina. Franco Cinelli, in turn, held the second spot, up from the No. 3 rank the previous year, crowning a great year that saw him performing at the country’s most important shindigs. The third spot went to Bodeler, who will remember 2017 as the year when he performed at Resistance alongside Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati and The Martinez Brothers.
the podium with him surely agree. Ranking second was Mariano Mellino, the young talent that lately has become one of the figure heads of the purest progressive sound. He has been gigging around the country more often, including in Bariloche, the Atlantic coast and Córdoba, among other locations. His good buddy, Marcelo Vasami, got the third spot. With a 0.02% difference in the number of votes, they both prove they are the future of Argentinian progressive house, and people responded with their votes. With strong support from the category winner, Vasami also gave solid gigs around the country and rang in the new year with an excellent tour that took him to Mexico and Miami’s legendary nightclub Do Not Sit On The Furniture.
Argentine talent with his performances at world-class events such as Ultra Mexico and Ultra Rio, BPM Portugal and the Amsterdam Dance Event. The second spot went to Matías Sundblad, one of the DJs with the most extensive touring schedules in the list of nominees, performing around the country as if he had several clones. Up from the No. 3 rank the previous year, he got the second spot and his popularity seems to be rising steadily. The third place went to Ariel Rodz, who also had a great year in 2017: he shared the booth with big international names and just like his colleague, Bodeler, enjoyed the privilege of performing at Resistance in Córdoba alongside Jamie Jones.
of international trance. The second spot went once again to Chris Schweizer, one of the most interesting projects of the trance scene, not only locally but internationally, in a year when he toured the world backed by his great production work, spinning back to back with Heatbeat at Crobar at the end of the year. Coming in third place was Tomas Heredia, less than 1% of the votes short for the second spot. Tomás is another renowned figure of the local trance scene and in 2017 he gave good shows both in our country and abroad, sharing the booth with great talents of the likes of Aly & Fila and Jerome Isma-Ae.
a dramatically lower margin compared to last year. He got virtually 30% of the votes, far down from the 43.8% obtained the previous year, allowing runnerup Mariano Trocca to gain an advantage, coming in only 7% below. Trocca, with a strong local presence, got the second spot again. Alexis Cabrera ranked third once more, in a category where the three winners nearly monopolized the votes, leaving behind their competitors with more than 70% of the votes accrued.
1. ROMINA COHN
2. JONAS KOPP 3. SHALL OCIN
BEST TECHNO DJ
This category was definitely the tightest battle in the poll. Romina Cohn won again thanks to her followers’ support, beating Jonas Kopp –just like the previous year– in what many would dub a technical tie. With only a 21-vote difference, Cohn was chosen as the favourite once more, crowning a year of frequent performances in our country, in Barcelona’s Off Sonar and Berlin’s legendary Tresor. The second on the list, Jonas Kopp, ranked very close to the top, the result of a year brimming with events. Based in
1. HERNÁN CATTANEO 2. HEATBEAT 3. BAREM
WORLD AMBASSADOR
This is one of the new categories that we have added in order to get a clearer picture of our artists as they stand internationally, or at least, as perceived by local fans. Hernán Cattaneo’s victory may not have been too surprising, but his margin was. Netting more than 65% of votes –a small difference compared to his victory in the Best Progressive House DJ category– people have proven
1. JONAS KOPP
2. JORGE SAVORETTI 3. TOMÁS HEREDIA
BEST PRODUCER
This is another riveting category to analyze, as three artists competed head-to-head for the first spot until the last moment, with an approximate 60% of the votes across the election. Jonas Kopp claimed the title, backed by plenty of material: in 2017, he released a studio album on legendary Tresor label’s platform and got one of his produced tracks in the compilation to celebrate the 25th anniversary of another celebrated label, Soma, among a myriad of accomplishments. The second spot went to
1. NICOLÁS TABOADA 2. BRIGADO CREW 3. INTERAXXIS
BREAKTHROUGH PRODUCER
This is another category that we are glad to have included. The seeds of the work done by many local talents have born fruit, and the buzz generated in the industry is reaching beyond local borders. With one quarter of the total votes, Nicolás Taboada netted the Best Up-and-Coming Producer award, in a year when he released an enormous amount of music and got the support of heavyweights such as UMEK, Sasha Carassi and Joseph Capriati, among many others. The second place went to a duo that’s been making strides
1. MOMO TROSMAN 2. BRIGADO CREW 3. GLÜCK
BREAKTHROUGH ACT
The boom of electronic music in our country has seen many local talents thriving as a result of the wealth of opportunities arisen and the support of entrepreneurs that took a chance on this or that genre. Although he’s been developing his career path for a few years, Momo Trosman is one of the DJs that’s taking most advantage of this new boom. The Argentine lad has shared the booth with artists of the likes of Mathew Dekay and Dixon in Argentina, and he travelled across the Rio de la Plata to perform at Creamfields Uruguay –he’d been part of the Argentine edition for years–. He also gave his first
Barcelona, he travelled around the world, performed at highly prestigious venues, shared the bill with Fuerza Bruta presenting his new album and even went under his alias, Untidy, with a style leaning towards house. Backed by his production work, Kopp’s reputation is growing in our country. Joining the podium for the first time and coming in third place was another DJ with great production skills: Shall Ocin, who is also winning over the Argentine audience. His acquaintance with Maceo Plex led him to perform at Mosaic by Plex party in Ibiza and at several Ellum Nights around the globe. No doubt his star will continue to rise in the next few years.
that Sudbeat’s manager is the most prominent standard bearer for Argentina. Coming in second was Heatbeat duo –also winners in their category–, who are leaders in the trance genre not only in Argentina but throughout Latin America. The third spot went to Barem, another artist that has long been a good ambassador in the electronic music world, currently living in Berlin. With frequent performances in Argentine lands, his status is high among the fans that voted for him as one of their favourite representatives of our country across the globe.
another local scene stalwart: Jorge Savoretti. Savor’s manager has shown great creativity in the studio and his productions have been released by major labels of the micro house circuit, including Priku’s Atipic and the great Visionquest trio of Shaun Reeves, Ryan Crosson and Lee Curtiss. Coming third was Tomás Heredia, another artist who’s been proving that his consistent productions are more than just a creative fluke. Songs like “Andes” and “Winds From The East” earned him recognition by renowned names of the likes of Armin van Buuren and Above & Beyond, as well as by his followers, of course, who got him to the third place in the category.
in the deep house and enigmatic tech house circuit with superbly interesting material. With a wide sonic spectrum, they have put out productions under world-class labels such as 303Lovers, Stereo Productions, Suara and Diynamic, a platform founded by Solomun, one of their main supporters. Coming third was another duo that has accomplished much in their short history so far: Interaxxis. They have managed to release their progressive house music under major labels of the circuit including Replug, Hope Recordings, Movement Recordings, Asymmetric Recordings and Plattenbank, always with strong support from ambassador Hernán Cattáneo.
show in Santiago de Chile and even developed his own residency at Jet Buenos Aires. The second place went to Brigado Crew, the duo that almost netted the Best Upand-coming Producer and Breakthrough Act awards. Less than 1% short of the top spot in this category, the duo’s proven to be a solid project that is consolidating on the basis of an auspicious projection and productions bound for the international market. Coming third in the category is a project focused on booths with a residency at the day-time party on Saturdays, Savage, with a status that’s getting stronger and enjoying their best moment. The proof? Suffice to see the list of artists they’ve shared the booth with: Loco Dice, Dixon, &ME, Rampa, James Dexter, Mihai Popoviciu, Sascha Dive and many more…
1. PM OPEN AIR 2. RIO ELECTRONIC MUSIC 3. DESERT IN ME
BEST PARTY
We revisit this category for the second year, and we see the first two places have remained unchanged. The Punta Carrasco venue that hosts both parties was Argentinians’ first choice, and PM continued its reign with its increasingly picturesque Saturday afternoons, an event that even rises above its featured artists, with striking visuals and artistic staging. The second spot, close to the top, went to Rio Electronic Music. This Sunday party
1. MANDARINE PARK (BUENOS AIRES)
2. LA FÁBRICA (CÓRDOBA) 3. FORJA (CÓRDOBA)
BEST VENUE
Once again Mandarine Park claimed the title for Best Venue with 33% of the votes, in a category that strikes us as motivating when we look at the rest of the podium. Of course, Mandarine Park’s win is laudatory but, is it really a surprise that a venue that has hosted two Resistance events, performances by Marco Carola, Armin van Buuren and Richie Hawtin, and debuted Hawtin’s CLOSE show in
1. CROBAR (BUENOS AIRES) 2. THE BOW (BUENOS AIRES) 3. BAHREIN (BUENOS AIRES)
BEST NIGHTCLUB
The Best Night Club category once again shows the predominance of Buenos Aires over the rest of the provinces, although these are slowly upping their game in the circuit throughout the country, and they don’t need bookings in the capital city to attract reputed artists. With enviable consistency, Crobar claimed the title once more, well ahead of its competitors, probably thanks to the high-quality artists that graced its booth in an eventful 2017: everyone from DJ Tennis to Eelke Kleijn,
1. SUDBEAT
2. FUN RECORDS 3. UNLOCK RECORDINGS
BEST RECORD LABEL
This time we added the “Best Record Label” category and we couldn’t be happier to be honouring the local platforms that bring music to the booths around the world, curated by artists from our home country. Victory went to Sudbeat, the record label headed by Hernán Cattáneo with the help of Italian DJ Graziano Raffa. With “a global ethos and a South American spirit,” the label’s owner has helped it grow and expand, and its tracks resound wherever there’s a need for melodic textures. The second spot went to Fun Records, a relatively
1. HERNÁN CATTANEO EN FORJA CÓRDOBA
2. RICHIE HAWTIN PRESENTA CLOSE EN MANDARINE PARK 3. ARMIN VAN BUUREN EN MANDARINE PARK
EVENT OF THE YEAR
Even in the category with international talents, Hernán Cattáneo claimed the title. An idol for local revellers, the Argentine DJ also netted the prize for best DJ at what was dubbed “Party of the Year.” Also, this was his only gig in our country. At Córdoba’s Forja, an increasingly full-fledged
has often drawn on a slew of international artists, and judging by the lineups so far, it’s got nothing on other shindigs in the country. Its entertaining booth has seen prominent artists such as Solomun, John Digweed, Carl Craig, Kolsch, David Morales, Adam Beyer, Audiofly, Monika Kruse and Timo Maas, among many others. The third place in the category went to another day-time party that’s become a force in the city of Buenos Aires. Still in its first year and with striking aesthetics related to house and progressive, Desert in Me made it to the podium and it promises to stay committed to booking artists that fit its artistic vision.
South America, had the most chance of winning? The second place also sees repeat winners: La Fábrica, an unusual venue in Córdoba that is well-established as one of the prime venues in the country and a favourite of many artists that graced its stage, such as Pan Pot, Julian Jeweil, Marc Hould an Popof. Coming in third was Forja Centro de Eventos, also in Córdoba. It was thrust into the limelight by a recent performance by Hernán Cattáneo, but it’s had a strong year overall with artists such as Solomun, Nick Warren with The Soundgarden, Guy J and Cuartero, proving that Córdoba is one of the mainstays of the national scene.
Paco Osuna, Tommy Four Seven, Magda, Nicole Moudaber and Andhim, among others. The second spot went to The Bow, in its first year of operation yet already wellestablished as one of the great clubs of the circuit. With the avant-garde as the underlying premise, it has built up a loyal fanbase that has enjoyed performances by talents of the likes of Guy J, Guy Gerber, Dubfire, Boris Brejcha, Nick Warren, Danny Tenaglia and Art Department. Third in place was, once again, Bahrein. This club in downtown Buenos Aires knocked its Córdoba-based contenders Fruta and BNP Club off the podium by a small margin, recognized for its mystic basement atmosphere and the important role it plays in Buenos Aires’s scene.
new platform headed by seasoned managers. Barem and Alexis Cabrera founded the label in February 2015, and with five releases under its belt, it thrives on the managers’ high profile. The most recent release, by Croatian DJ Mariano Mateljan, reached the top spots of the charts. Coming in third was Unlock Recordings, a locally founded platform owned by Unlock production company that has been putting out music by local talents for quite some time. With elaborate visuals, recent standouts are the “Collaborations” compilations featuring local talents of the likes of Guti, Ernesto Ferreyra, Jonas Kopp, Bodeler, Mariano, Fosky, Jorge Savoretii, Franco Cinelli, Leonel Castillo and label manager Gonzalo Solimano.
venue, his performance on two consecutive nights totalled 10 hours, and he recruited his colleagues to open both events. The second spot went to an artist with massive appeal in Argentine lands, and he had a special treat for us all. The first time that Richie Hawtin’s new show CLOSE hit South America was in Argentina and it went on for two hours, unlike the usual 75 minutes it clocks in around the world. The third place was for Armin van Buuren, who descended here after the setbacks that led to the cancellation of his show Armin Only, and he and made the crowd go wild at Mandarine Park.
BEATING
HEART Words HERNÁN PANDELO
S
“
orry about that, mate. I was just in the middle of something”, Nic said, as he apologised after missing a couple of calls. He’s at his hometown in Maidstone, England. “I just got back from a family vacation. I took seven days off and I just got back to work.” Rested and stripped back, he answers all our questions nicely. “I’m easy. Whatever you want to talk about, I’m happy to talk about it”, he starts and so we do… Looks like the album, My Heart, was a nice step. After the album, you started with the live show amongst other things. What did you think? “I think it was a relief to finish it. I spent many years trying to get the sound the way I wanted. I wanted it to sound different to my DJ sets and to sound more musical and organic. I think I spent almost ten years working on it, trying to get it right, so finally, when I finished it, I was very happy. It was probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.”
“I must have written about one hundred demo ideas for the album.” What about the song selection process for this? “If you listen to the album, the sound is very melodic, musical and organic. I must have written about one hundred demo ideas for it. Some of those records were great in the club and they had a great response, but when I tried to put the album together, they didn’t work with the album. I had to sacrifice some of the records, so some didn’t make the album. I felt that I wanted the album to sound like the same artist from the first track through to the last. I wanted to make sure that it all sounded the same in the sense of musicality and being organic. The process was pretty amazing because I got to work with a lot of really respected people like Guy Gerber, Damon Albarn from Gorillaz, and Matthew Dear.” Damon’s presence was a surprise! “It was a surprise for me too, because the album was nearly finished and I had two days left to record, then I had to hand the album in. I’d just done a remix for Gorillaz and so I thought, ‘You know what? Fuck it! I’m going to send you a demo’. I spent the whole day writing a demo for him and then I sent it. He said he loved it and started working on it. We finished it in two days.”
“Wherever you go,
go with How do you feel about the album now and how was the reaction to the album? “People were able to hear something different from me. Different to what they’re used to hearing from me in the clubs. It sounded more like an artist, which was the most important part for me. I didn’t just spend one week making the album, like I do when I create a remix or a club record. I must have spent almost two or three months on every track, going back and forth, paying attention to every detail. I think it opened my mind to people that write albums and how much time they spend making it. It was a totally different process. For a two and a half minute record, I had to record it like twenty times.”
all of
your
heart.” Confucius
Does it bother you when people don’t understand what you tried to do here, as opposed to compiling 15 club tracks? “I think if I were in my twenties I would’ve cared a bit more, but now it’s more for me. It is a project for my own purpose. It was more of a personal goal to finish it and try to get it done and I know exactly how I wanted it to sound. For me, this was the most important thing and I think that I was very lucky to achieve that. For some people, the goal is very different, but to be honest, there’s a lot of people that have said to me, ‘We wish we had done this with our album and tried to do something more open minded that just makes dance records’”.
“It is a project for my own purpose.” ...and after this, you started with a live show. “Have you seen the pictures?” djmagla.com
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Yes! Tell us about this. Was it only about the album? “I’ll explain it for you. For me, it was very important to make sure that it was amazing visually. I spent a lot of time with the creative director to design the lighting, which was basically a circle of light that worked in sync with the music. The album is very downtempo, so I re-recorded it and made it more dancefloor friendly. I didn’t change too much but I kind of edited it down. It’s like a one hour set with special edits. I included a special edit of my remix of the Gorillaz and I did a remix for Radiohead, which I also included on the live show. It’s all my own material.” Do you have more plans for a show? “I don’t know. I did two shows. One was in Miami and that was a very stripped back show, that didn’t have too much production and then we did the main show in London. The stress to do the show was the most I’ve ever experienced, because you are not just dealing with you DJing, you’re dealing with you, the sound guy and the light guy. You have lots of people around you trying to help you but it’s quite stressful. As soon as I finished it I thought, ‘I really want to do this again’.”
“I would still say that DJing is the thing that I love the most. I can do it with my eyes closed. I really enjoy it.” Do you think that at this stage in your career, it’s important to look for new things? “Yes. I’ve been DJing for fifteen years now and I’m playing two or three times a week, so it’s quite nice to do a project like this, because it takes you away from DJing and makes you feel like a live performer. It’s your music and that’s all that you can use. You can’t play other people’s records, you have to make sure you play all your own records live. I’ve enjoyed doing it. I would still say that DJing is the thing that I love the most. I can do it with my eyes closed. I really enjoy it, but I did enjoy doing this live show.” What about the clothes? “The album artwork was done by Austrian artists and I loved the image of the heart. I have a really good friend called Marc Jacques Burton, who is a really high fashion designer and I’ve been a fan of his work since he first 44
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started out. He looked at the image and he was like ‘Nic, I love you as a DJ, I love what you do. I’d love to do a collaboration with you’. So we did it! We came up with the ‘My Heart’ clothing design and it was originally only going to be fifteen pieces of the hoodie and the t-shirt, but when he went to Paris Fashion Week to display the new clothing, all the stores went ‘I want that’. It’s now going to be available officially, which is great.” Another success from “My Heart”… “It makes sense because everything’s been so organic. The collaboration worked and the live show worked. It hasn’t been pushed. Nothing has been forced, which I really like.”
NIC’S RELATIONSHIP WITH RESISTANCE
This year, Ultra is turning twenty, which is a huge thing. I’ve been going to Miami since 1999. I used to go there and see my heroes, people like Carl Cox, and now I get to play back to back with them. It’s quite a good inspiration for young DJ’s coming through, where they can see that someone like me was on the dancefloor and now I’m on the bill and playing there. It’s a funny situation, because I’m very good friends with Russell, the owner of Ultra. It was a Sunday night in Miami and we thought that it would be good to come up with an underground brand. We could show that Ultra isn’t just about commercial music, because they have a real passion about underground music. The problem is that Ultra is associated with the commercial brand, so Russell came up with the name, Resistance and I played the first ever event. I pretty much did every single event since the day it started, so for me it was a really great working relationship, because they really want to push electronic music forward.” “My theory is, you are playing at a commercial festival and you are in a small underground arena. You have young people going into a main arena to listen to the commercial stuff they hear on the radio, which is fine because it is very difficult for an eighteen year old kid to know what music he is into. They need to have a brother or a sister, or someone that they accidentally come to the arena with and end up liking the music. That’s important to me. It’s important for people to experience different kinds of music. Having Resistance means that we can do what we want, especially in South America. It’s huge now. It’s becoming as big as Ultra.” “For me, South America is the best market in the world, so why not do it there?” u
BALANCED
THE BRITISH DJ JAMES ZABIELA DID A MIX FOR THE AUSTRALIAN RECORD LABEL BALANCE MUSIC.
WE TALKED TO HIM ABOUT THIS EXCELLENT ADVENTURE.
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I
t’s not every day that a renowned record label such as Balance taps your services to immortalize a mix. That’s why, in spite of the implications of a commission like this, James accepted the job. Well-established in the scene, with a solid fanbase and a lofty reputation as one of the great mixers of our time –and an advisor to producers of hardware doing test-drives–, James took on the challenge knowing he had a lot to lose and ended up winning much more… Hello, James, how are you? “Fine. I’ve been doing interviews for hours. Honestly, it’s a day I enjoy, since I hadn’t done interviews in quite a while. In fact, I did a few but I didn’t have too many reasons to speak.” Now you have something to talk about… “That’s right. If I have something to talk about, I really enjoy it.” Where are you? “In Southampton. At home. In my living room.” Do you have your studio there? “No, I have a basement and the studio’s there. But a lot of the mixes were made in the living room… at the coffee table. Exactly where I am now. In fact, there’s a floor rug that I had to replace because I made a hole in it working on the compilation for so long. So I had to go to Ikea and get a new one.” All right, tell us… How did things start with Balance? How did you come in contact? “It was probably in late 2016. I remember I was in Montreal, on the phone with my agent, who’s been one of my best friends for years, and he had other DJs that had made comps for Balance… And he mentioned he’d had a conversation with them and they were
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interested in doing it, and asked me if I was interested. And as soon as he said that, I thought, on the one hand, I’ve got to do it but, on the other hand, I was scared because I hadn’t done a commercial mix in a long time. I immediately felt the pressure that it had to be something amazing, even before saying I would do it. And it stayed with me throughout the process. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, but that’s how it went down for me. It all started more than a year ago. And when the job was confirmed, and we laid the dates on the table, I think it was around December 2016 or January 2017 that I started to look for music to include.” So the first step was to listen to music and see what tracks would be included. “Yes, but I wanted to do something that was a kind of challenge, something more than just a mix of twelve good mix tracks. That would’ve been fun but I’d done it before. So I had the idea of creating these moments of melodic mixes where you find tracks that have conversations with each another… When you play, you find these moments by mistake all the time – by accident. You’re playing and suddenly you realize
those two tracks work really well. So I wanted to recreate that for this CD so I set out to find those tracks. Obviously, to find those moments I had to dig deep, had to fall in love with a lot of tracks, as I was going to put my name on them and release them all together as my own mix.” Also, there are two exclusive tracks from you… “Yes, that’s right. Act 1 has ‘Vines,’ which I basically made as I was doing the mix. It’s composed of old tracks, a few song sketches I’d been doing. And to be honest, I’m only now finishing it. It didn’t exist by itself outside the mix so right before today’s interviews, I was arranging it. And the other Act has ‘X-Ray.’ This is my first true acid house track. I’d done other things before but I’d never had a Roland TB-3 to use until now. So this song is me toying with the machine.” And do you think it was important to include your own music in the compilation? Did you always think you’d do this? “No, not at all. It was in the contract. I would probably not have included anything of my own. When I started to think whether I’d do it or not, I said ‘Oh, I wish I wasn’t forced to put
my music in.’ But yes, I think you’re right. It was important to add it and it was important for me to end the cycle of silence after so long. It was very good for me and pretty scary too.” How many times did you listen to the mix? “Too many. I went mental at the end. I had three versions of the second mix, and I struggled a lot with it. And for the first mix I had two versions. And I had to change the master because I felt there was a mistake. And I made a couple of wrong moves, too. The compilation’s opening track could not be used because it had a few samples that had no permission, and there was another track that at first I was told I couldn’t use but then they explained that I could. So I had taken it out and I put it back in because it was a song that, to me, was very important for the mix. I’ve lost all impartiality towards the mix. I cannot listen to it objectively. So I have no idea if it’s a good or a bad mix. That’s for people to decide.” So it had several comings and goings… “That’s right.” And how did you feel about that? Do you feel comfortable with people telling you what they think about what you do? “I feel a bit uncomfortable but I realized it
would be that way. So I accepted it. I came to a point when I said ‘this is it.’ This is the last version I’m doing. I reached a place where I felt pretty comfortable and now I’m at this beautiful period when no one has heard the mix yet and everyone’s very excited. I’d like to be able to freeze this moment, before everybody hears it and starts judging what they hear. It’s weird! I want it out and at the same time I don’t want it out.” Was it very hard to think so deeply about the musical selection? You’re used to playing live without thinking so much… “Yes, that’s what everybody told me when it all started. ‘Don’t think too hard.’ And of course, that’s exactly what I did. But I also wanted to do something different. At least, I wanted the process to be different so I could do something different. That’s why I did it that way.” Tell me about Balance… How does it feel for you to score a reference on the label? “It’s a real honour, obviously. There aren’t many compilations nowadays, and they have stood the test of time. It has become a very classical compilation series. I have a copy of Balance
04, by Phil K. I’ve had it since it came out. He came over to the UK and stayed in my house for a while, and brought the compilation with him. So I have a copy of that CD at home. And strangely enough, it’s the only one I’ve heard. I never heard another Balance compilation. And I thought it was important to not listen to other compilations. When I started this mix, Paul Woolford had released his compilation for Fabric and I wanted to hear it but I stopped myself ‘cause I didn’t want to be influenced by something else and I wanted to be able to do something that was mine, without external influences. And regarding your question, yes… Several of my heroes have been in Balance compilations such as Lee Burridge, Deetron or Radio Slave.” If you had to describe the process, what would you say? “That it was an awful process! No, all jokes aside, it was a mishmash. It had it all. Some parts were fun, others stressful. I got ill in the process. I would work for a few weeks, then I had to stall the job... That’s why it took so long. It was a mishmash. A great cathartic experience. It’s good to have a focus for your creativity.” And now? How will you go about the release? “Because it’s an Australian label, we will start there but we still don’t know how we’ll present it. I think it’d be cool to do a few shows where I could play all night. We have to see what venues could house a show like this but it would be the best. Starting with the opening part of the mix, with a bit of ambient, with low bpms, and go up from there...” u
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THE
WIDE
SPECTRUM JORIS VOORN HAS CREATED A CONCEPT THAT ENCOMPASSES A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING THAT HE LOVES ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC SCENE. MORE THAN A YEAR INTO THE PROJECT, WE CHATTED WITH HIM TO ANALYSE THIS COLOURFUL AND ENCOURAGING PROPOSAL.
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e caught up with Joris on a phone call from Buenos Aires to Amsterdam, on his interview day, after his press agent squeezed us in his busy schedule. ‘I’m fine. In Amsterdam,’ he says. He descended on our part of the world a few days ago, with shows in Chile, Uruguay, Peru and Brazil, where he first introduced the Spectrum touring event series in South America. More precisely, he played at famous Brazilian Warung Beach Club, with Finland-based Yotto and Recondite from Germany as guests, proving that the musical spectrum is really wide. It all started in late 2016. When we came across each other at that year’s ADE, the concept was at its inception and, with no shows under his belt, Voorn was taking photos aimed at promoting the shows. ‘It began as a search for a musical perspective. I mean, ultimately, everything comes down to music,’ he says. And the reason why it’s called ‘Spectrum,’ he explains, is that he is fascinated by a wide spectrum of music. ‘I like a lot of styles and I want to support everything in between house and techno, whether it’s minimal or melodic or organic. There’s too much music around for me to focus on just a small portion. So I like to showcase a bit of everything that’s to my liking.’
‘THERE’S TOO MUCH MUSIC AROUND FOR ME TO FOCUS ON JUST A SMALL PORTION.’
Joris is enjoying his creation and gets fired up telling us about how they’re running it. ‘We hire artists that are interesting, are presenting new stuff and are not focused on just one style,’ he says explaining his interests. ‘It’s got to be something colourful,’ he insists. Working together with his manager, they have a list of colleagues and friends they admire and respect, and of course, the project’s doors are open to these artists in the future. ‘We also consult the venue’s owner beforehand and we try to book artists that do well in each region.’
‘IT’S AN ORGANIC PROCESS THAT DEVELOPS VERY NATURALLY.’ At its one-year mark, ‘Spectrum’ seems well established with good parties. ‘We started off last January in Amsterdam. This year we have big plans. We’ll have our own stage at Tomorrowland. We’ll be at Amsterdam Dance Event again, of course. We did Warung in Brazil and we have plans to take the concept to some boutique venues in the US. There’s a lot in store,’ says Joris, and he sounds proud and glad to have his own idea. ‘It’s an organic process that develops very naturally.’ Travelling the world with your own party series must be something really special, and Joris sounds enthusiastic about his creation. And with good reason! The event was already brought to several landmark venues of the international scene, including renowned Warung club in Brazil. ‘We began really well. Having the chance to bring it to Warung, one of the best clubs in the world, is great. We started only a year ago. It’s an honour to travel with something that’s my own creation. It’s very special,’ he states, adding that they still have a long way to go. ‘We try not to exceed our limits. We’re not doing 50 shows this year because that would be too much and we wouldn’t be able to give each show the attention it deserves. We let it grow organically.’” u
PHOTOS AND ARTWORK ‘Basically, the idea was to create art that would represent the whole spectrum concept. I work with photographer Jos Kottmann, and he was able to translate my ideas and my visions into a photograph and the way we take photos of people. Also, we incorporated the people to the whole concept. We want to incorporate the people that come to the events, to make them part of the Spectrum visuals. It’s awesome because then you can somehow see who are the event-goers. They all look different and it gives a very personal touch to the party and the experience. It’s all about crowd participation.’
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MIND AGAINST IS PIONEERING A NEW SOUND BROTHERS FOGNINI ARE TREADING UNCHARTERED TERRITORY WITH A NEW SOUND THAT’S BEEN EXPANDING FROM ITALY. Words HERNÁN PANDELO
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he Fogninis have been at the forefront of the melodic techno scene, with productions that delight fans all over the world and an extensive tour schedule. They descended on South America for their peers Tale of Us’s Afterlife party, showcased in Buenos Aires, and we sat down with them for an interesting chat that allowed us to get to know them more deeply. The Italian brothers’ beginnings were not unusual. “As we were growing up we started to buy vinyls and gradually fell in love with all of this. Eventually, we learned to mix and we went from buying vinyls to buying our own equipment,” they say. They had the support of their family from the start, although it was only when they made a living out of music that the family understood things fully. ‘Eventually, they realized it wasn’t a whim but rather we had developed a career in music and we had a decent job. Now they come to the shows with us,” says Alessandro. Alex and Fede are brothers and this is manifested in the way they approach things. ‘There is no specific way of working. The dynamics isn’t written down anywhere,’ they explain. Spontaneity is the rule, and it finds both artists working in their studio when inspiration strikes. ‘One of us might be inspired one day so that person spends 24 hours in the studio creating something amazing, and the other one might catch up only two days later, when inspiration strikes. We have no technique. It happens as we go,” they say. This technique that has no parameters has led them to the vanguard of a trend that does not fit in the genres we know today, a trend that gradually arises as melodic techno, alongside their Tale of Us peers and their label, Afterlife. ‘It’s an important label for us,’ says Fede. ‘It isn’t ours but we’ve felt part of it from its conception. We get along really well with the guys and we feel comfortable with the label’s sound,” he says about his relationship with Italian-born Carmine Conte and Matteo Milleri, members of Tale of Us and owners of the label that launched their most recent EP, Days Gone. ‘It’s a highly flexible relationship. When we had the songs, we sat down with the boys and defined things,” they add. Having abandoned the sounds they favoured in their native Italy in the early 90’s, this generation of lads champions a much more cerebral idea of music, with melodies as protagonists and dark atmospheres that evoke ethereal environments and seek a mental relationship with the listeners. “It’s true. In Italy, it was all more leaning towards harder techno, from the Napoli area. And now, with the guys of Tale of Us and a few others, we are developing this whole trend. It’s very exciting to be able to lay down the basis of a style that’s becoming more and more popular and already has its followers. I think the foundation is 90’s progressive but it also draws from ambient and of course from techno itself,” they say trying to describe the style. Yet, although their ideas are clear, they don’t want to rush things. ‘At the moment, there’s a ton of music emerging because the genre is on the rise, and we don’t want to jump the bandwagon of meaningless things. We like to do things with clear, well-defined objectives. For them to be meaningful and for us to feel comfortable and proud when we see them,” they claim. Quality over quantity, right? ‘I mean, if the music is made it’s because the genre works well or has an appeal. The thing is, because there’s so much music, invariably, the quality level starts to drop. So one has to be careful, and do things with an identity and have a clear aim. Otherwise, you can get lost in this mediocre fluff,” they say. The fact is that, with the quiet confidence of someone who knows where they’re going, brothers Fognini are making their own way, with solid foundations and a distinctive sound that sets them apart. The steps they take will shape their destination… u djmagla.com
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TRACK BY
TRACK DAVIDE SQUILLACE CRUMBLES
HIS NEW ALBUM “ONCE UPON A TIME IN NAPOLI”.
‘ONCE UPON A TIME IN NAPOLI’ X
X T“ HE BOOGIE MAN” “The power of ‘The Boogie Man’ relies on the lyrics. It is a bit of a contemporary subject. The Boogie Man is about the establishment and big corporations who are no longer able to hide their political misconducts and wrongdoings, especially in current times where democratic information is more accessible through the internet.”
X I“ N THE MOOD FOR LOVE” “This one is the result of the feeling I got from Wong Karwai’s movie. It’s that pure innocent love that they say comes only once. I tried to recreate this feeling with the melody.”
X D“ ADA IS BACK” “‘Dada’ is taken from the art movement, Dadaism. I tried to reject logic in the arrangement and trusted my intuition. Paki Palmieri was helpful when it came to studying drumming in every form, as he lived in Africa for a long time.”
X“ N“ APOLI TEXAS “‘Napoli Texas’ is a very personal tribute to one of the tracks that made an impact on me whilst growing up in Napoli. It was a 90’s Techno anthem made by this guy from Texas, so I guess in a way this is my thanks to him directly and indirectly for my musical formation.”
is the story of Squillace’s 20 years in dance music. The album covers the many textures of his journey, with influences of the early days in Naples, to his Circo Loco residency in Ibiza. The title itself is a tribute to the city that made him. It is the result of the knowledge of music and technique that he has accumulated over the years, all filtered by certain emotional states that characterize each track.
X“ N“ OAH”
“I have never been one of those producers that sits in the studio with a pre-plan. I prefer to let the plan come to me in forms of sound and rhythm, rather than having a pre-defined idea. I find that this process is the most truthful and genuine to me”, Davide starts.
X“ H“ OW WE COMMUNICATE”
Most of the album has been made between different cities: Naples, Los Angeles, Rome and Barcelona. “I collaborated with this amazing singer, Alex Nazar, in the States, as well as a drummer, and did some additional production in Rome. Finally, it was mixed here in the city I now call home, Barcelona”, he details. 90% of the sounds were sourced using external analog gear, which was then moved to the digital domain for the final tweaks and effects. It has all been pretty organic in terms of the natural evolution of arrangements in every single part of each song. I guess I had to be more rational when the arrangement part came into play. You have to give the music a backbone and you have to tell and build a story that makes sense to you. The listeners who all have different backgrounds will then come up with a different story and interpretation of the same track.” u
“Is the interpretation of a Genesis event. I’m not questioning the reality of it, I just thought it would be a nice challenge to try to tell the story through sounds. I started at the beginning, where Noah started to collect the different animal species. You can actually hear them getting on the arc, whilst the flood approaches in the background. Then all the mess happens and the song experiences peaks between big waves and elements of thunder, until it all ends in peace.”
“This one is a bit ironic. It makes fun of the way we communicate and the boundaries of language itself. Basically the lyrics are nothing. It’s not a language that exists.”
X I“ RON ODYSSEY” “This track kind of reminds me of the 1,000 misadventures that Ulysses from Homer’s famous poem, Odyssey, has to go through, before going back to his beloved Itaca. The ‘Iron’ part of the name comes from the metallic sounds you can hear in the track. There are so many small and sometimes undetected moments in the song, which is the result of sound design that I really love. Most of it was done with my modular synthesizer.”
X V“ OSTOK” “‘Vostok’ takes the name from the semi modular synth I used on the track. It’s kind of a DFA records feeling. A bit of Rock and a little bit of Punk, balanced with an organic intervention of percussions.”
X T“ HE SIN” PRES. TELEMACO “Finally, ‘The Sin’ introduces my next project/album, Telemaco. It feels like I’m on an unknown planet where the gravity force is not like the one we are used to on planet Earth and I’m trying to walk on it. You can only imagine how that could go.”
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ROARING
BEATS
“WE DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE AND WE ARE VERY PATIENT.”
What was the idea behind this new concept? (Does Clash Lion have an ethos or aim?) Daniel Watts: “The main idea is just to release good electronic music. Our aim is to release fresh and timeless tracks, to discover unknown talents, and to push a little more the boundaries within electronic music.” Where did the name come from? Terr: “One night I was playing with anagrams and I found some cool ones for Shall Ocin which I sent over to him - he loved it. Clash Lion sounds strong and direct, and when we started the label we thought it was a good name for it.”
Daniel Watts
F
ormer Digitaria brazilians Daniel Watts and Terr joined up with Argentina’s Shall Ocin to create their new Clash Lion record platform. We talked with them in order to know a little bit more...
How did you all first meet? Daniel Watts: “I met Daniela (TERR) in 2004, and we’ve been making music together as Digitaria since then. We met Nicolas (Shall Ocin) later in 2013, and he became a very close friend.” When did the idea of developing a platform start? Shall Ocin: “We had lots of friends that were always sending us demos and unreleased stuff, asking us for advice about how to find a label to release their tracks etc. There was a time when we had so much amazing unreleased music between us that we said “well, let’s do it ourselves”. And so Clash Lion was born.” Did you have previous experience managing labels? Terr: “Not directly, but we’ve been DJs for years and we have been able to observe a lot of friends managing their own labels. We have always been involved with labels as well as artists, so we took some knowledge and experience which was relevant from this.” Shall Ocin: “Something that helps a lot is working with good people. We have a great press agent, a great mastering engineer, great distribution, cover artist etc. When everyone works well with each other as a team, it really does make things flow so much easier.”
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The first release was the return of Eric Estornel under his Maetrik alias since 2012... How did this opportunity come around for you to have him on the first release? That’s pretty special for any label... Shall Ocin: “Eric and I are good friends, we’ve known each other for years and I have released some EPs and remixes on his label, Ellum. When I told him we were starting a label he said he had these new tracks that he wanted to release, and asked me what I thought about releasing them on Clash Lion. In my opinion, it couldn’t have been better for many reasons; he is one of the best producers in the world, I loved the tracks and he is a true friend, so we felt it was the best way to launch the label, and looking back, we weren’t wrong!” And how important was for Clash Lion to have him as the first release? Do you think it helped launch it successfully? Shall Ocin: “Yes, of course. Starting the label with this level of attention from the media and the DJs was really amazing. Without Maetrik we would have needed a lot more time to reach the amount of people we did with the first release. It’s a natural thing, people look for known names that they know have quality, so I am sure it made things easier and helped to get the labels name out there.” You’ve released the second EP from Shall Ocin and will be releasing a third one from Daniel... What is the sound you’re chasing? Or is there not one? Daniel Watts: “We want to release electronic music that sounds fresh, innovative, passionate and sincere. For me, electronic music, since its first days - more than one hundred years ago - was about going further with musical experiments, trying to achieve non-existent sounds and inventing new techniques and ways of working with sound. That’s what I believe in. We don’t want to release the music that’s trending at the moment, we want the music of the future. We don’t believe the hype and we are very patient.”
“We want to release electronic music that sounds fresh, innovative, passionate and sincere.”
Terr What does a track need to have to be released on this imprint? Terr: “We are very open to all different kinds of music; techno, electro, ambient, experimental, even electro-rock. What we ask for is music made with passion, with love, music that sounds new and interesting. Whether it comes from a big name or from a bedroom teenage producer, that doesn’t matter.” What does running a label give back to you? Do you enjoy it, and how has it improved you knowledge? Daniel Watts: “We don’t think ‘what it will give us?’. It’s like becoming a producer, it’s not exactly a choice but that you love it so much you simply have to do it. With the label is the same, we are doing this because we love it and we are proud of it, of each release, of each signed artist... We never thought about ‘gains’ when starting or running a label. If something happens in the future, then it will be a consequence of a good work.”
“We like the idea of Clash Lion being a multi-platform form of art.”
How do you share the direction of an aesthetic platform? Do you have a structure? Do you improvise? Terr: “We decide everything together, the three of us. We are not a democracy; there are no 2-1 votes. If someone is not happy with a decision, we have to talk more about it until everyone is cool with it. We have very different backgrounds and it’s a very good thing sometimes it’s really hard to find a common ground, but when we finally get it, it’s the best possible outcome.” What percentage of your daily life do you dedicate to the label? Daniel Watts: “Well, when you work with something you love, like we do with music, there’s no clear limit between your life and your work. So I’d say that I use 100% of my time available for the label and to my music.” What’s your daily process with label management? Do you each have your own roles to make it work? Terr: “Not exactly. Each person does what they are most comfortable with at the moment, but everyone is always aware of everything that’s happening. We are always travelling to play somewhere with our projects as well, so sometimes one of us is simply not available for 3 or 4 days, so we are very flexible with roles. We do what needs to be done at the moment.” Do you plan throwing parties as part of the platform? Shall has been in Argentina together with Rebolledo for an Ellum Showcase & those are regular in Europe... Is this something you have in mind? Shall Ocin: “Yes, of course. We have a lot of plans for the near future. Label showcases are just one of them. We like the idea of Clash Lion being a multi-platform form of art. We have plans to do showcases in Europe as well as in Asia and South America. We are from Brazil and Argentina, so Latin America is one of our main interests as artists and as a label.”
Shall Ocin Which plans do you have for the future of the platform? Terr: “We just want to release good fresh music, and give our little contribution to the history of electronic music.” Is there any evolution of the label that you have in mind? Daniel Watts: “We just want to keep doing what we do, releasing great artists and interesting tracks. In terms of music, we are of course going to evolve to some new styles that don’t exist yet. We are very open to the new, to the music of the future.” If you have to talk about a dream you have for Clash Lion, what would you say that was? Shall Ocin: “Nothing too superlative. Everything we want is to release great works of art, great music, tracks that touch people. We just want to release good music, make friends and have some fun together. If we can do that, it’s already our dream.” u
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CLAPTONE’S
PROPHECY THE MASKED PRODUCER IS ABOUT TO RELEASE HIS SECOND STUDIO ALBUM.
F
rom a plane bound for Colombia, the man behind the mask talked with us about what we can expect from his upcoming studio album, ‘Fantast.’ With great clarity, he gave us details about what’s next... You’re in a pretty particular moment, after announcing the album and waiting for the release... How do you live this process? Are you anxious? “You are right. It’s extremely exciting! I have made such a beautiful album and can’t wait for people to hear it but as of now not even the media had the chance to apart from ‘In The Night’.” What’s been the reaction to that song so far? “The reaction is very positive. I came a long way from ‘Cream’ over ‘No Eyes’ and ‘The Drums’ to now with ‘In The Night’ producing very much a real stylish pop song routed in funk, disco
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and house. If people misunderstood the song, misunderstood where Claptone is coming from. They could have neglected instead of embracing it. So I am very happy that it get so much love.” What have you been doing since the release of “In The Night” and the announcement? Do you have more things planned in order to promote Fantast? “Oh yes, of course. It’s just begun! The ‘In The Night’ video is done, remixes will drop within the next weeks and I’ll share another track from the album in march. As I am obsessed with nighttime and it’s scenery you’ll be able to stream or download ‘Stay the Night’ featuring Tender in some weeks.” Tell us about the announcement... it was a special one! What did you wanted to communicate?
“It was not me communicating, rather a prophecy. It started some weeks ago with an ancient Claptone statue being found in mystic grounds of Ireland. Engraved in the statue there was five different coordinates and a specific date and time where given: January 17th of 2018, 8.30 GMT. I instantly understood this prophecy and asked my record label to stand by and prepare teams to show the world what’s gonna happen via Facebook live stream from these coordinates at the given time. On exactly 8.30 GMT the stream linking live footage from those 5 different coordinates started. And there it was: A #claptoneinvasion took place, meaning you could see devotees all dressed up as Claptone walking on the Times Square in New York City, underneath the Berlin Alex Fernsehturm (Television Tower), the Paris Eiffel Tour, the Tower of London and standing on a Ferry in front of the Sydney Opera House. It was
a spontaneous simultaneous Claptone invasion. My interpretation: It must have been clear since centuries that I am to announce my second album on that day in a hotel overlooking the Tower Bridge in London. So a prophecy has been forged centuries ago, inscripted in a statue, burried the grounds of Ireland. After I saw on the news that a statue had been found in Ireland, I had a feeling all this might happened to be honest but then again I have magic powers from time to time.”
“Working on ‘Fantast’ has been a fruitful counterpoint to the hectic world of travelling as a DJ.” After Charmer -or even before-, you’ve been always at the top of the game. When did you decided to chase another LP and why? “I love the idea of a classic album that people listen to in one go though it seems dead today especially in dance music. But sometimes, I am a romantic. With an album I can follow a concept bulid an arch and delve deeper into songwriting as well. Producing house music that you can play in a club is just a different artform than producing music routed in house but able to grow and meander unrestricted out of that genre to then form an album. I love both though and being able to have it both, produce it both, the Ying and Yang of a club banger like ‘The Drums’ and a ballad like ‘A Waiting Game’ from my upcoming album keeps me a happy being. Working on ‘Fantast’ has been a fruitful counterpoint to the hectic world of travelling as a DJ.” What’s the best part of going for an LP? “Starting with ‘Charmer’ I made it a point to work with vocalists who’s music I really admire and who inspired me in the past. So while working on ‘Fantast’ having the pleasure of working with Kele from Bloc Party, Katie from Austra or Ben Duffy from Fenech Soler and their character vocals got me extremely excited and inspired. I always feel that on the background of so much generic vocal for hire and sampled vocal snippets in club music today I enjoy working with these people twice as much. Big pleasure also to reunited with Nathan Nicholson from The Boxer Rebellion as well as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah who already contributed to my first album.” How’s been this production process? “I collected layouts and ideas since right after ‘Charmer’. Mostly very rough ideas... Then, early 2017, I started spelling out these ideas a little more and contacting vocalists, sending them ideas. Some of them came back, some didn’t, some I met, some I never even talked to and only communicated via music… A process that suits
me quite well as a mystic being and frequent traveler I must admit. And here’s the problem right there: something that I underestimated and which had the production process drag along much longer than anticipated. My magic powers were just not strong enough to play around 250 DJ gigs in 2017 while finishing the album real quick. In the end I just couldn’t get satisfying results under one year of production time. My standards are high, some even say I am a perfectionist. On the upside I now have an album that I am 100% happy with. And an album that you need in your lives.” Why did each one of those tracks ended inside “Fantast”? “The tracks are not only the strongest selection out of over 20 tracks –almost- finished during the process, but also follow an overreaching arc. These songs are dreams about nighttime, moonlight, stars, forests, oceans and being out in the open. They try to escape loneliness and faded love. They fantasize about feeling again, finding hope and real love, growing stronger and escaping like an animal into the wild. They temper with time when seconds can turn into an eternity and they want to believe when waiting for magic feelings to confirm. Source of their energy is not the closed doors but the nature of this planet, not the economy driven so-called real life but all the dreams you have when you admit that you are a ‘Fantast’.” And what about the sound of the album? “I am a huge supporter of not trying to describe what you can hear for yourself. Music is so much more than words and even than words about music, so please give ‘Fantast’ a listen.” I know there’s a nice concept behind this one... Where does this comes from? What do you think is that thing that leaded you to create the album? “It all starts with soulsearching through music as mentioned before. I am making music not only to make the people dance but for more selfish reasons. I tend to lose myself when making music, to dive into and create my very own realm of beauty. When revisiting early ideas and themes some concepts reocurred and seemed to impose themselves on me, on this album. I had to follow this lead. To give you an example, there were two early songs or layouts that later did not make it on the album: ‘Into The Wild’ and ‘Mountain and Lake’. Those set the tone, introduced the nature theme to me when played back to back and gave me a vision for the whole album, which imagery and motifs I would like to have, how it should feel. This arch could be showing me a path to my soul. But it collided so heavily with the harsh political realities that I had my doubts from time to time. Further down the line I bypassed my doubts by as well reading the album as a subconscious escape from or even counter movement to all the cowardice selfish national idiocy happening. But all that is surely more of a biproduct as the album is in the
“These songs are dreams about nighttime, moonlight, stars, forests, oceans and being out in the open.” djmagla.com
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“I’d love to save the planet, but I am fine with a little help from everyone else.” You have been experiencing a lot of success over the past years... Do you see this as something that has affected the way you carry out your carreer or something in it? “I became a little more confident at times. I have a little more freedoms at times and I can laugh about me at times.”
first place a very personal, a dreamy, a heartfelt, at times a naive and surely escapist album. But what to do if one - on the quest for his own soul - develops a strong desire to go back to his roots, back to nature? Did I find myself on that journey? Rather not. But I found some beautiful moments in the green, out in the woods, out in the fields, under the moon and in the night, moments, which I want to share with you. And there is one thing I learned and now it can be told: I am and have always been a ‘Fantast’.” And in general, how important is for an artist to release an LP? “I can only speak for myself and as much work this is, for me it’s worth it because as described above I can make my music more colorful if I am freed from the chains of producing music that has to work in a club context. Don’t get me wrong: I would not want to live without producing great club tracks but I can do more on an album and I did much more on ‘Fantast’.”
Why? Can you tell us something about those changes that came with your success? “I produce almost the same way still. There are still so many vocalists I would love to work with that I couldn’t yet convince to enter into a collaboration. So there’s still work to do. I play bigger venues and can be found higher in a festival billing now which is indeed a big difference to six years ago. Luckily, I enjoy both big and small gigs as long as the crowd is up for it, because that’s when I get going as well.” Tell us about Masquerade... How involved are you in the process of line ups and production? What do you want to showcase in those shows? “On the majority of events I curate the musical line up so I have the pleasure to present the music I like to you all night long, lots of times playing an extended set myself. On top of that we bring my very own ‘The Masquerade’ stage design including the XXL golden Claptone mask that hangs above the DJ both. I have help for shipping and carrying all this stuff, of course. And I also bring performers, sometimes fire
eaters, stilt walkers and the likes as well as other surprises to make this an immersive experience for my beloved guests. The Masquerades I did recently and the guests I was able to invite over the last 18 month like MK, Black Coffee, Clause VonStroke, Pete Tong, dOP, Darius Syrossian, Tube & Berger, Booka Shade, Catz ‘n Dogz, Kevin Saunderson, Amine Edge & DANCE, Mat. Joe, Re.You, Tensnake, DJ T., Jonas Rathsmann and Rodriguez JR. were just mindblowing. With ‘The Masquerade’ I can combine my idea of a good musical line up with creating an ambience that helps people to let go. They can put on a mask themselves and be part of a freak circus. I personally am a big fan of oldschool venezian style outifits with that certain edge, but everybody should use this occasion to dress up however they want. Basically you are welcome to enjoy the freedom of choice.” How do you see the scene nowadays? Do you try to contribute something to it? “Which scene? The people that come to the events or the DJs playing for them? Well with the crowd I can tell you they are the best, at least on the parties I played for the last several years. All the prejudice about electronic music festivals or clubs being flooded with drugs is just over exaggerated or completely made up if you ask me. And I’ve hardly even seen any voilence on a night I’ve been playing either. In fact, most of the misconducted behavior -I even tend to say abuse of power- I had to experience on events came from bouncers or the police. As for the DJ scene: I am more of a loner, to be honest. There are some DJs I play a lot with and whom I meet quite often on my travels though. And whenever I meet them I contribute friendliness and support. With some I even go to dinner. As for those young producers who I don’t yet meet on the road, I try to feature their prodcutions in my weekly Clapcast and when I love their productions really much I’m asking them for a remix. Does that count as contribution to the scene?” Of course. Are you someone who tries to analyze whats going on around? “I am not that analytical. I inhale what’s going on and process this unconsciously I guess.” What do you enjoy the most about your present? “That I have many more ideas of what I want to do in music, visually and in performance. The universe of Claptone stands not yet in blossom.” What are those things that you are still chasing within your career? “I don’t like the word career, not enough soul for my taste. I do have aims though: I still want to keep people open minded and touch their hearts with my music. On top of that, I’d love to save the planet, but I am fine with a little help from everyone else.
‘FANTAST’ WILL BE OUT ON JUNE 8TH. u 58
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