For many years now both Nervous and Chus & Ceballos have been flying the flag for New York’s house music scene. However, aside from collaborating on their ‘Back On Tracks’ mix CDs nearly a decade ago, the two have never teamed up for a release. Having pioneered the Iberican sound, the Spanish DJ/producer duo have indisputably earned themselves legend status as they continue topping the charts whilst headlining the globe’s elite venues, not to mention the perpetual success of their renowned label Stereo Productions. A long-time platform for illustrious producers, Nervous Records is now set to release the pair’s forthcoming single with remixes from none other than acid house pioneer DJ Pierre and tribal house stalwart DJ Vibe. DMCWORLD checks in to get the low down on the track ‘More I Want U’…
Hi guys! Thanks for speaking to us today. What have you both been up to lately?
Thank you for having us. Well, the words that will describe our current situation best is ‘non-stop’; non-stop with music production, we have several strong singles coming up on Stereo and Knee Deep In Sound apart of this amazing release on Nervous and also remixes for Carl Cox on Intec and DJ Pierre on Get Physical, non stop touring all over the world with regular residencies in North and South America, Stereo Showcases in the main cities around the globe and right now packing our baggage for a very exciting Tour in Asia including a Bus Tour in Japan for 8 different cities plus 2 events in Bali and Kuala Lumpur. Also non stop with the activity on our record label Stereo Productions that is in a sweet moment with many interesting releases coming up!
You’ve just released on Nervous. Both yourselves and Nervous have been key players in New York’s scene for a very long time. How has this only happened now?
We had a long term relationship with Mike Weiss and Nervous records, it is true that has been a while since we don’t put a record out on the label, we talked many times about it and we guess it was just a matter of time to find the right project for them. A few years ago we released a compilation series called ‘Back on Track’ and a couple of really good remixes for Oscar G and Boris that did great back in the day. We believe now is the right time to come back to the them supported by a strong digital and vinyl release that we are extremely excited with.
Your Stereo Productions label has been going strong for many years. As the minds behind it, how would you explain it’s ongoing success? Have you got any tips for readers aiming to launch their own label?
We believe that the key for the success of a label is to release good music from good artists, artists that identifies themselves with the label and inspire each other artists to come and bring their music. Its very important to also have a ‘sound’, an identity, a brand that people recognise immediately and of course a clear way to communicate it, elements that make your unique ADN. We also have strong channels to spread the word, the label showcases and the weekly podcast, mandatory tools to create a solid community around the globe. This brotherhood, family union, unique identity and belonging has been the keys for us and for sure our advise for anyone trying to start his own career in music industry.
Having worked together for so long you two clearly have a unique partnership that works well. If each of you were to define a trait in each other that’s cemented your relationship what would it be?
Chus: Pablo is a very sensitive person, patient, loyal, balanced, he is in a never ending learning process for technology, very passionate for music, we complement each other perfectly, we can say we are the Yin and the Yang.
Ceballos: I will highlight Chus’ artistic talent, his endless passion, his strength and consistency in difficult moments and his sincerity with the people he loves.
Speaking of working with other people; you’ve collaborated with many producers over the years, including a recent Stereo Productions release alongside Dennis Cruz. How did that collaboration happen and what was it like working with Dennis? Which artists have been particularly enjoyable to work with over the years and why?
Chus: It was one of those long nights when i couldn’t sleep, i started up looking for my old percussion libraries on tapes and cds with the only purpose of have some fun, then i realized that those drums i’ve programmed were something pretty interesting, i showed the arrange to Pablo and Dennis the next day and they fell in love inmediately. Dennis is such an amazing music engineer, a magician who made it sound like heaven! When the track was done we thought that a vocal would be fit perfectly and ‘Voila’, we find the right one! we are extremely happy with the result!
We’ve got the pleasure to share the studio with many talented people, we really enjoyed to work with Danny Tenaglia, Victor Calderone, Richie Santana, Joeski, Cevin Fisher, Mark Knight, Rafa Barrios, Oscar L, Danny Serrano, David Herrero, Astrid Suryanto, Adrian Hour or Leonardo Gonnelli to name but a few, it has been a large list over the years and the common point is that we all are friends sharing the same passion for music, enjoying to be creative and having a really good time in the lab.
Later this month you’re doing a tour of Japan. What is that experience usually like? How do the Japanese crowds compare to the rest of the world? Have you got any tips or recommendations for readers visiting the country for the first time?
Japan is one of our favourite countries in the world to visit, we are amazed by their culture, gastronomy and the way to approach life, so different than the western world. To play there is an unforgettable experience for Djs, Japanese people is wide open and they are always ready to listen to new genres, styles, artists, hosting you like truly family. If you never went to Japan it should be on your bucket list – we highly recommend it.
Finally, aside from the tour do you have any other forthcoming projects you’d like to shout about? Any exciting releases or gigs you’d like to mention?
We just released on Intec Digital a remix for Carl Cox of his classic track ‘Your Light Shines On’, we also have signed one EP called ‘Ain’t Nobody’ for Knee Deep in Sound, Hot Since 82’s record label, and another remix for legendary DJ Pierre on Get Physical of his new album single ’Strobe Light Laser Acid’. We are having an amazing feedback with the Stereo Productions Showcases, we are already confirmed for Bulgaria in June, Lisbon in July, BPM Portugal in September, ADE in Amsterdam in October and Colombia in December, more to be announced very soon, stay tuned!
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