Gustin

Following on from Tripswitch’s 2017 label launching mix compilation ‘In At The Deep End’ (ODST0001), as a bold 2019 year end statement ‘Synchronicity’ (ODST0019) is a dynamic compilation of exclusive and previously unreleased tracks from friends of the flourishing onedotsixtwo label. Featuring exciting new and upcoming talent alongside some well established names, the album has been compiled and mixed by Gustin – a vital member of the onedotsixtwo A&R and management team, and a highly-respected veteran DJ and selector with over 25 years experience playing across the globe. So, we thought this was a prefect moment to catch up with Gustin and find out more…

Gustin, a big welcome to DMCWORLD and congratulations on the release of your ‘Synchronicity’ DJ mix comp on Tripswitch’s onedotsixtwo imprint. We’ve been hearing great music from this label all year, so the first thing we’ve got to ask is what makes this label so special?

Thank you for having me! Well, there are a few factors I think. Firstly Nick’s (Tripswitch) vision for the label is very clear, the mantra is “Proper Progressive”, and as you will know having heard some of the releases, we hold pretty true to that ethos. Secondly, we work very much as a team and all decisions are totally democratic. Nick, Steve (Marx) and myself all contribute to A&R as well as having our own separate, more defined roles within the label, and we always all have input into whether we should sign a track/EP, and who, if anyone, we should get to remix specific tracks. Lastly, we keep almost everything in-house, which, despite being difficult at times due to tight deadlines, means we have total control, even down to mastering the tracks (which Nick does himself) and I believe he is one of the best in the business, so we are very lucky to have his skills to hand. Finally, we are all very good friends and try to keep things fun and interesting.

Talk us through the making of this excellent ‘Synchronicity’ album…

Nick launched the label in 2017 with an amazing compilation he curated and mixed called ‘In At The Deep End’, and soon after he invited me to join the label as we were already friends and have a very similar musical taste and ethos. We had previously discussed the idea of the label doing another V/A, and as the label gained momentum a lot of really great tracks were being sent to us and we were starting to have to turn down quality music, purely based on the EP release pipeline being so full, so Nick suggested I start to compile tracks to sign for ‘Synchronicity’, which of course I jumped at!

After that, it all came together quite organically. There was no fixed deadline but I think we all had the end of the year in our heads. Some tracks were sent in for consideration to the label (Weird Sounding Dude ‘Hugel’, Partenaire ‘The Warmth’ and Berni Turletti & Agustin Lupidi ‘Suyai’, for example) and others I actively went looking for, or in the case of ‘Alive’ by Martin Gardeqi, Matias Larrosa and Mario Puccio, literally stumbled across on SoundCloud and was blown away when I contacted Mario to congratulate him on It’s brilliance and found out it wasn’t signed, so snapped it up immediately!

A few other tracks were created specifically with this album project in mind, such as VINU ‘Melodic Sunrise’, which he played me an early melody sketch of earlier in the year and we agreed he progress it, and Brandon Lee ‘Free Minds’, which opens the mix and was written by Brandon for the comp. Following that, the task came down to programming it for the mix and it honestly felt like it just fell together. The tracks all seemed to naturally compliment each other and slot easily into an overall mix while still retaining their unique identity. There actually wasn’t a grand design when choosing the tracks originally as to which would fit where, and I was a little apprehensive when I went to mix it at first, because, as a DJ, I’m used to having endless choices re which tracks to place with the next, but it really felt like they were made for each other and I had the track order ready in no time. Aside from that, the main thing that helped this come together is the support and assistance I had from Nick and Steve, both artistically and logistically. It really has been a team effort even though my name is on the cover.

There’s an incredibly exciting array of new talent from around the world on display here – who would you tip to break big in 2020?

Ohhh! Now you’re trying to get me in trouble with my lovely contributing artists! Firstly, I believe they all have the talent and capability to break through, which is why we chose them and their music for the compilation, and some of them arguably already have established themselves firmly (e.g. Michael A, Oliver & Tom). But, seeing as you have me on the spot (and it’s not a very interesting answer to say the former) I would have to say Kaspar Tasane. He has been sending me his tracks for the past couple of years and his music just totally blows me away. It’s elegant yet driving, and has a timeless energy that often reminds me of the mid 1990’s progressive sound. I have heard lots of his more recent work since ‘Cloud Atlas’ (my sets are littered with his unreleased work) and I can’t recommend him enough! That said, as I mentioned earlier, I believe all of the artists on this compilation are set for a great musical future and I will support them all the way, however I can.

For anyone not familiar already, how would you describe your DJ style? Can you put a finger on the elements that make your DJ sets so distinctive and engaging?

I’m not very good at describing myself, or things about myself, but I’ll give it a go… Basically, I love long blends that create within them something new but also compliment and add to the previous piece and introduce the new elements seamlessly. When I used to play vinyl I would always wish that the tracks would last longer so I could keep them in the mix for longer and would often start a mix midway through a track and still run out of track. Now that we’ve gone digital and the CDJ is king I can loop tracks indefinitely which opens up all sorts of possibilities.

Great music is often described as being “timeless” – is this a concept that you can relate to?

Absolutely! Great music doesn’t really age in my opinion. Of course we will have memories associated to particular songs and tracks that will put a timestamp on it but that’s on us rather than the music itself.

Do you find it easy to express your deepest emotions when you DJ, or is this something that finds an outlet only in certain, special moments?

I love playing and seeing people connecting to the same vibe and losing themselves in the music. I feel my emotions are secondary to this to be honest, as I’m the conduit, but I do feel a deep responsibility to find and play the best possible music I can, that encourages this kind of feeling in people and allows them to let go and be open and caring to each other, and I believe music can do this. That said, of course I feel huge emotion when I’m playing, and there’s nothing like the feeling of a dancefloor erupting when everything is just right. For me, that’s the drug! 😉

Tell us something about the psychological effects of music that totally blows your mind?

Oh, well this ties in nicely! Almost like ‘Synchronicity’! As I mentioned before, music has the power to change the way people think, even if it’s momentary, it can open up people’s minds to new ideas and a shared empathy. Of course, it also has unreal healing powers, which I think we are only starting to re-comprehend but that were probably inherently known in the past and slowly got lost along the way. Cymatics and the power of certain frequencies to move matter positively is something that really interests me.

Can you give some key essential tips for the youngsters who are just starting out and learning the art of Djing?

Mix, mix, mix, practice, practice, practice……Don’t get caught up in the hype…….keep your ego in check…..find your own groove……be nice! …….. Respect your elders!

Let’s rewind for a moment, what are your earliest musical memories?

There’s not an exact pinpoint memory to be honest, but my first feeling of recognising music and differentiating between styles and sounds would have been growing up with my mother in Dublin from when I was 4 or 5 I guess? There would always be lots of friends coming and going and there would always be music playing from Bob Dylan to Cat Stevens, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.

How did your musical tastes develop? When did dance music come into your life?

I got into music and forming my own tastes in it quite young and by the age of 12 had already formed a band with three schoolmates and we’re taking it pretty seriously. My tastes ranged from U2, The Cure, The Pixies, Happy Monday’s, The Charlatans and many others, including lots of reggae, and then around the age of thirteen I started to hear more electronic music, mainly through tapes we would get sent (via a friend’s brother who lived in London at the time) of the pirate stations there and my love of it just grew and grew.

At what point did you get into DJing? Who/what were big influences in your early years?

I started DJing when I was 16 (which was in ’94). My biggest influences around then would have been Sasha and Digweed, Nick Warren, Laurent Garnier etc. but I also used to play some drum and bass early on (before I realized that mixing the two genres was not ever going to work out!) and people like LTJ Bukem and Adam F and their liquid sound we’re also influencing my tastes.

Having grown up in Ireland and through the evolution of the Dublin underground dance scene in the 90’s, what’s your assessment of things now? Is the scene healthy over there? What could improve it?

It’s quite different now, I think, but that’s true of pretty much any city as 20 years, give or take, has passed and the dance scene was then essentially in its inception and finding its way, whereas now things are more controlled and considered. I can’t really comment too knowledgeably about where the Dublin scene is now, as I don’t live there and haven’t for many years, but I think there is still a decent little underground scene from what I hear. The one thing I will say, which does not necessarily relate to the Dublin/Irish scene but more generally, is that people are always comparing “now” to “back then” without taking into consideration that if you are old enough to have been in the scene back then, then maybe it is “you” that’s changed equally as much as “things” have and people are still having a feckin’ good time despite it all being different.

In what ways do you think your particular journey through life has influenced the way you play music now?

Wow, this is deep! 😉 But, seriously, I think I have been very fortunate to have had lots support through my career. I’ve always played only the music I’ve loved and gravitated towards, which has remained pretty constant over the past 20 years or so and I feel that probably the music has influenced my journey through life more than my life experiences influencing my style.

Since you set up home in Ibiza in 2015, what positive and negative changes have you seen on the island related to the future of the clubbing scene there?

I think Ibiza (and everywhere) is constantly changing and I don’t get too tied up in the negative side of things, as I believe it just feeds the machine. I have been visiting the island since the mid-90’s, so I have, of course, seen lots of changes over that time, but I have also noticed some changes over the relatively short time I have lived there (five years) and the demographic has definitely shifted and also the numbers of summer season visitors has dropped, especially in the past two seasons, but I am a big believer in cycles and corrections, and although the changes may not be good for some businesses in the short term, and some of the clubs and events may suffer, I think there will be a natural correction of sorts, in relation to the cost of accommodation particularly (including holiday, seasonal and annual) which have gotten totally out control, to the extent that a lot people just won’t, or can’t, stand for it anymore and are taking their hard earned money elsewhere. There are also some politically charged issues to do with volume levels at beach clubs, amongst other things, but I believe this will also be short lived and a more sensible place-by-place approach will prevail in the coming years.

From an insider’s point of view, which under the radar places in Ibiza should a visitor head for out of season?

From the point of places to go out, I would recommend the first stop always being ‘Paradise Lost’, a very cool little tiki rum cocktail bar just inside the old town walls. From here, you will no doubt pick up good advice on what’s going on within the local scene. Another cool late night local hangout is Malanga (open from midnight to 6am) where you’ll catch lots of lovely locals getting down to a mix of funk, soul, old school hip hop and everything in between. For daytime, San Jordi market on a Saturday is always great for hanging out and people watching, as is San Juan market on a Sunday, and if you are feeling a little adventurous, a hike down to ‘Atlantis’ near Cala d’Hort and Es Vedra is always worth the trip once you have a nice sunny day.

You’ve performed at a lot of festivals over the years. What are the pros and cons of playing festivals compared to intimate club environments?

Festivals gigs are great because people really let go of their inhibitions at festivals and often even take on a new persona for the weekend, so it can be really fun to play to these hype up crowds. However, there are always so many distractions and options in a festival environment, sometimes it can be more difficult to lock in the dance floor and keep it locked.

What have been some of your favourite places you’ve played recently?

Without a doubt top of the list for me has to be The Soundgarden in Liverpool this July, which was hosted and promoted by 303 Events. I warmed up for Nick (Warren) and Hernan and thanks to the amazing Liverpool crowd, coupled with the perfect set-up, by the time I was half way through my set the place was already totally going off. I then also played the closing set inside later, so for me the perfect combination.

If you could play for a whole night with any DJ (ever), who would be at the top of your wish list?

Ahh FFS!…..Sasha…..there, I’ve said it. There’s goes my The Soundgarden residency!

After this superb mix comp release, what new projects should we watch out for from you in 2020?

Well I’m starting 2020 with a month long tour in Argentina in January, which I’m really looking forward to, plus of course we have a really exciting release schedule for onedotsixtwo for 2020 and I’ll be busy working with The Soundgarden with new events for the European summer (assuming I haven’t been sacked from my residency by Nick Warren after my previous comment!)

And finally, what’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t forget to enjoy the view along the way”

Thanks for your time here Gustin – much appreciated!

Thank you so much for having me!

Various Artists
Synchronicity – compiled and mixed by Gustin

  1. Brandon Lee – Free Minds
  2. Weird Sounding Dude – Hugel
  3. Oliver & Tom – True Level
  4. Gabriel Amato – Starship
  5. Dysco, Juan Ibanez – Gaspra
  6. Michael A – See Yourself
  7. Kaspar Tasane – Cloud Atlas
  8. Rodrigo Deem – Panorama
  9. Partenaire – The Warmth
  10. Berni Turletti, Agustin Lupidi – Suyai
  11. VINU – Melodic Sunrise
  12. Martin Gardoqui, Matias Larrosa, Mario Puccio – Alive
    (onedotsixtwo) ODST0019

All Stores: 20 December 2019
Format: Digital
Beatport – Buy Now: https://www.beatport.com/release/synchronicity-compiled-and-mixed-by-gustin/2778125

Gustin Info:

https://www.facebook.com/gustindj
https://soundcloud.com/dj-gustin

https://www.instagram.com/dj_gustin

onedotsixtwo Info:

https://www.facebook.com/onedotsixtwo
http://onedotsixtwo.com
https://twitter.com/onedotsixtwo
https://www.instagram.com/onedotsixtwo