London gets set for the roar of the Taurus head honcho. No bull
Interview by Rob Chadwick
Miguel welcome to DMCWORLD…how are things today…
H Rob and DMCWORLD!! All good, in the studio right now, just moved a few weeks ago to another place and I’m still setting everything up, you know…cables, gear etc.
Can you tell us about the beginning of your journey? What were the DJs/sounds/parties that got you started?
Well.. I’ve been DJing for almost 6 months now, I started playing live shows 4 years ago. I always felt more comfortable playing live as opposed to doing the DJ/club thing. I’d never DJ’d before but I wanted to start playing records, I’m still learning and I really enjoy it. A very good friend of mine calls me the “anti-DJ” because I never liked to go out to clubs in my town (Madrid). I’m not a huge fan of the nightlife, I prefer to stay in at friends’ houses, have some drinks, chill, but no clubs. So, it’s funny that I got this job.
What music were you into when you were younger?
I was (and still am) a big fan of hardcore, punk, metal and all that kind of stuff. Sick of it All, Hatebreed, Deftones, Sepultura…
When it comes to production are you a hardware or software kind of person?
I like hardware because it gives you more freedom to improvise and make weird stuff, but honestly I like soft synths, everything is easier for me, I really hate midi. What I have is a lot of analogue gear in terms of processing, like eq, compressors, multi effects, etc.
Tell us about your writing process. When it comes to writing do you have a set process or do you just roll the dice see what happens?
Every time I start a project I begin with (most of the times) some drums, at least a basic drum kit, like a kick, clap or snare, hi hat or something like that. Then I start with a melody idea and so on. But I would say that when I start a project it depends on what I want to do I start with drums, or maybe recording some acoustic drums or bass. I have 2 kind of setups, one is for more “house-dance” music and the other one I would say is more “pop” which is like drums, bass, guitar, keys, etc. Both setups are amazing if you combine them. So sometimes I like to sit in front the computer and start with plugins or some samples, and sometimes I want to sit with a bass guitar.
What would you say is your greatest achievement to date?
Well.. of course I would say my last rack setup. Last week I got 8 rack units of preamps (API), compressors (API 2500), RETRO instruments, etc. love that s**t.
You’re playing for the Avant Garde guys with Apparat in June. Are you looking forward to it? What can people expect from you?
Yeah! I can’t wait to come to London. I’m a huge fan of Apparat so for me it’s a pleasure to share party with him. Going to DJ a lot of new upcoming stuff and new records from friends. Really looking forward to it.
How does London compare to other places to play? Do you have a favourite/venue party?
I love to play in London, there are so many great places. I love Corsica, played live a couple of times there, the crowd was amazing and the sound as well. I like Dance Tunnel, cause it’s more “club” and is easier to connect with the people and get the vibe. Oval Space, a big one, played live last year in November and was totally amazing, I can’t wait to be back this month.
If your house was burning down and you could only save one record, what would it be?
Well, that s a tricky question I would say some records of my mom’s from the late 70´s of the disco era in Ibiza.
And finally, what else have you got coming up/are you excited about?
I have this new project called Taurus with my friend Sofia from London, we went to the studio in London last year, and we made a lot of music, demos, just ideas. And one day we thought that it could be great to put out this music. So there is no label behind it, just us making the music and doing the PR thing, like putting the music on Youtube, Spotify, iTunes…
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