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Another great interview from Hernan. 
Reading things from world class djs. South America and particularly Argentina is the place they all want to play. Think Hernan and friends might have a good deal to do with that. !! 
Interview on Warung 10yr Magazine (By Bruna Calegari) English
by Hernan Cattaneo on Monday, February 18, 2013 at 6:06pm ·
How was it to become a DJ and producer in a country that isn’t one of the biggest centers of dance music?
I think both my international career and the Argentinean scene grew up together from the end of the 90´s and along de 00´s. Argentina has hosted world class DJs since 1991, when Martin Gontad (one of the major names of the electronic music scene in Argentina) produced his first show, and then in the next ten years it slowly became an interesting pit-stop for many others until it reached a high point in 2001, when the first Creamfields happened and most of the greatest DJs came to play and mentioned Buenos Aires between their favorite cities worldwide.
So for me it was a bit similar timing: I’ve been playing many clubs in Buenos Aires and in 1993 started my residency at Pacha, where along the years led me to play with most top class DJs. Then, between ‘98 and 2000 I got my first international shows and after that I moved to London for a full on world class career.
Which people were fundamental for you on the beginning of your career?
Martin Gontad was crucial because he was the first person thinking about me in potentially becoming a top ten worldwide DJ, even when at that time no other South American DJ had reached such a level, and also he was the one who built the bridge between myself and the UK industry. Paul Oakenfold was the one who took me out of Buenos Aires and exposed me to the world; after hearing me play in BA, he offered me to open his world tour in 99 and that, of course, was a tremendous opportunity. He also signed me to his Perfecto label were I released my first international compilation called “Southamerica”. I also have to thank Cream, which at that time was the most famous club brand in the world, which offered me to be their resident DJ in Ibiza and at their headquarters in Liverpool, and gave me as well high profile set times at Creamfields Liverpool festival, and that was an immense exposure to the whole club music community for me.
The compilations you’ve made for the traditional label Renaissance were very important for your career, right? In fact, you were the only DJ to ever release five MasterSeries. What did the short closure of Renaissance in 2011 meant to you?
It is such a big privilege to have a large collection of compilations like that, and the best thing about all of those albums is that I can hear them today and feel that I chose the right tracks and they still sound very good! The thing is, in the last five years many labels went through difficult periods while adjusting from the old criteria of physical music (vinyl and CDs) to the digital age. Luckily, Renaissance had only stopped working for 8 months and now is back with amazing new stuff.
And how was it to build the fifth Master Series and seventh overall Renaissance compilation? What were you hoping to show in this masterpiece?
I’m extremely happy about this new Master Series. Giving continuity to the path I chose on Parallel, the idea is still to make a slower-paced album, very melodic and atmospheric, and another with the sounds I play in club sets all over the world ever weekend of the year. Year after year, you get to improve your abilities, craft things in a better way, elaborate things even more meticulously than before. Also, technology allowed me to work things in a completely different way compared to the first albums where I could only mix vinyl discs, and that makes a big difference as well.
A question everybody wants to know: how to keep playing the kind of music you play and still not letting it become “outdated”? In your opinion, consistency will always overcome trend, even in this fast-paced world we live in?
There are, of course, DJs that play trendy music and change their sound every two years or so; and there are others, like me, who play their own particular music. It’s all about personality really, I know what I like and I don’t follow any others in any direction. I like groovy, melodic music and I find those elements in many different styles. I believe your sets must be coherent, as well as your style, you career and yourself. If you think about the greatest DJs, they all have their own style, they may change the music, but talking style? It’s cool because even if it takes years to see them play again, you know what you’re going to get from them. And then you see the ones that some years ago were playing progressive, then electro, then minimal, then techno and now deep house. That is not very serious in my opinion – nobody will respect you for doing that.
You travel around the entire world. What was the most curious gig you’ve ever played?
Traveling around the world for many years gave me the extraordinary opportunity to play at so many wonderful shows! There are many many highly memorable ones, some more intense, some more emotional, some highly electric ones and of course some curios ones. Playing at a cave in Mexico full of “alive” stalagmites and stalactites was one of them.
It’s not a secret that you need more than two hours to build a set the way you like it, right? Considering this, would Warung be the perfect place to play, leaving DJs free to create and play for endless hours?
Warung is one of those clubs around the world that you always look forward to play and one of the highlights in my calendar every year! Not only it’s a great place in a fantastic location, but also the crowd is one of the most consistently inspiring worldwide. We all know about the South American spirit, and at Warung it reaches one of its peaks, so that’s the reason it’s regarded so highly by all the DJs who play there. Gustavo (Conti) and their crew did a great job by always booking quality DJs, so now the crowd is very well educated. To play a long set like most top DJs do at Warung, you need a patient crowd that trusts you and know that you will deliver it for them. I really enjoy starting slow and fastening up throughout the night and Warung lets me do it in the most beautiful way, so that I am always pleased with the result of the night.
Not sure how I feel about the new Facebook photo, I really loved the old one
But it is a beautiful piece of photographic work. !!
Reading things from world class djs. South America and particularly Argentina is the place they all want to play. Think Hernan and friends might have a good deal to do with that. !! Interview on Warung 10yr Magazine (By Bruna Calegari) English
by Hernan Cattaneo on Monday, February 18, 2013 at 6:06pm ·
How was it to become a DJ and producer in a country that isn’t one of the biggest centers of dance music?
I think both my international career and the Argentinean scene grew up together from the end of the 90´s and along de 00´s. Argentina has hosted world class DJs since 1991, when Martin Gontad (one of the major names of the electronic music scene in Argentina) produced his first show, and then in the next ten years it slowly became an interesting pit-stop for many others until it reached a high point in 2001, when the first Creamfields happened and most of the greatest DJs came to play and mentioned Buenos Aires between their favorite cities worldwide.
So for me it was a bit similar timing: I’ve been playing many clubs in Buenos Aires and in 1993 started my residency at Pacha, where along the years led me to play with most top class DJs. Then, between ‘98 and 2000 I got my first international shows and after that I moved to London for a full on world class career.
Which people were fundamental for you on the beginning of your career?
Martin Gontad was crucial because he was the first person thinking about me in potentially becoming a top ten worldwide DJ, even when at that time no other South American DJ had reached such a level, and also he was the one who built the bridge between myself and the UK industry. Paul Oakenfold was the one who took me out of Buenos Aires and exposed me to the world; after hearing me play in BA, he offered me to open his world tour in 99 and that, of course, was a tremendous opportunity. He also signed me to his Perfecto label were I released my first international compilation called “Southamerica”. I also have to thank Cream, which at that time was the most famous club brand in the world, which offered me to be their resident DJ in Ibiza and at their headquarters in Liverpool, and gave me as well high profile set times at Creamfields Liverpool festival, and that was an immense exposure to the whole club music community for me.
The compilations you’ve made for the traditional label Renaissance were very important for your career, right? In fact, you were the only DJ to ever release five MasterSeries. What did the short closure of Renaissance in 2011 meant to you?
It is such a big privilege to have a large collection of compilations like that, and the best thing about all of those albums is that I can hear them today and feel that I chose the right tracks and they still sound very good! The thing is, in the last five years many labels went through difficult periods while adjusting from the old criteria of physical music (vinyl and CDs) to the digital age. Luckily, Renaissance had only stopped working for 8 months and now is back with amazing new stuff.
And how was it to build the fifth Master Series and seventh overall Renaissance compilation? What were you hoping to show in this masterpiece?
I’m extremely happy about this new Master Series. Giving continuity to the path I chose on Parallel, the idea is still to make a slower-paced album, very melodic and atmospheric, and another with the sounds I play in club sets all over the world ever weekend of the year. Year after year, you get to improve your abilities, craft things in a better way, elaborate things even more meticulously than before. Also, technology allowed me to work things in a completely different way compared to the first albums where I could only mix vinyl discs, and that makes a big difference as well.
A question everybody wants to know: how to keep playing the kind of music you play and still not letting it become “outdated”? In your opinion, consistency will always overcome trend, even in this fast-paced world we live in?
There are, of course, DJs that play trendy music and change their sound every two years or so; and there are others, like me, who play their own particular music. It’s all about personality really, I know what I like and I don’t follow any others in any direction. I like groovy, melodic music and I find those elements in many different styles. I believe your sets must be coherent, as well as your style, you career and yourself. If you think about the greatest DJs, they all have their own style, they may change the music, but talking style? It’s cool because even if it takes years to see them play again, you know what you’re going to get from them. And then you see the ones that some years ago were playing progressive, then electro, then minimal, then techno and now deep house. That is not very serious in my opinion – nobody will respect you for doing that.
You travel around the entire world. What was the most curious gig you’ve ever played?
Traveling around the world for many years gave me the extraordinary opportunity to play at so many wonderful shows! There are many many highly memorable ones, some more intense, some more emotional, some highly electric ones and of course some curios ones. Playing at a cave in Mexico full of “alive” stalagmites and stalactites was one of them.
It’s not a secret that you need more than two hours to build a set the way you like it, right? Considering this, would Warung be the perfect place to play, leaving DJs free to create and play for endless hours?
Warung is one of those clubs around the world that you always look forward to play and one of the highlights in my calendar every year! Not only it’s a great place in a fantastic location, but also the crowd is one of the most consistently inspiring worldwide. We all know about the South American spirit, and at Warung it reaches one of its peaks, so that’s the reason it’s regarded so highly by all the DJs who play there. Gustavo (Conti) and their crew did a great job by always booking quality DJs, so now the crowd is very well educated. To play a long set like most top DJs do at Warung, you need a patient crowd that trusts you and know that you will deliver it for them. I really enjoy starting slow and fastening up throughout the night and Warung lets me do it in the most beautiful way, so that I am always pleased with the result of the night.
Not sure how I feel about the new Facebook photo, I really loved the old one
But it is a beautiful piece of photographic work. !!
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