Camilo Franco – DJ & Producer (Spain)
(Resident DJ in Space and winner of the DeeJay Mag award for ‘best club resident DJ in Ibiza’)
Ibiza Style: Tell us about the plans for this season
Camilo Franco: As in the last 5 seasons, I am once again in Space working as resident DJ every Monday in the ‘Mondays Calling’ party and some Sundays I have been invited to play at ‘WeLove’... I am also doing 3 parties with a very exclusive club from Barcelona called ‘Carpe Diem’ that is held in ‘Lío’, the new venue of the Pacha group. The date this month will be the 27th of August and subsequently on the 24th of September. The idea is that ‘Carpe Diem’ will bring to Ibiza the concept of a ‘supper club’ with their theme nights based on a fusion of Asian cultures - centred on the Hindu and Arab worlds. These are the characteristics that have made ‘Carpe Diem’ special in Barcelona as well as being part of the concept that after dining the restaurant turns into a club so that ‘Lío’ in Ibiza is the perfect place for these parties; when the restaurant transforms itself into a ‘club’ the resident DJ of ‘Lío’ and I remain in charge of the music so that people can enjoy the dance floor.
Ibiza Style: You have been nominated for a number of awards and in fact you won an award last year, talk to us about that experience.
Camilo Franco: In the last four years I have been nominated, always for three or four categories, for the DeeJay Magazine awards and last year I received the award for ‘Best resident DJ in a club in Ibiza’, in this case for being the resident in ‘Space’, so this year I was nominated again and I was lucky enough to win this first prize which I believe is important for me, for the club and for the island.
Ibiza Style: What does this award mean to you?
Camilo Franco:To me it seems something really important and something that I am are proud about above all because although Ibiza is in Spain, for me Ibiza is something different, it is the nerve centre of electronic music and its reference point throughout the world so in spite of just talking about ‘Ibiza’ we are talking about something worldwide . There are many resident DJs whom I respect and who also deserve this award but on this occasion it was me and for me it is very important because there are many capable people here, many very gifted artists and the truth is that... if they give something like that to you then it means a lot.
And for the club too because on being resident at ‘Space’ you are talking about quality and on the other hand I am playing in the club that took the award for No. 1 club so it has turned out to be an all-around award.
Camilo Franco: As in the last 5 seasons, I am once again in Space working as resident DJ every Monday in the ‘Mondays Calling’ party and some Sundays I have been invited to play at ‘WeLove’... I am also doing 3 parties with a very exclusive club from Barcelona called ‘Carpe Diem’ that is held in ‘Lío’, the new venue of the Pacha group. The date this month will be the 27th of August and subsequently on the 24th of September. The idea is that ‘Carpe Diem’ will bring to Ibiza the concept of a ‘supper club’ with their theme nights based on a fusion of Asian cultures - centred on the Hindu and Arab worlds. These are the characteristics that have made ‘Carpe Diem’ special in Barcelona as well as being part of the concept that after dining the restaurant turns into a club so that ‘Lío’ in Ibiza is the perfect place for these parties; when the restaurant transforms itself into a ‘club’ the resident DJ of ‘Lío’ and I remain in charge of the music so that people can enjoy the dance floor.
Ibiza Style: You have been nominated for a number of awards and in fact you won an award last year, talk to us about that experience.
Camilo Franco: In the last four years I have been nominated, always for three or four categories, for the DeeJay Magazine awards and last year I received the award for ‘Best resident DJ in a club in Ibiza’, in this case for being the resident in ‘Space’, so this year I was nominated again and I was lucky enough to win this first prize which I believe is important for me, for the club and for the island.
Ibiza Style: What does this award mean to you?
Camilo Franco:To me it seems something really important and something that I am are proud about above all because although Ibiza is in Spain, for me Ibiza is something different, it is the nerve centre of electronic music and its reference point throughout the world so in spite of just talking about ‘Ibiza’ we are talking about something worldwide . There are many resident DJs whom I respect and who also deserve this award but on this occasion it was me and for me it is very important because there are many capable people here, many very gifted artists and the truth is that... if they give something like that to you then it means a lot.
And for the club too because on being resident at ‘Space’ you are talking about quality and on the other hand I am playing in the club that took the award for No. 1 club so it has turned out to be an all-around award.
Ibiza Style: Would you have felt any differently if you had been nominated for your career as a DJ representing Barcelona?
Camilo Franco: Without a doubt, yes, because as I have already said, Ibiza for me, is something quite different and even though I have great respect for the ‘clubbing’ scene in Barcelona and you are talking about Spain or even on an international level, when you speak about Ibiza you are talking about something really big and you have to have great respect for it. The ones that come here can see it because there are international artists and residents that are not only Spanish or that live here but rather there are international residents and people that are worth it...
Where all the artists want to work, talking about Spain or possibly also on the world level, Ibiza is the ‘ place ’ where everyone wants to work whether as resident DJ or whatever, as long as they can be here the people come and do whatever so that tells you a lot about what goes on here and people stay here for a reason. So, without a shadow of a doubt, the fact that they nominate you for a city like Barcelona, even if you are talking to me about New York, Miami, wherever… it is different. For me, Ibiza is much more special and bigger.
Camilo Franco: Without a doubt, yes, because as I have already said, Ibiza for me, is something quite different and even though I have great respect for the ‘clubbing’ scene in Barcelona and you are talking about Spain or even on an international level, when you speak about Ibiza you are talking about something really big and you have to have great respect for it. The ones that come here can see it because there are international artists and residents that are not only Spanish or that live here but rather there are international residents and people that are worth it...
Where all the artists want to work, talking about Spain or possibly also on the world level, Ibiza is the ‘ place ’ where everyone wants to work whether as resident DJ or whatever, as long as they can be here the people come and do whatever so that tells you a lot about what goes on here and people stay here for a reason. So, without a shadow of a doubt, the fact that they nominate you for a city like Barcelona, even if you are talking to me about New York, Miami, wherever… it is different. For me, Ibiza is much more special and bigger.
Ibiza Style: Talk to us about the ‘Mondays Calling’ party in Space, the main platform by which your name as resident DJ is known.
Camilo Franco: Well, it has always been the most ‘house’ party in Space, it is not the most commercial one because many times it depends on the artist that you bring who may be more or less commercial so this is the most ‘house’ party, possibly the one that has the most Balearic spirit because, one way or another, the people who come to this party find a happier atmosphere. The Balearic atmosphere has always been very happy, very fresh, very terrace-based, a party atmosphere, one with a happy dance floor where you find your friends, where everyone feels alike... so yes, I would categorise ‘Mondays Calling’ as the most ‘house’ party in Space where the ‘house’ sounds and sometimes ‘commercial’ ones are fused whilst respecting the quality of the music, of course. And this is the fourth year and we are getting better every time...
Ibiza Style: You have been a big part of this party ever since it began, how has it evolved?
Camilo Franco: Well, I have been here ever since the party was born and I have seen it and suffered ever since the beginning because the start was very difficult and now it has become more and more consolidated and the competition is very strong and in Ibiza everyday there is great competition against many people and things. In spite of everything, I can see good results, above all, because the people that come to the party enjoy it and have a good time... For me from the booth, playing music, I also enjoy it and all of that is a very important sign to me.
Ibiza Style: Do you feel ‘power’ when you are in the DJ’s booth?
Camilo Franco: Yes, yes... you feel power and also a great deal of responsibility but fortunately the ‘power’ is if you know, if you have the experience and you have the tools, it's having the ability to handle the people to take them on the journey that you want to give them at that moment... in the same way, you also have the ‘power’ to ruin the party, it is a double-edged sword and that is why you get the feeling of responsibility, the tension and the nerves from being up there at the head of something. But, in any case, of course you feel power!
You are at the controls at the heart of the club...
Ibiza Style: Over the course of your career you have passed through many booths as one of the regular DJs or as the resident DJ; now you find yourself as the resident DJ at the No. 1 club in the world, do you feel at home there? Is it the club that most draws you after having experienced other venues?
Camilo Franco: I don't know if the same thing happens to all the others but the truth is that I have been lucky because in all of the booths in which I have played I have felt at home... I don't know if it is because of the people that I have worked with or the people that were there in the club having a good time or because of something else, I don't know, but the fact is that the club with which my relationship has been closest has been ‘Space’.
I have played in Pacha, Amnesia, Privilege, Space... and the fact is, the place where I have been most nervous and where I have been most excited when I have had to play, has been in Space because for me it has always been the club par excellence, the place that inspired great respect in me and about which I thought: Wow! The DJ who is able to play at this club is able to play in all sorts of places...because even though people come ready to dance and have a good time, at times it does not turn out to be so easy and ‘Space’ is a difficult place where the public is very demanding and where people really come to listen to the music... There are other places that work more according to fashion and people go just for the sake of it and don’t even pay attention to the music but the ones who come to Space come to really listen to the music and to be in a place like that says a great deal about you and your work as it means that you have to have a good selection of music, you have to be technically good and all of this was always a challenge to me, I wanted to be in Space and now I am.
Camilo Franco: Well, it has always been the most ‘house’ party in Space, it is not the most commercial one because many times it depends on the artist that you bring who may be more or less commercial so this is the most ‘house’ party, possibly the one that has the most Balearic spirit because, one way or another, the people who come to this party find a happier atmosphere. The Balearic atmosphere has always been very happy, very fresh, very terrace-based, a party atmosphere, one with a happy dance floor where you find your friends, where everyone feels alike... so yes, I would categorise ‘Mondays Calling’ as the most ‘house’ party in Space where the ‘house’ sounds and sometimes ‘commercial’ ones are fused whilst respecting the quality of the music, of course. And this is the fourth year and we are getting better every time...
Ibiza Style: You have been a big part of this party ever since it began, how has it evolved?
Camilo Franco: Well, I have been here ever since the party was born and I have seen it and suffered ever since the beginning because the start was very difficult and now it has become more and more consolidated and the competition is very strong and in Ibiza everyday there is great competition against many people and things. In spite of everything, I can see good results, above all, because the people that come to the party enjoy it and have a good time... For me from the booth, playing music, I also enjoy it and all of that is a very important sign to me.
Ibiza Style: Do you feel ‘power’ when you are in the DJ’s booth?
Camilo Franco: Yes, yes... you feel power and also a great deal of responsibility but fortunately the ‘power’ is if you know, if you have the experience and you have the tools, it's having the ability to handle the people to take them on the journey that you want to give them at that moment... in the same way, you also have the ‘power’ to ruin the party, it is a double-edged sword and that is why you get the feeling of responsibility, the tension and the nerves from being up there at the head of something. But, in any case, of course you feel power!
You are at the controls at the heart of the club...
Ibiza Style: Over the course of your career you have passed through many booths as one of the regular DJs or as the resident DJ; now you find yourself as the resident DJ at the No. 1 club in the world, do you feel at home there? Is it the club that most draws you after having experienced other venues?
Camilo Franco: I don't know if the same thing happens to all the others but the truth is that I have been lucky because in all of the booths in which I have played I have felt at home... I don't know if it is because of the people that I have worked with or the people that were there in the club having a good time or because of something else, I don't know, but the fact is that the club with which my relationship has been closest has been ‘Space’.
I have played in Pacha, Amnesia, Privilege, Space... and the fact is, the place where I have been most nervous and where I have been most excited when I have had to play, has been in Space because for me it has always been the club par excellence, the place that inspired great respect in me and about which I thought: Wow! The DJ who is able to play at this club is able to play in all sorts of places...because even though people come ready to dance and have a good time, at times it does not turn out to be so easy and ‘Space’ is a difficult place where the public is very demanding and where people really come to listen to the music... There are other places that work more according to fashion and people go just for the sake of it and don’t even pay attention to the music but the ones who come to Space come to really listen to the music and to be in a place like that says a great deal about you and your work as it means that you have to have a good selection of music, you have to be technically good and all of this was always a challenge to me, I wanted to be in Space and now I am.
Ibiza Style: Camilo Franco’s style when he plays in a club is very different to what he produces when he goes into the studio?
Camilo Franco: The truth is that I have always really liked really “house” ‘house’, with vocals... My productions always go with very Latin rhythms, I believe it is in my blood because of my Colombian roots but it is also true that when I play in Space I always feel much more energetic and in the last 3 years it shows because my style was much more ‘funky-house’ before but I believe that I have always known how to play deeper styles, as I see it, according to what I like. I have not done any studio work for a while because I am trying to adapt to playing new sounds, letting myself be drawn towards ‘tech-house’ and also towards ‘electro-house’ without going so far as stuff that is really crazy or dark.
Ibiza Style: Influences in this process of adaptation?
Camilo Franco: New talents or sounds of producers that I follow as reference points without that meaning that they are a 100% influence on what might be a new sound for me are: Afrojack, Laidback Luke, Swedish House Mafia, Mark Knight, Steve Lawler...
Ibiza Style: And on the level of inspiration, which names do you have on the list?
Camilo Franco: The truth is that there has not been anyone who has inspired me 100% when it came to deciding whether to be an ‘artist’ or not, but I do have to name someone who is a contemporary of mine and whose work I really like and that is an artist in Spain called David Pen. We have worked together and on a musical level he is a guy who makes very effective music for the dance floor and he has inspired me a lot on a musical level on account of both the rhythm and the dynamism of his productions.
Ibiza Style: What was the most recent work that you produced?
Camilo Franco: My latest piece of work is a remix that I made precisely for David Pen and DJ Chus; a house song like the ones that they made 4 or 5 years ago that is called “Will I .... (discover love)” sung by Concha Buika, a very well-known artist on the national stage. They are reediting this track with new remixes and I had the chance to do something for them, my version is “Will I ... (discover love)” - Camilo loves Ibiza version... I still do not know if it will come out on the Stereo, Azuli, Defected or Urbana Recordings label...
On the other hand, in the middle of July a ‘compilation’ was launched that is a piece of work which I hope the public likes called “Camilo Franco loves Ibiza”; a project made on my own that is a tribute to the island...
Ibiza Style: Which nomination or award would you like to win in 2011?
Camilo Franco: Well, I would love to be nominated and win the ‘best resident DJ’ award at the Ibiza “DJ Awards”!
Camilo Franco: The truth is that I have always really liked really “house” ‘house’, with vocals... My productions always go with very Latin rhythms, I believe it is in my blood because of my Colombian roots but it is also true that when I play in Space I always feel much more energetic and in the last 3 years it shows because my style was much more ‘funky-house’ before but I believe that I have always known how to play deeper styles, as I see it, according to what I like. I have not done any studio work for a while because I am trying to adapt to playing new sounds, letting myself be drawn towards ‘tech-house’ and also towards ‘electro-house’ without going so far as stuff that is really crazy or dark.
Ibiza Style: Influences in this process of adaptation?
Camilo Franco: New talents or sounds of producers that I follow as reference points without that meaning that they are a 100% influence on what might be a new sound for me are: Afrojack, Laidback Luke, Swedish House Mafia, Mark Knight, Steve Lawler...
Ibiza Style: And on the level of inspiration, which names do you have on the list?
Camilo Franco: The truth is that there has not been anyone who has inspired me 100% when it came to deciding whether to be an ‘artist’ or not, but I do have to name someone who is a contemporary of mine and whose work I really like and that is an artist in Spain called David Pen. We have worked together and on a musical level he is a guy who makes very effective music for the dance floor and he has inspired me a lot on a musical level on account of both the rhythm and the dynamism of his productions.
Ibiza Style: What was the most recent work that you produced?
Camilo Franco: My latest piece of work is a remix that I made precisely for David Pen and DJ Chus; a house song like the ones that they made 4 or 5 years ago that is called “Will I .... (discover love)” sung by Concha Buika, a very well-known artist on the national stage. They are reediting this track with new remixes and I had the chance to do something for them, my version is “Will I ... (discover love)” - Camilo loves Ibiza version... I still do not know if it will come out on the Stereo, Azuli, Defected or Urbana Recordings label...
On the other hand, in the middle of July a ‘compilation’ was launched that is a piece of work which I hope the public likes called “Camilo Franco loves Ibiza”; a project made on my own that is a tribute to the island...
Ibiza Style: Which nomination or award would you like to win in 2011?
Camilo Franco: Well, I would love to be nominated and win the ‘best resident DJ’ award at the Ibiza “DJ Awards”!
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