We are sitting down with Loco Dice, Ibiza lover, acclaimed DJ, producer and fashionista, to talk about the past, present and future.
You came a long way from the early days of electronic dance music where people went to a club to dance and share unforgettable moments together until recently where lots of young people define themselves over their social media presence. Is traditional clubbing being replaced with individuals showing off their club time on social media?
I guess this is an old thinking, our way of thinking, those kids are born with a smartphone. We worry too much that they are not enjoying but I think they really do, otherwise the clubs would be empty. Of course there are people who really come for the music, the style, but this rather happens in a small club or with a smaller act. But even if that smaller act drops a big tune you will see their phones in the air. And at a big festival with a big act everybody wants a piece of history.
I guess it was a long way from Desolat, a German cult label of the early days, to En Couleur, leading you to your latest adventure, your very own label Seran Bendecidos, tell us about it.
Desolat has been there for ages and I am very proud of it, we had newcomers, superstars and legends. But Desolat lived from the clubs, so during the pandemic I created En Couleur which is basically music for your ears and for your home. On top we had problems promoting the music as there were no clubs to play our tunes. Me dancing like crazy in the living room? Nah. Now that everything is back I had to come up with a new concept as well for the new generation. Those kids don’t know what you have done in the past, and they don’t care. There are no record stores anymore, there is no hub to exchange news, where you would meet ‘philosophers’ of our music. For today’s kids music is different, it’s more like a consumer tool. They don’t stick to any style, they want to jump on the new hype train, the new thing, whatever this is. That is why I created Seran Bendecidos, bringing in fresh tunes, fresh artists, while Desolat will still focus on the club, music made of loops, the long version, the 6-minutes track. Those kids have a very short attention span, everything is Tik-Tok, and you have to serve them. You can not sit there and be ‘the wise guy telling them what to do’. They want to be their own boss. We were exactly the same a long time ago, but like I said, we had record stores, we had so many tools, you could sit down, touch and feel – this does not exist anymore. So they have to morph into something else, and I love the new generation, I love new music, it’s all very refreshing.
What still attracts you to DC10?
Nowadays it’s not so much about clubbing any more, it’s not about Fabric or DC10, they come to listen to you. If you only play for yourself and don’t adapt you might lose the crowd as they don’t understand, so if you play an old tune no one will go crazy on it, not even the bartenders, this is a completely new generation. If Antonio from Circo Loco comes to clap on my shoulder saying “oh my god you remember?” Well, it might feel good for you but it does not serve the crowd. I think Loco Dice today is still fresh, I love to compete with the new generation, embrace what is coming up. DC10 for the people now might be what ist was for me back then, but it’s important to be in the game and follow it, if not you fall behind very rapidly.
Circoloco – what was your favourite part in the beginning and what is it today?
Same as for DC10 itself, you have to play different, all is so much faster, more intense. Change is always good you know? DC10 was the enemy on the island, we were not respected as superstar DJs, that was the reason why it became a legend instantly as we did not give a fuck on what to play. Those times are gone, you got the same venue with the same name but the music is fresh, the vibe is new and it works. I still love to come back and play for them.
You also have a history in collaborating with well-known fashion designers and brands. What has a greater impact on you – fashion or music?
Fashion and music are exactly the same, they follow the same rules, invent and reinvent themselves. Like in electronic music it went from house to techno to tech house to whatever and then again back to techno. Fashion is the same, there are times designers invent something fresh and times where they simply reinvent themselves over and over again. The art in both is being able to predict it and stay ahead of the game.
You also create sets for the catwalk, is there any similarity in curating music for a club and for fashion shows?
You have total freedom in curating a set for fashion, you can shock people by playing completely different styles as part of the show, on the dancefloor you would lose the crowd if you do this. You can play Bossa Nova, then play a track from Aphex Twin and jump to German Hip Hop. Fashion has no rules when it comes to a catwalk, you can use a change in music as a surprising element to keep people hooked on what they see, you don’t have to make them dance.
Where do you see clubbing in 15 years?
Maybe we all wear vision goggles enjoying a club from all over the world, I don’t know. I don’t have my buddy Carl Cox anymore to play with him and throw in a drum n’ bass track just to see how he gets out of that. No seriously, I hope people will still go out and have a great time, just as we used to do, but it will for sure be different in these ever-faster-changing times.
And yourself?
I still feel like being in the 21 to 27 range, as long as I’m fresh and hungry I will stay in the game, compete with the youngsters, showing them how it’s done. I still love the openness in the clubs and as long as people come to see me I will be there.
Age is a state of mind, it sounds like there is still a long way for you to go, and we hope you stay 27 forever and keep doing what you do, keep groovin’ and make people happy on the floor, at home with their goggles, visiting a fashion show or wherever they can enjoy your sounds.
