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EVENTS
Mexican house master Leo Leal talks partying, piano skills and presents an exclusive mix
House | Tuesday 21st April 2015 | Christina
Recently included in i-D Magazine’s top five Latin American artists, Unike Muzik label boss and rising house star Leo Leal spoke to us about the Mexican party scene, piano skills and the truth about aliens, as well as delivering an exclusive, all vinyl guest mix.
How’s life treating you at the moment?
Real good, thanks for asking. Enjoying life, my family and making music.
Can you tell us a bit about how you started DJing and producing?
I saved for years to buy a set of turntables when I was 15, having been transfixed when I saw a DJ scratching over hip hop on TV. Soon after I discovered house music from Chicago, Detroit and Europe, which has become and always will be a lifelong passion.
You learned the piano as a child, do you still play? And do you think that have a classical musical background helps you as a DJ/producer?
I still play but these days it’s keyboards and analog synths! Definitely feel that this early music experience helps with production today.
Tulum has become a big party place, but what’s the club scene like in Mexico?
It’s pretty big actually, so much going on in Mexico, not necessarily in clubs (though our monthly night in Casa Morelos, Monterrey always goes off), but there’s a bunch of outdoor parties all the time, lots of festivals and also a lot of talented people making great music.
Mexico is not traditionally known as an epicentre of house music, do you think that this is changing?
I think now is the time that people are beginning to discover house music in Mexico. There has been a scene here for almost 20 years, but now a range of producers are attracting attention from the rest of the world.
Do you draw a lot of inspiration from Mexico, and is it important to you that you incorporate Mexican influences into your music?
Definitely. I take inspiration from so many different things and places, but I love Mexico. So many different terrains, mountains, sea, desert, great food, a lot of good people, amazing weather, we also have a lot of colours in our culture. We are a folkloric country, so inspiration is all around!
You were included in i-D’s top five Latin American artists, that must have felt pretty good right?
Yes! I was kind of surprised when they put the word on my work, it’s an honour for me to be supported by such a big magazine.
You did a great Boiler Room set at BPM, how was the festival for you?
It was a very cool experience for me, so much great music and so many great DJs at BPM and really enjoyed the Boiler Room session.
How do you go about putting a mix together? Do you have a process or is it quite random?
It’s quite random, I just pick records that I'm feeling at the time and mix them. Sometimes I edit the tracks but for this Guestlist mix it’s strictly all vinyl.
Do you have a favourite place to play?
Well I love playing in Mexico for sure but also the New York clubs Cielo and Verboten are both favourites.
And anywhere you’re desperate to play but haven’t made it to yet?
I'd love to play at Womb in Tokyo – haven't made it there yet. I also have my first booking at Sub Club in Glasgow later this year – can't wait for that one.
What’s the first record you bought?
Wow that’s a good question – I remember an early Green Velvet record along with some others.
What’s your go-to track to get a crowd going?
Depends on the crowd. I spend as much time as I can reading people’s vibes, genuinely try to express emotions through the music and build synergy from their energy and mine, it’s a spiritual bridge for me.
Why did you decide to set up your own label Unike Muzik?
Well at the beginning just to release my own music and also to sign producers that I really like, to have a platform to support talented artists.
How do you go about deciding who to sign?
It’s quite a long process but for me its all about the music, I also get to know producers very well, determine their taste, influences etc.
Any exciting upcoming releases on Unike Muzik we should look out for?
Yes! Some new material from myself and also some good stuff from Andrade from France and Simon Garcia from Madrid. Pretty excited about those two releases.
And what future projects do you have in the pipeline that you want to tell us about?
Well I’m working on my next live show coming up at Mutek festival in Montreal, that is going to be very special. I’m also releasing a track on John Digweed's Future Sound Of London compilation forthcoming on Bedrock, an EP forthcoming on Kollektiv Turmstrasse label, and more collabs to follow so watch this space!
What are your summer plans? More festival appearances?
I’ll be spending the summer in NYC, working on new music and playing various shows across the city, and will also be travelling to Europe for some festivals there.
When are you going to come over and play in the UK?
A string of dates coming up in October, details coming soon!
In your Twitter bio you say “I’m an alien that came to enjoy life and to smile till the end of my days”. Do you believe in aliens?
Haha of course I believe in aliens, we are all aliens! Sometimes I think we are not from this planet. It stands to reason that we're not alone in the universe and maybe they're already here with us.
What would you fill a swimming pool with if it could be anything?
Water!
Which three people would you take to a desert island?
My wife and my two kids.
What would your super power be and what would you do with it?
Alchemy. Just help around and use it for the good of our planet.
Follow Leo on Twitter.
