Feature: D-Formation [Interview + Premiere]

Hi Dimas, thanks for joining us today, tell us a bit about yourself, where are you living and how long have you been producing music and DJing?
Hi and thanks for having me on your great Progressive Austronaut!

I live in Madrid, Spain and since I remember myself I have always been dedicated to the music. As a DJ I started at the age of 15, this means that I have been playing for almost 30 years. As a producer I started not much later, I think about 4 years later I started making my first tracks or at least I tried hahahaha

How did you discover electronic music and what led you down the path of wanting to be a DJ and producer? Where do your early influences lie?
Actually I have always liked the music but thanks to my brother I become interested in the DJing and the electronic music. He was already a DJ at that moment and I quickly decided what I want to do for the next years, which finally ends up in being my life. My influences when I started were very varied, I loved Funky, Hip Hop but also artists like Supertramp and Pink Floyd. Currently my way of thinking and my tastes haven’t changed much. Of course I have had a logical evolution in the music I listen to and the music I do, compared to years ago. With this I mean that I love the music and I live by and for it. The styles are not defining factor for me, I only see good and bad music. I want to say that it doesn’t matter if the song is genre House, Techno, Deep House or Progressive or another style, if the song is good I don’t really care which genre is it, only I care about the quality of the song. I show this very well with my productions and especially with my sets, where I play what I like.

At 17 years old you won the Spanish DMC DJ Championship two years in a row, tell us how that changed your life and career as a Dj?
Yes, it really was 4 years in which I was competing in DMC both in Spain for national championship and for the world championship in London. This was one more stage in the beginning of my career as a DJ and later in the production, with this I opened quite a lot of doors. I started to get to know a lot of people in the discographic world and most importantly I was very encouraged to jump to the next level. It was a stage in which I acquired a lot of technique as a DJ that helped me a lot when I was making my sets in clubs, although in the clubs I have never been one of those who start to scratch and actually I have never applied any of the skills that I have acquired in this championships, simply because I like to listen to the tracks.

You've got a new remix out now of Rafael Cerato and Sezer Uysal on your own label Beatfreak Recordings, tell us how you approached the remix and the production process behind it.
Well, first I have to say that Rafael Cerato and Sezer Uysal are 2 artists I love. When they sent the tracks to Beatfreak I saw the release clearly and immediately I felt one of the original tracks that this is something that I would love to remix since the track has very good elements to create a very good remix. It is true that finally my remix is very very different from the original and I didn’t use many elements from the original track but it has in my point of view the main essence of the original that is what I wanted to capture in this remix. I didn’t really start the remix with a clear idea of what I want to do. I am a producer who doesn’t follow any standards but feelings. Finally I got a remix with enough groove with a synthesizer that invades the whole track and of course that break with that ethnic sound that I love. It only remains to go on sale and see what happens ;)

Beatfreak Recordings celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. It's an incredible accomplishment, what do you have planned for it?
It seems like it was yesterday when I started with this project at the end of 1997 (Beatfreak Recordings). To maintain a label during 20 years is very complicate and it goes through many stages and changes. In my case the most difficult was the period when the digital stores established, we were all used to vinyl and it was quite hard to adapt to that change.

However, I can’t be happier to see that it is already 20 years and that’s why we have already begun to do series of showcases like the first one we did in Japan (Tokyo and Osaka). In 2018 we are preparing a Beatfreak tour that will take us through several cities and countries around the world. In addition we are preparing a special compilation for these 20 years, because 20 years is something that doesn’t happen every day

You've recently launched a new division of Beatfreak Recordings, tell us about Beatfreak Limited, how does it differ from the main label? What can we expect from its output?
Beatfreak Limited like any project that you start is always excepted the best.

Beatfreak’s new brother was born from the need to cover more styles and great tracks by great artists and of course also as we have always been doing to support new talents, since Beatfreak Recordings has taken a new direction and new vision of music more melodic, progressive house, melodic techno, deep house. In general with Beatfreak Recordings we are moving towards to the electronic side.

Beatfreak Limited is like a continuation of what was Beatfreak Recordings before – more accessible and massive Tech House, House or Techno. The first release on this label is already available on the digital stores and is a cool and club sounding EP from a great and talented artist from Mexico – Brandon Caballero. This EP includes a remix of mine and another one from Dubman F. Also in the next releases we will be able to see artists like Shosho, Vlada Asanin, Lexlay, Who&Who and many others which I am sure that will be part of this new project.

What advice would you have for artists hoping to get signed to the labels?
As I mentioned before, I like giving people opportunities as much as I like to be given opportunities as well.

The only requirements to be able to release both Beatfreak or Beatfreak Limited is that the tracks should meets the standard of the labels so we can stay for another 20 years more releasing quality music J

Many electronic music fans may not know this but you had a label before Beatfreak called MD Records, how did this pave the road to Beatfreak?
Well, it’s true MD Records was my first label but there have been many more like T.U.S.O.M., TEKKTON, DISTINTO, DIGITAL FREAK and INTENSO RECORDINGS, besides having had one of the biggest distributors of vinyl in Spain.

MD Records was the first label in 1994, since then there were more labels (the ones I have mentioned above) until 1997 when I launched Beatfreak Recordings. Since the time has changed from the vinyl to the digital and since Beatfreak Recordings reached a respectful position on one of the biggest independent electronic music labels, I focussed more on Beatfreak and stopped to work with the another ones. Since then there have only been 2 new labels – Beatfreak Limited and T U S H music, which we created last year.

Over the years you've played at pretty much every major venue the world has to offer, Space, Amnesia, Privilege or Pacha in Ibiza, Stereo in Montreal and the list goes on, Looking back what stands out for you? What have been some of the most special places to play?
Yes, I have had the great privilege of being able to play in most of the best clubs in the world. One of the things that would stand out from all these trips is the ability to travel all around the world, to know different cultures and make great friendships. I’ve played as I mentioned before in many places, but I have always felt like at home in Canada and Bulgaria since these are the 2 counties where I have been playing for many years. Of course there are others many places in the world that I love but the ones that will be always in my heart are Canada and Bulgaria J

Who are five up and coming Spanish artists to watch out for?
It’s complicated to say because every day there are more people very promising but I will add some that in different styles I think they make very good music – Uppercent, Andres Campo, Marino Canal, Made In Riot, Oscar L or Tini Garcia among others.

What five tracks are you currently loving the most at the moment?
Difficult with all the good music that there is currently but here are some of my favorite tracks that I love to play:

1. Artbat – Target
2. Township Rebellion – Moses
3. KiNK – Yom Thorke
4. Wally Lopez – Sunday Trip (Quivver Remix)
5. &Me, Rampa, Adam Port – Muye 

What can we expect to hear from you over the rest of 2018?
We are at the beginning of the year and there is still a lot of work to be done but I can tell you some of the projects that I have already signed and waiting to be released. Like new remixes I have one for Danito & Athina on Perspectives Digital, another one for Rafael Cerato & Sezer Uysal on my label Beatfreak Recordings, for Blancah, Dani Sbert, Luigi Gori & Larsun Hesh on Dear Deer and original tracks on Toolroom, Eleatics and of course my new EP with 3 original tracks and remixes by Marc DePulse and Franz Alice Stern that will be available on Beatfrfeak Recordings in April 2. Also there will be my collaboration with Marc DePulse for his imprint JEAHMON! J

https://soundcloud.com/progressiveastronaut/premiere-d-formation-stein-original-mix-beatfreak-recordings

D-Formation Anbar EP alongside remixes from Marc DePulse and Franz Alice Stern will be available via Beatfrfeak Recordings on April 2nd: Pre-order your copy