Feature: Marcelo Vasami [Interview + Premiere]

Posted on 24th November 2017

15 min read

Hello Marcelo! Great to have you on the interview today! Where did your love of music come from and how old were you when you first realised you wanted to work in the music industry?
I started to get involved with electronic music because of my cousins, they were djing at a club in Buenos Aires and they taught me how to mix. I got really passionate about it and by when I was 18 I new I wanted to make a living out of music.

Do you have musical influences outside of dance music and what are they?
Yes, for sure. I love music. I’m always in the mood for some Radiohead, Sigur Ros or Depeche Mode, and I’ve also been listening to a lot of Stavroz and Raz lately.

What’s a normal day like for you? Do you have a job outside of electronic music?
I’m lucky enough to work of what I love doing, and that’s music. A normal day depends on which day of the week we’re talking about. They’re not always the same either, depend on the projects I’m working on and how many gigs I have that week, but usually goes like this: On Mondays I rest from the weekend, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are mostly spent in the studio. As I don’t have to drive because I work at home, I get out of bed around 9 AM, have breakfast and get in the studio. Then I have a break for lunch, and hit the studio again around 4 PM until 9 or 10 PM. I do a lot of things in there, I make music, reply to e-mails, work on projects, work on my radio show and prepare things for the weekend. On Friday and Saturday, I play and Sundays I get together with friends and family.Do you have a favourite key that you make music in?

I love making music in D minor and C minor, I really like how they sound… Maybe a little bit more hypnotic, I don't really know the reason, but I can feel those notes when I’m working on my music.

In terms of how music is made, do you like to follow the rules or break them?
I never follow any rules, every time I make music is different. I can start from the melody if I have something in mind. Otherwise I can start with the groove and then build in the other parts of the track. So definitely no, I have no rules when it comes to making music

https://soundcloud.com/progressiveastronaut/premiere-marcelo-vasami-a-fantastic-fear-of-everything-cid-inc-remix-replug

What makes a good set?
For me a good set tells a good story. It's totally the same when you see a good movie, it has to catch your attention from the begging but it doesn't have to spoil the plot for you, and show you everything too soon. You have to wait for the best moment, you have to be patient. A good set for me has an intro, a great outcome and an amazing end.

What is the best performance of dance music you have ever witnessed?
The best show I witnessed in my life was already some years ago, in Buenos Aires. John Digweed and Sasha were playing B2B at Southfest. There was a big storm in the middle of the set and everyone was dancing like if it was the last day of their life, and their set… Wow, that was unreal. Another night I'll never forget is the first time I went to see Depeche Mode in Argentina. Massive shows, both of them

How does the process of creating music start for you?
Actually, it depends. The creative way for making an original track from it’s start is very different than making a remix for example. Or as I told you before, If I have any ideas for a melodie sounding in my head, I start with that. Or first I start with the groove and then add pads, synths, etc etc. It really depends on what has inspired me to make a particular track.

https://youtu.be/GBeJU5B2Z4M

DJs travel a lot and this must expose you to all sorts of experiences. What is the most unusual experience you’ve ever had on your travels?
I travelled thanks to music, and lived several unusual experiences but I don’t have in my mind any in particular right now. I can for sure say that even though unusual, they’ve always been great experiences. There’s something I always think about when I travel to cultures that are very different from mine, and I find that very enriching. To have an over all overview into human race and how they can be very different in some ways and similar in others, helps a lot to understand people and I suddenly come up with a lot of questions to myself… and I find that very helpful to creativity

Which of your tracks are you most proud of?
if I have to choose one, it would be the ep I released on Sudbeat. I was hoping to edit in that label for so long. It was a great moment in my career and it meant a reached goal for me.

How important do you think talent is in the dance music industry?
I think that talent is, of course, an important part of it, but it’s not the only thing it takes to make your way into the dance music industry. I know a lot of very talented artists that did not succeed because of lack of dedication and I know a lot of other artists that put so much effort into improving that they eventually succeed. So I think talent is important, but it’s nothing without dedication and effort.

And what do you like to do when you’re not working on music?
I like hanging out with friends and family, cooking “Asado” (barbecue) for them. After lunch, I love drinking tea or coffee in the backyard with my dogs, that’s something I do almost every day. I also enjoy a lot traveling for pleasure and not necessarily for work, watching movies and going out of home in search of inspiration and new things, as well as staying home with my family to have some rest and chill time.

Tell us something about yourself that might surprise people?
I don't know if this is going to surprise people, but I never said this before in an interview. Sadness is one of the most powerful muses to me. When I feel sad, I spend the whole day in the studio and find it very helpful to put all of my feelings into what I’m doing.

https://youtu.be/ZdSVS_rJ5dY

Finally… Imagine you had to go on a journey with the Progressive Astronaut to a galaxy far, far away… and you didn’t know when or if you would ever come back. What 3 music tracks of any genre would you have to take with you on your journey?