Ramiro Lopez has been an artist I have been watching for a long time. Having recently returned from playing at this years ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) he talks about his experience whilst there and what it was like to be able to close some of the amazing parties that took place.

Having had massive support from some of the biggest DJ’s in the world, as well as releasing his own flavour on their record labels, he talks about how his releases have taken place throughout his career, where he has been playing in Ibiza this year and a little message for up and coming producers stepping into the scene.

Lets start with talking about the magical paradise Ibiza. How many years have you been?

I’ve been to Ibiza around 12 – 13 years in a row. Quite crazy really!

Out of this, how many years have you been performing there?

6 years

You’ve played at venues Blue Marlin, Sankeys and Space. A lovely mix of different venues, but in your opinion which is the best and why?

Well, all are pretty different . Blue Marlin is more like a Beach club, perfect for day parties, Sankeys is in my opinion, the most underground club with an outstanding sound system, it’s dark and has low ceilings etc.. and Space is one of the big icons of the island.

What’s the strongest line up you ‘ve been a part of whilst playing over there?

Maybe Dreambeach Festival. Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Adam Beyer, Carl Cox, Paco Osuna, Joseph Capriati, Maya Jane Coles, Techansia, Josh Wink, Edu Imbernon and the list goes on.

How long have you been in the underground scene now?

More than 15 now. I started playing techno, and I’ve been between techno and house since then.

What were your steps of getting into the scene? 

I started DJing before producing. My first gigs were in small clubs of the area where I live, Toledo. Then I became part of the DJ residents of Family Club, which is one of the most important clubs in the centre of Spain. During that time I met a lot of national and international artists and learned a lot from these. Around that time I started producing and my world changed. It’s been a continuous progression since then.

2015 has looked a very strong year for yourself on your productions. Having had releases this year on strong record labels Toolroom Trax, Intec, Octopus Black and Suara. Which of these was the first release this year?

If I’m not wrong, my first EP of the year was on Terminal M (A collaboration with Arjun Vagale) and then my EP on Suara followed.

How did this link up happen?

I´ve been following all these labels for a long time and have been in touch with them for quite a while. I focused on making music specific for them and finally I found the key.

How spread out have your releases been this year?

I’ve tried to give every release enough time to get the attention it deserves. So I’ve been releasing every other month to gain full exposure.

Your biggest influence that has influenced you to be where you are today?

Carl Cox, Sven Vath or Richie Hawtin are some of my idols and role models since the beginning but I’m learning every day from many other artists.

Talk me through the steps when you’re in the studio to lay down a track?

I try to think on what I want to do especially before I even turn on the computer. Once I begin a project, I tend to start with a simple drum groove and then start looking for the hook, melody, vocals, and anything that makes the track feel special.

An artist you’d love to work on a track with out of the underground scene?

Lorde, Coldplay, Emeli Sande and Puff Daddy.

For producers starting out in the scene, can you advise them on some simple steps to being a master producer?

Don´t be afraid of making mistakes, try new things and experiment as much as you can, learn everyday, be patient and enjoy the journey.

What does your music production set up consist of? 

I’m working with Logic Studio and Maschine, I don’t currently have any analog synths but I’m about to get my first one. I love Native Instruments plug ins, especially reactor, Massive and Absynth.

On the 16th & 17th October you performed at the world famous ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event). What other artists did you perform alongside?

Coyu, Dosem, Jeremy Olander, Baum, Yousef, Tube and Berger, Reboot & Javi Bora for the Suara party and Siwell, Umek, Coyu again and Dosem for 1605 party.

It’s a DJs dream to be able to perform at ADE, but in 3 words, describe the experience…

A Lovely craziness.

How did the crowd react to your performances?

Awesome. I did the closing sets for both parties and most of the people stayed dancing like hell until the end. Was super fun!

Your ‘Easy Going’ EP which has recently be released on Mark Knight’s ‘Toolroom Trax’ label. How did this link up take place between you two? 

Mark and his label are big ones in the scene and I’ve been following them for a while. It turned out Mark has been supporting my music and asked me to do a remix for his label at the start of the year. I played at the Toolroom party in London just after this and met him and the Toolroom family who are adorable. Mark wanted me to follow up with an EP and I agreed. I’m happy to work with them and more stuff will come in the future.

Having looking through your Facebook fan page, you’ve recently uploaded a picture with the words on the image ‘ Believe your dreams’. From what age did you decide that performing and producing would be your dream job?

I remember pretending to be a DJ playing with toys when I was a child. I loved also making percussion sounds and vocal melodies. But, it was the first time I went clubbing and saw DJs performing live when I really has feeling like that.

Do you think you have hit that stage in your career where you have accomplished your dream?

I´m living my dream already, waking up every morning to do what I love, enjoying my work, travelling, meeting new people etc… but on the other hand I still have so many goals that I want to  achieve and this is just the beginning.

Final question, imagine you’re headlining a festival in Germany and it’s a complete sell out. What track would you start and end your set on? And why?

I don’t have a particular track to start with, a mix it up every time. But a superb track I used to close parties with is: Theo Parrish – Falling Up (Technasia mix)

December 8, 2015