JOCKEY JOURNAL: EDU IMBERNON

A prominent face on Spain's prospering house and techno scene since the late noughties, Edu Imbernon is a producer perhaps best characterised by his inability to be — exactly that — characterised. On one foot, a master of the funktional dancefloor filler, he also has an ear for the more musical modes of house, unafraid to sample the odd instrument; the organic sound of a guitar or violin to add texture or ambiance. His remix of 'Crystallised' not only took his name to a wider audience, it brought the smoky tones of The xx to the dancefloor, while tracks on More Music, Stil Vor Talent and Get Physical have Edu featuring on the USB sticks of schools of self-respecting DJs the world around. He, as it happens, has also been around the world...

AMSTERDAM OPEN AIR, NETHERLANDS
“I love the Netherlands and every time I play there it's a fun and exciting experience. Their energy and passion for music is unbelievable! This was my second year playing at Open AIR festival and thankfully the sun was shining the whole day. Acts such as Catz & Dogz and Benoit & Sergio played before me, and my set was the perfect time. The tent was packed and buzzing from every corner, and was a fantastic sea of people to be facing while I played. After the festival I ended up playing at AIR club, in downtown Amsterdam along with Matthew Dear, Paco Osuna and Juan Sanchez, which was a great end to a perfect day!”

KEHAKUMA OPENING, SPACE IBIZA, SPAIN
“This is my third year in a row playing for Kehakuma at Space Ibiza. This year it's happening on saturdays and I have seven dates booked with them. I love the concept and the opening party was just immense, more than 3000 people filled the terrace and I had the privilege to play the closing set after Shaun Reeves. There is something about the terrace. Something special that makes it one of the most legendary dancefloors in the world. Playing the last tracks and having the blinds opened and the sunlight beaming through the windows was an unforgettable moment!”

SONAR FESTIVAL, BARCELONA, SPAIN
“Playing Sonar has been one of the highlights of my career, especially because I'm Spanish and it's THE festival in Spain. I played just before my mate Coyu and it was just great! So many of my friends were there and seeing all those people made me feel right at home. I played a different set, more techno, but I loved it from the moment I started. It was quite a unique setting, the floor was packed and people were raving, and behind them people riding bumper cars, smashing into one another. I closed the set with my new remix for The xx,  'Reunion', and got such a wonderful reaction from the crowd. That made me feel happiness beyond words... such a great experience!”

AMAZON, CHAPECO, BRAZIL
“This gig was at the end of 2012 but it deserves to be mentioned. The Amazon, wow, what a place! A wooden club in the middle of a beautiful, dense forest, 20 minutes' drive from a little Brazilian city called Chapeco. There is nothing around the club other than a calm lake and trees. The club was super-packed and the DJ before me did the perfect warm-up. I enjoyed it like a little kid, and there was one of the most energetic crowds I had ever seen. I played for around three hours and unfortunately had to stop as I had a flight back home. Hopefully the next time I play at this club I'll get to play longer. Brazil is becoming one of my favourite places to perform and there are more and more amazing clubs popping up all over the country, it's really cool!”

STIL VOR TALENT OPEN AIR, BERLIN, GERMANY
“Stil Vor Talent has become like a family for me. I release a couple of records a year and Oliver Koletzki and all the SVT crew always treat me like part of their family. Berlin is an important place for me, I lived there for more than a year when I was 18-years-old, and it's where I produced 'El Baile Aleman' alongside Coyu, so every time I play there it means a lot to me.

“The last gig I did with SVT was at their welcome summer open air happening at Rummelsburg, in Berlin. Unfortunately the day's weather wasn't as good as it was last year and it was a bit rainy, cloudy and not so warm. I started playing at around 8pm just after Sascha Braemer and the sun started shining, which created such a great vibe, with a crowd of happy faces, and I really enjoyed myself.”