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INTO THE MIND OF PACO OSUNA

DJ Mag catch up with Paco Osuna ahead of his DJ Mag Live Stream Thursday 24th March...

Club4 has been going for a decade now. What do you think has been the key to its longevity?
Originally Club4 was conceived by Marco Carola, Adam Beyer, Christian Smith and myself in order to create a club made by DJs where artists enjoy playing without any pressure, building a more friendly and informal atmosphere allowing everyone to have fun - both the DJs and the crowd.

So since its inception in 2006, Club4’s philosophy has been to form a space that showcases fresh sounds within a cozy atmosphere, while still being underground and trying to create a pleasant and cool environment every night. In addition, I think the key to its longevity is that month after month the line-up is designed with great care and always choosing artists whose style matches a modern techno and house vision, no matter if they are big names or not.

I believe that over the years people have noticed that and appreciated it. I think that is why we have people from the beginning who are still coming to the club. We are proud of what we have achieved over the years.

How has the Barcelona scene changed in that time?
Barcelona is now considered one of the meccas of electronic music. We have great events that each year bring together industry people from all over the world. Over the past 10 years, Barcelona has been internationalised, while the local scene has also gained strength.

And with these influences so diverse, today Barcelona boasts a very competitive musical offering, from the underground to the commercial; the important thing for me is that there is plenty of music on offer and that people can have the opportunity to decide what music they listen to and what kind of club to go to.


You’ve been playing Amnesia since the late 90s. What is it that keeps you coming back each year?
I have a great affection for Ibiza. Since my residency at Amnesia back in the 90s, I have returned to the club from time to time, while I've also played at other parties on the island. It was not until last summer that I joined as a resident for Music On that I started playing consecutive nights again at Amnesia.

For me it’s a very special club with an incredible atmosphere. Music On has also been a unique experience for me and playing alongside one of my best friends, Marco Carola, and his team, brings together a number of factors that make every night memorable; I’m looking forward to the start of summer already ;)

This month you have a Mindshake tour with six dates across two continents. Tell us a bit about it and how it’s going so far…
The Mindshake showcases have been taking place for a while now and planning Mindshake On Tour this year, with six consecutive dates on two different continents, has been very stimulating. All of the dates were scheduled in clubs that are important for me.

Spazio Novecento in Rome, Space Ibiza in New York and Trade in Miami, for example, are clubs I appreciate. The showcase at Trade last Tuesday was amazing. We've been doing the party during the Miami Music Week for six years now, and we have had a very good response from the crowd.

DJMag HQ sessions will be the last date of the Mindshake Tour. We were looking to share with the worldwide audience a small part of the Mindshake experience, which we have attempted to imprint on each date of the tour. The HQ sessions are a very good way for people from all over the world to get involved.

Your remix of Monkey Safari's 'ON' was named the most popular track last weekend on Pete Tong's BBC Radio 1 show. This track is released on the 25th of this month. Are you looking forward to it?
It has been a pleasure to remix Monkey Safari and it was an honour that Pete Tong named it as the most popular track. ON is a remix that I very much enjoyed making, also because of the challenge that it represented. I was delighted with the result and it was a very nice surprise when Pete Tong and other artists supported it, but for me it is also essential that the fans like it. I´m hoping for the best on March 25th :)

What have you got planned for Mindshake for the rest of this year that you can tell us about? 
I have big plans for Mindshake this year, and right now the label is one of my priorities. It’s my personal project and that is why I put all my enthusiasm into it, not only musically but also in building it as a solid family, formed by artists that I admire and who are also my good friends. I believe that energy is felt on stage and in the studio.

Regarding releases, we are working hard to form a diverse catalogue. Nick Curly has just launched the Mindshake 39, OLIMPIC EP, and this April 18th Cuartero joins the label with WAVY DISTANCE EP, for which I have recorded a remix. This year, new and old friends will publish with us and I am very happy about that. In terms of the showcases, this spring and summer we have good surprises - and the tour is just the beginning of a great adventure ahead ;)