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JOCKEY JOURNAL: RENATO RATIER

Read the Brazilian house don's tour diary

The life and soul behind Sao Paulo's internationally revered underground bastion D-Edge, he is not only the defining force of one of the city's finest clubs, but its entire surrounding scene. His refusal to follow suit in a nation dominated by clubs interested more in attracting celebrities than good quality DJs has held him up as one of the bravest men in danceland. As a creative force behind Warung (Camboriú) too, his cavaliering influence stretches well beyond Sao Paulo, serving him as a subcultural icon amid the more discerning ranks of Brazil's clubbers. A globally recognised DJ in his own right. He's also a solid producer of slick house and techno, respected within the coolest circles of Europe and beyond. His debut album 'Black Belt' (out now) proved it even further, so we wanted to know how his recent tour went...

PACHÁ OFIR, PORTUGAL
“At the time that I arrived at Pachá Ofir, in Portugal, I came across a generous soundsystem and an incredible ambience. Even if the sight of the club was something, to play on this soundsystem was something else, and the reason why I'd prepared one of my best techno sets especially to warm up the great Jeff Mills — an honor. No doubt it was an important start to my international tour, and a sign it is going to be right.”

13 YEARS OF D-EDGE, BRAZIL
“Unforgettable night. The party of 13 years of D-Edge was the commemoration of all that was lived and experimented by D-Edge so far, and a demonstration that we are stronger than ever. All the audiovisuals created by Muti Randolph lit up one Sao Paulo's most historic places, the Grand Metropole, which was full of good vibrations from people who watched great performances of Nicolas Jaar, Jamie Lidell, The Drone Lovers and also my partnership with Mau Mau, the Kings of Swingers. No doubt it left everyone wanting more!”

BOAT PARTY, UNKNOWN, CROATIA
“Being at Unknown Festival, at Croatia, is, by its own, a very good thing. Imagine playing inside this festival, on a sunset boat party on the Adriatic Sea, with a multicultural and intimate people from all over the world wanting quality and good music. Add to this an incredible line up with Davis and Craig Richards. I can tell you it’s impossible to describe this energy. Only who those who were there can say how it was great.”

'BLACK BELT' PREMIERE, WARUNG
“The premiere of my 'Black Belt' album at Warung was a special experience to me. First of all because the place is very magical, also known as Temple. As well as this it was my first show of 'Black Belt' in Brazil, together with friends and a beautiful public, full of energy. Furthermore, the line up had M.A.N.D.Y., my partner Mau Mau, Sachienne and Sacha Funke to enrich the party and represent the power of the electronic music in Brazil. 'Black Belt' confirmed the reason it was made.”

FABRIC, LONDON
“The European underground scene is life-enriching every time. Fabric London is one of the most representative clubs of this scene and has many fans around the world. When I stepped into the DJ booth I felt the responsibility of playing at Fabric immediately. I got all this energy and threw it into the dancefloor, drawing upon all my expertise to meet the crowd expectations. The reaction was very strong and showed the true capability of 'Black Belt'.”

KATER HOLZIG, BERLIN
“The German cultural scene is impressive. Kater Holzig is, maybe, the most important club for this music fever. It was a pleasure takes the 'Black Belt' to that public in the same night that Red Robin played. I did a long set with 10 hours duration and I wanted to  play more, for as long I can. It was a collective hypnosis with people dancing and having fun, really unforgettable. Kater Holzig is always a nice experience.”