The Mix
Talk us through the track selection of the mix.
"Whenever I play live or when I prepare a podcast, I aim to play music that really excites me. Of course, playing for a podcast in your studio isn't the same as recording it live in a club as you can't feel the vibe coming from the audience. However, if you stay true to your emotions, I'm sure you can convey the same feelings one way or the other. So, track selection is based purely on an emotional level, like anything else that moves me in any way in my life."
Where and how was the mix recorded?
"This podcast was something special. It's a selection of moments from different sets (recorded in Ibiza, Madrid, Berlin) with some studio editing. So we could say it's really a mixture of live performance and studio work."
What are the musical influences that have allowed you to arrive at this podcast?
"As I said, my main influence in the music I play is on an emotional level. I don't care if it's techno, deep house, house, whatever, as long as the music awakens something in me. My own life, my state of mind also influences the music I choose to play and the music I produce in the studio. It has been no different in this case. Believe me, if a podcast doesn't excite me, I prepare it as many times as it takes until I get to the one where I can just close my eyes and simply feel it."
The Plug
What is keeping you busy at the moment, production-wise in particular?
"I'm travelling a lot during the summer but I already learnt from last year how to optimise all the “dead” time spent in airports, hotels, backstage, etc. I've prepared my laptop so I can work and create when I'm away from my main studio. In that way, my production never stops."
"I'm currently finishing off some of the arrangements for the tracks on my first album as an artist that will be released by Diynamic at the end of October or start of November. I'm also giving the final touches to a couple of EPs that are proving to be interesting for me and I'm organising my new LIVE Set."
You're a man in demand after a great 2012 season in which, for me at least, you were one of the standout artists of the season. How was it for you?
"Thanks for the compliment! Last season was really amazing, a mix of different feelings. However, this season is proving to be much more intense than the last one. The difference is that my life is more orderly now and I can control my excitement, my rest, my time off, etc."
"I was completely exhausted at the end of last season. That led to a month of creative block, which is a very hard thing to go through as I need to make music every day. It's an essential part of me! I've learnt over time how to handle all these emotions. I've managed to learn about myself as a person and an artist and have finally reached the required balance point."
"You have to take into account that I come from Lleida, a small city where there is no club culture and there's no information about this type of job (other than what we see on TV or listen to on the radio). Here, it doesn't matter who you are, you don't stand out from the crowd and you're not really aware of where you're at. It's when you go out that you realise how many people follow you, love you, support you; people who experience many things with your music. Coming face to face with such an enormous change in the last year almost freaked me out. Thankfully I was able to live through it and now I can enjoy it 500%!!!"
I presume you'll be much busier this year as you're playing several parties over the course of the season? Tell us about your plans for this season.
"Yes. As I said earlier, I'm busier still this season. The months leading up to the summer have been busy. So will the summer and the months after that. Besides my weekly gigs on the island this summer, I'm travelling across Europe (Germany, Croatia, Hungary, UK, France and Spain, of course). Almost 60 shows this summer. October is fully booked too, with shows in my home country, the closing parties in Ibiza, ADE, etc. We'll be doing our first big US tour in November, taking up most of the month. I'll take a few days rest after that. All of this thanks to our new agency there, The Bullitt Agency."
The plan for 2013 was to develop your live act. How is the project coming along?
"I've been doing live sets for three years now at special events, besides my DJ sets. I don't want to become repetitive. That's why I do few live shows and only in very specific places. I played the last one at the end of 2012 and so I decided it was time to look for a new concept. Developing another way for this type of show. That's what I've been working with my team for the last few months until we've reached the concept that we'll be presenting in September, mixing a DJ set and a live set, allowing me to achieve the special dynamics that this type of show requires."
You've stated on several occasions that your favourite artist is Laurent Garnier, whom I recently saw at Elrow in Privilege, would you say you were inspired by him to create your live performance?
"Yes. I'm a great fan of Garnier, as much as I'm a fan of Jean Michel Jarre, especially with regard to what we were talking about, their live performances. Garnier inspired me with the idea of merging DJ sets and live sets, with the difference that I work on my own onstage. I'll be mixing the tracks, playing the synths, creating the melodies on the spot and playing percussion and programming it there and then. It will be a complex and intense show. I'm feeling really motivated with the idea. Of course, as I said earlier, I'll only be doing this at special events. DJ sets will cover 90% of my live performances, though with constant changes and technical improvements!"
Finally, you have a weekend off. What do you do? Where do you go?
"HOME!!"
"Whenever I have a weekend off I love being at home, relaxing with my wife, seeing my parents, going out for dinner with friends, watching a film, going out for a walk, enjoy the beautiful city I live in. Basically, I like enjoying that special thing that is leading 'a normal life'. I don't have any weekends off this summer so I'll have to make the most of the weekdays. During the winter I try to have at least one weekend off every one or two months."
"If you feel like having some normal time on the island this summer, I'd love to enjoy those magical moments with you, outside the nightlife and the clubs!"
Cool! See you at Salinas, mate. Don't forget the frisbee.
Biography
UNER is one of the most important names of the new generation of Spanish electronic music producers. His musical training allowed him to develop at a very early age a different dance music concept, based on the pleasure for harmony and the search for a unique, personal sound. This has lead him to edit for labels like Diynamic (where he's an active member and has edited some of his most celebrated works, "Raw Sweat" and "Bassboot", one of the most RA Top Charted Tracks in 2011 ), Cadenza (making his debut on the label with "Pallene" and "Cocoua", most-hyped UNER's tracks ever), Visionquest, Cocoon or Cécille to mention a few. UNER has earned the respect of the music industry with talent and work: names like Luciano, Carl Cox or Laurent Garnier play his music on a regular basis; clubs like Berlin's Watergate or Space Ibiza. Festivals like Sonar, Monegros or Rock In Rio book him oftenly; in 2012 he reached renowned positions in Resident Advisor charts (top 10 most charted artists of the year, three tracks in the top 100, top 40 most charted artists ever).
Without a doubt 2012 was a great year for UNER but his ambitious spirit give him enough energy to go ahead for the next step. The results are obvious, especially in Ibiza, where he is involved in important parties such as Insane (Pacha), Ants (Ushuaia), Diynamic Neon Nights (Sankeys) or Carl Cox The Revolution (Space).
Apart from traveling around the world as a Dj, in 2013 UNER is still developing the live performance act, an audiovisual concept in which he uses state-of-the-art software and hardware to explore his most solid, personal side. The artistic expansion of the Catalonian producer will go on during the following months with the release of his debut album where he'll express his way of understanding electronic music from a musical point of view and from the center of the dancefloor.
