LAMP Artist Feature - Luis Miranda
Photo Credit: Dean Paul De Leon ( @deanpau1 )
Happy New Year LAMP Fam!! We hope everyone had a safe and fun New Years Eve and were able to spend it in a dark warehouse with the people you love. Today we are excited to be featuring an artist who is a dear friend to us here at LAMP, Luis Miranda. Originally from Spain Luis found his way to LA via his travels around the globe and has been a fixture here for the last several years. You could often catch him playing across the city with his crew Techlepatic or at different festivals and warehouse parties. When he wasn’t in LA he could be found playing across the world at places like Fabrik in Madrid, Privilege in Ibiza, Baum in Bogata, Vertigo in Costa Rica and if you looked hard enough he could often be found bouncing around in the desert in Black Rock City. These past couple of years Luis has also been solidifying his name as one of the top techno producers on the planet. He just had a huge release Dangerous this past December with Marck D on the label Analytic Trail and this Friday he has a massive new single on Octopus Records Warehouse Focus compilation. His work is being recognized by many of the top labels and being played by people like Amelie Lens and Richie Hawtin just to name a couple. He has had a steady output of music of which has seen him chart in the beatport top 10 several times over the past couple of years and there is much more to come. We couldn’t be more excited for him and are happy to have had the chance to ask him a few questions about his latest release, his career and life in general. Dive in and get to know this incredible producer and human being!
Josh Brooks: Hi Luis!! Hope you are well mate! Congrats on the EP and thanks for taking a moment to answer some questions for LAMP. Tell us about your new EP Dangerous. What was it like working with MarckD on this EP and how do you feel the tracks fit together sonically?
Luis Miranda: Hi Josh, thanks for inviting me :). I had worked with MarckD in the past, first I did a remix for his label and then we worked together on a couple of tracks - “The Saver” for Analytic Trail and “Overdose” for Tronic, so we already had a good workflow, connection, and communication. We usually agree on what techno style and vibe we want, and then we start the common back and forth process when you work remotely, as I’m in LA and Marck is in Medellin.
As for my new EP on Analytic Trail, it was born from a moment of feeling the pain of our industry and having our DJ/producer careers in a dangerously unstable moment. From the start, I decided not to follow any formula, and intuitively, ended up exploring a more old-school palette of sounds than usual, maybe because of the familiarity and comfortability of the nostalgia in those moments.
With that inspiration and conceptual thread, the EP showcases a range within techno, with a clear, different identity and vibe for each track.
“Dangerous” is a hybrid track focused on the journey of a sharp synth bass that builds tension through modulation and an effective groove. “Retrocat” captures a 90’s vibe with old-school lead surrounded with funk-ish textures and voices. “Molly’s Rave” is an energetic tribute to the rave sound, with a powerful melodic sequence, and a 303 line alternating and complementing each other to full-effect peak time.
JB: Seems like you are developing a nice relationship with AnalyticTrail as this is your 4th release with them. How did you originally connect with this label? Was this EP something you pitched to the label or did you coordinate with the label prior to producing it?
LM: Analytic Trail is one of those labels I’ve always followed and looked up to so I decided to reach out and send some demos. From the beginning, Antonio (label manager) and Markantonio (founder) were very responsive and trusted my music so I feel very welcomed working with them. “Dangerous” is an EP that was born organically without a label request. Once we finished, we saw it could be a good fit for Analytic Trail and we decided to send it to them.
JB: You have had a really strong year in terms of music releases this year. Is there a particular moment or EP that stands out that you are really proud of?
LM: I’m proud of all the tracks I create so it’s difficult to choose one. For example, “Saturation” (my previous EP on Analytic Trail) had great reviews and and appeared on many charts, but reaching #1 in Beatport Techno releases with my EP Sensation on KD Raw was the happiest moment of the year.
JB: You were born in Madrid and still spend time there. You have also performed there and across the world. Currently you are living here in Los Angeles where you and I have had the pleasure of working and performing together on multiple occasions. How would you say the Los Angeles underground techno scene compares to other places you have lived and performed throughout your career?
LM: I think LA has a solid techno scene with plenty of great local talent. There are several collectives like 6AM, Incognito, Dirty Epic, Synthetik Minds, Escape The System, Observe, to name a few that work hard for it. The main difference is precisely the underground element - in Madrid, for example, techno is part of the clubbing circuit with residencies on a weekly basis. LA throws a lot of techno warehouse parties and raves that are super cool and strong but It’s mostly missing the benefit of proper weekly residencies for the fans, as well as for the local DJs. I love that Madrid and LA both share a strong and community component, plenty of talent and a passion for pushing forward the techno scene, and I’m grateful to enjoy and be part of both.
Photo Credit: Dean Paul De Leon ( @deanpau1 )
JB: Could you take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work? Do you have a fixed schedule? How do music and other aspects of your life feed back into each other - do you separate them or instead try to make them blend seamlessly?
LM: I’ve been a DJ before being a producer. I was 17 when I first played outside my bedroom. But I also have a career in the advertising and marketing world as a Brand Strategy Director. Working in the advertising world made me develop my creativity in other ways and create synergies with my music world while travelling and living in different countries. In the last few years, I found a way to juggle music and marketing by being a freelancer and that has been a good safety net during COVID.
Besides always exploring new music, discovering new artists, and learning new production tricks, I naturally enjoy being updated about the business and marketing side of our electronic music industry, so both worlds give me a great balance and feed each other.
My day-to-day starts with catching up on emails and reading articles, then I dedicate the mornings to my marketing career, and then the evenings I change gears to the studio. Usually working out is the bridge between both worlds as it puts my mind in a fresh place ready to immerse into the music. I usually dedicate Thursdays to listening to promos and new music.
In terms of workflow in the studio, it depends on what type of projects I’m working on at the moment. I like to apply project management techniques to move forward the productions so I define a deadline and work backwards to define a plan with dates and assignments. That’s the usual approach but there’s always changes in the calendar, depending on your creative flow, new priorities etc., but still having a detailed calendar helps me to keep pushing forward.
JB: When did you start writing/producing music - and what or who were your early passions and influences? What is about music and/or sound that drew you to it?
LM: I started to produce four years ago, but I’ve been a DJ for a long time. As a DJ I've gone through many styles before focusing on techno. I grew up with acid house, EBM (not EDM), hard trance, goa, and then riding the wave of house, hard house, electro, and techno. That wide range has definitely influenced my artist career. I’m a musician and I play piano so I love music in general but funk, jazz, and flamenco are probably the non-electronic genres that have influenced me.
Back to production, I always wanted to create my own music but back in the day I didn’t put the necessary time to learn and you know, life happens… fast forward to 2017 when I couldn’t resist that voice in my head reminding me of what I really love and telling me that life goes by fast, so then I decided it’s never too late in life and started learning Ableton. It was not easy making time for music production after a full-time job but I’ve been very satisfied so far. I'm enjoying the journey a lot and I'm also meeting inspiring people and making friends through it.
JB: This latest effort was the result of collaboration and they can take on many forms. What role do they play in your approach and what are your preferred ways of engaging with other creatives through, for example, file sharing, jamming or just talking about ideas?
LM: I think communication is always the key and talking at the beginning to agree on the vision, the style we want, the sound palette, and other details helps the process significantly, especially in a remote collaboration like this one.
Sharing references of what each has in mind is another useful technique I like to use. Apart from that, when I do a collaboration I need to connect on a personal level and build a relationship as well. I feel that’s when you enjoy it the most, and also better synergies happen between the two artists.
JB: What are your main goals as a music producer?
LM: I have three main goals: to consolidate my sound while elevating the quality of my productions, release on some new labels I admire (I’ll keep the mystery here), and make my music reach more people globally.
Apart from the main goals, one of my resolutions as producer for the new year is to play with the NFT world as it’s defining a new path for the future of music and the relationship with fans.
JB: In the wake of the current pandemic, what are some ways you are practicing self-care? What advice would you give to fans experiencing anxiety and mental struggles through this time?
LM: I do follow some common self-care practices like meditation and working out. Luckily I live close to the beach so running or just sitting in front of the ocean helps me a lot to disconnect. And the ultimate approach that helps me is enjoying time, as much as possible, with my loved ones.
The pandemic has made us more aware of the need for human connection and the importance of community. I think putting more time in actively supporting others and the techno community is a good way to also feel good, basically doing good as a type of mental self-care.
JB: What are a couple of your go to songs for 2021?
LM: Planetary Assault Systems - Say it Loud [Token], Hertz Collision - Jvlia [Truncate]
JB: Anything else coming up in your world that you can share or would like us to keep on our radar?
LM: I have some great new releases coming in the first half of 2022 - I’ll be back at KD Raw, and will make my debut on Octopus and Codex. In the studio, beyond the releases I mentioned before, I'm finishing a couple of EPs and some collaborations with good friends that I’m excited about. In terms of gigs let’s see how the COVID situation evolves, and hope I can confirm some international dates soon so stay tuned :)
Photo Credit: Dean Paul De Leon ( @deanpau1 )
JB: Thank you so much Luis and congrats again on this latest release and the year on the whole. I'm excited for you and what is to come. Please keep us in the know when you are performing here in LA so we can come see you and let our audience know. Cheers!!
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