
Interview with JFernandez
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From Seville, JFernandez is positioning himself as one of the great promises of techno in Spain. His music, marked by enveloping atmospheres and the magnetism of synthesizers, captivates both lovers of the most classic techno and those looking for fresh proposals. His debut EP, Sur-Art, released by dzb records, not only reached number 33 in the top 100, but continues to resonate among fans. With new releases on the horizon, JFernandez promises to continue conquering dance floors and hearts.
How was your transition from electronic music lover to DJ and producer?
I always loved music a lot, I was the typical person who took the laptop with the virtual DJ to friends’ meetings to have that improvised party… hahaha
Just after the pandemic I had a very serious adductor tear, I was going to be unable to move for a long time and my friends thought that giving me a controller would be a good idea to occupy my time and distract me and so it was, all day researching, snooping and training. After a while I met Kike (KMartin), and he was the one who put the poison in me and made me take the step to start producing and generating my music.
What do you remember about your first sets in Andalusia? How did they influence your current sound?
It’s funny because what I liked to play at the beginning and what gave me the opportunity to move was Afro, not the typical Afro that is heard now that is much more “accessible melodic” for all audiences, I liked it serious, with identity and with that different point… that is what I played on the street, at home I loved to see DJ sets by artists purely from the techno world, analyze and try to learn everything possible and analyze everything to learn to do something of my own.
But luckily, I have within my range of musical taste a very wide spectrum and that is what, I think, has made me mature more musically, appreciate many styles and genres.
Club Cosmos is a reference in Seville. How was the experience of playing there?
Club Cosmos is a TOP club, just by seeing the artists that come in its programming you get an idea of what their identity is, their proposal and their contribution to the scene.
A few years ago it was unthinkable to be in the booth instead of on the dance floor.
Together with Dietz (Pablo) and KMartin (Kike), we created a collective focused on classic techno and non-stop dancing, KÄTER CLUB; We wanted to contribute something to the current scene that was generally very focused on hardtechno, we scheduled several dates in Seville, with powerful local DJs, and suddenly, the phone rang and a KÄTER showcase was proposed at Cosmos, together with Góngora, who was the one who invited us and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity, Carmen Gea from Club Berlín and Dygø, resident of the same Cosmos venue, it was a great night and we enjoyed it very much, a dream come true.
What elements do you think cannot be missing in a good techno set?
The first is personality, you can be the bomb mixing songs, if you don’t have your sound or your style you will sound the same as the rest, you have to have something that is your hallmark, that people say, this is why I came, this is it.
Variety is also very important, I don’t like linear and flat sets at all… I also understand that there are different moments within a night, but in each one of them you have to create different moments and provoke different sensations, make people feel.
Although this doesn’t really depend on the artist, it is essential… it has to have that atmosphere, that magic that is created on the dance floor and that is orchestrated from the booth; a good musical selection and reading the dance floor well is the key.
And of course… hahaha a lot of taste for a sound that surrounds you with elegant synths, and not abusing effects! Sometimes less and simpler is more, I’ve seen sets that I loved that were tarnished with so many effects.
Do you have any special routine or preparation before performing live?
Well, I try to analyze the room, if I have the possibility, I try to get to know it before I play myself, and if I don’t have that possibility, I like to ask the people in the room or people who have gone; I like to know what the atmosphere is like, the audience and the others…
I like to have a very clear idea of the technical aspects so I know what I’m going to work with.
I review the music a lot, for each venue and each date I review the music that I think best fits the place and the moment, prepare alternatives and of course take 2,3 pens ready for whatever may happen.
What do you think of the role of DJs as storytellers through their music?
Well, that’s how it should be, we have to try to transmit something, make people dance, make people think or the opposite, make them not think about anything and enjoy that moment.
We can’t be just music players, which I understand there are times when we can practically be that, but if we’re talking about something professional, we have to be able to generate something and create a different atmosphere.
How do you manage the connection with the audience when you’re in the booth?
I think this may be my weak point. When I’m in the booth I’m 100% focused on what I’m doing, I rarely raise my head to connect visually with the audience.
I’m constantly looking to read the dance floor, how people are and what’s happening, to be able to provide the best possible set at that moment, which if we look at it like that, can be another way of connecting with the audience but in a more sensitive way and through music, which is what matters at that moment.
What equipment do you consider essential to achieve your immersive mixes?
I think the important thing is not the equipment.
The equipment is tools that you have to be able to develop everything in a more professional way or with more resources, but before people used to play with a two-channel mixer with very few controls and two discs… and they did magic.
I think that the important and essential thing is the musical selection, you have to listen to a lot of music and make a selection to stay with the music that you want to use to make your sets different and immersive.
What advice would you give to someone who is starting out in the world of DJing?
That they have personality, that they look for something that they consider to be their hallmark, which, mind you, several artists may have, but that it is something that people can say “that’s him, that’s what characterizes him”…
That they are clear that in the end this is a very passionate world and that you have to enjoy what you do, little by little if you do things well opportunities will come and you have to be ready to take advantage of them, so you have to prepare a lot. That they dedicate time to themselves and to learning and that they have their feet on the ground.
Day by day
Which artists or DJs have marked your career and why?
Throughout the musical stage that I am living there are different cycles and smaller stages, I think that many have contributed something to what I am and what I do today and it would be very unfair to make a list.
But artists that have made me think and from whom I have learned things and learned things… Oscar Mulero, Chris Liebing, Bem Sims, DVS1, Javi Redondo, Ramon Tapia, Fixon, Deas, Abel Ramos, Peerk, Theus Mago, Hannes Bieger, Paul Render, Edgar de Ramon, KMartin, Danny Wabbit… and an infinite number of artists that I could say, because they have all contributed moments that have made me think, and I think that in the end that is what it is all about.
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