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Utopyk & El Fulminador are a duo from Spain and Argentina based inBerlin. As heads of Fulmen Records, they have released several works on the label since 2014, including the album “2011” and several EPs with remixes by artists such as Hardton, Freudenthal, Montessori, Andrem, K-Effect and more.
Neón is a 5 track remix EP by the duo Utopyk & El Fulminador, founders of Fulmen Records. We had the pleasure of interviewing them and this was the result.
Hello guys, it is a pleasure to have you at DVOX MAG.
Well, to start the interview itself… How are you? Where are you currently
living?
We’re good! Preparing the end of our musical year with two events we’re working at right now. Berlin has been our home for the last 17 years!
How did you meet? How did you start making music together?
Besides working together in the artistic field we’re also lovers. We met at work 20 years ago in León, Spain, that’s where our musical journey as a duo started. Since then, we have been producing music on a regular basis and we organize the label and all its activities together.
How is your creation process?
The creative process can really vary from track to track. Some of them come from an obsession with a distinctive type of sound, whereas other times, more specific melodies or drum patterns come to mind and we just have to materialize them. This second, more inspired instance is the one that works faster. The tracks resulting from moments of inspiration are the easiest to finish.
An important point is that we don’t create “single” tracks, we rather work on series that ultimately become an album or a remix EP. With the latter, we version ourselves as a way to expand the possibilities of a song into different directions, so you’ll see a fair amount of remixing in our discography. Our first album “2011” has evolved into 6 remix EPs, with the latest release “Neón” being one of them.
On the other hand, the composition process for our next album is completely different, as the tracks come from unreleased demos produced originally for “2011”. We developed them further until they reached a new identity, using gothic literature from the beginning of the 20th century as a conceptual vehicle. We like transforming unused demos to the point when you feel their potential is fully realised, no matter how exhaustive the process gets. “Carroña” (the name of this upcoming new album, meaning “carrion” in English) is all about upcycling, hence the title.
What can you tell us about your brand new EP “Neón”?
This is one of the tracks we composed from instant inspiration, the kind of moment we talk about in the previous question. We composed the basic elements (a drum pattern and the core melody) from a sleepless moment in bed. Some time later, when we were recording the vocals for the album 2011, we improvised the lyrics and the vocal line. That first take was decisive.
We really like the versatility of this EP, the kind of journey it creates. It starts with the original vibe from an 80s pop song and then goes to the Streets Mix, where we turn it into an extended dub with re-recorded vocals in Spanish. From there, it uses the original BPM range of 145 to go deeper into techno with the Vacation Resort Mix and then the Sacv Remix, an interpretation from our dear friend Sacv, a long-time collaborator and member of the Fulmen DJ Crew now based in the Canary Islands.
Now comes the music video, that’s going to be ready very soon. As a curiosity, part of it was shot in your hometown Miami, a city we really like. Ocean Drive has inspired us during the shooting and we think it captures the spirit of the song.
Why did you decide to start with Fulmen Records in the first place?
What can you tell us about the label and its way of working?
The reason behind the creation of Fulmen Records lies in the quantity of unreleased material we had. We needed a space where we could publish all this eclectic music cohesively without worrying about genre or style limitations, so the best and most efficient way to do it was building our own house. From there, we developed a cosmos where music comes together with other forms of expression such as video, performance and illustration.
Being eclectic and going beyond musical borders is part of our essence. We believe inspiration cannot be contained by a specific kind of sound, that’s why you’ll find releases with Dark Disco, House music, Techno, Chill out, sometimes synthetic, other times organic or even jazzy. The glue holding this body of work together is of a different nature: colours, landscapes, feelings.
With Fulmen Records, we have collaborated with artists such as Aérea Negrot, Bawrut, Zombies in Miami, Hardton, Freudenthal, K-Effect, Traveller-X, Lucare, Montessori, Andrem, No Darling, Andres Komatsu, Niels Poensgen and more. Since its foundation in 2014, we organize regular label nights in different venues of Berlin, where we not only showcase DJ acts but also incorporate elements of performance, visual arts and live music. A highlight this year was taking our Fulmen Night to Seoul, South Korea, where we played alongside our friend and DJ crew member Kim Gangmin for a very charming and enthusiastic crowd, an unforgettable experience.
Let’s get geeky.
What instruments do you usually use in the studio? What is your favorite
synthesizer? What criteria do you use when producing your own songs?
In the studio we use a variety of analogue synthesizers and drum machines, combined with digital sounds and also live instruments. Some synthesizers are Rocket by Waldorf, Bass Station II, Arturia MicroFreak, MicroKorg and Triton by Korg. Drum machines include TR-8, SPD-20 and MC-307, all by Roland. Difficult to peak one as a favourite, since each one has something different to add. Sometimes, we program a bassline digitally just to have the idea and then record it using analogue hardware for a more consistent, warm sound. The criteria used changes a lot from track to track.
Can you recommend any artist or label that you have been listening to
lately?
We have been listening to artists such as DJ City, Virginia from Ostgut Ton, Demi Riquísimo, Paramida, Fuga Ronto, Andy Fox, Yoshinori Sunahara, Acid Jerks and Tom Carruthers, to name a few.
And finally, what can you tell us about 2024/2025? What’s coming up for
the label… Tours, showcases, upcoming releases, etc.?
We have two big events ahead of us: the first one of them is an art exhibition celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Fulmen Records from November 15th until November 24th in HilbertRaum, a gallery in Berlin. We’ll show a multidisciplinary retrospective of the work done during the past ten years combining photography, video and illustration with music.
The second and probably last event this year is our Fulmen Night on December 6th at Crack Bellmer in Berlin. There, we’ll share the decks with Isa GT from Puticlub and Cheriii from Homodrop, two collectives running amazing queer events in Berlin and abroad.
What things inspire you outside of the music world?
Very often, we get inspiration from other forms of art such as cinema and literature. Other times, it comes from nature or readings about interesting topics such as astronomy, ancient civilizations and linguistics. Berlin’s (intense) nightlife is also a regular source of ideas.
What is your favourite activity when you want to disconnect from
everything to do with music, work and everyday life?
We love cooking. It’s a moment where you disconnect while preparing a meal with love for yourself and also to share with others. Regarding this particular pleasure, at the beginning of November we’ll be the musical part of the event LaLove’s Kitchen, a culinary performance organized in Berlin by our friend Lalo Gomes, where food, arts and ritual come together.
Any last words of wisdom that you would like to share?
So far, the greatest artists we have encountered during our journey are always the kindest. Stay kind and true to your essence, don’t believe any hype and also, don’t forget to come back home after a long party.
