A Sit Down With DJ David Squillace

His name reminds us of his Italian origins though he’s now settled in Barcelona. His music production is inspired by an interesting blend of genres, Detroit Techno gently sympathising with Spanish After Hours Tech House; but his dedication to making music doesn’t prevent him from being an extremely skillful DJ, who’s ability to create melody and incisive transitions is unsurpassed.

 

“We are now living a moment where clubbing has been mixing sound and image for more than a decade.”

 

 

What made you decide to become a DJ? Who was your inspiration?

I don’t think I ever decided it. I’m not sure that it is something you really decide, it just becomes your way I think. Richie Hawtin has always been one of the guys that inspired me.

Do you think that DJs and dance music figures should be more political in their personas? Meaning, do you want to see more opinions coming out of artists and the music they make? I have heard many conflicting opinions on this matter.

Honestly, not really, but if you have an idea and your idea can help to make the world a better place then express yourself. We do have the power to move masses which can also be a risk.
But yes a lot of us are getting closer to energies, veganism, karma, yoga. I see them as ”first world problems”.

Have you played with Joris Voorn or Craig Richards before? What are you looking forward to from sharing the bill with them here later this month?

I’ve played with Joris a couple of times but not with Craig, I’ve seen him playing but never shared the DJ booth with him. I’ve been looking forward for a long time now to play at fabric on a Saturday, so I’m really going there with nothing in my mind and to go with the flow. I’d like to be swollen by the whole scene there and see what happens!!

How has your style evolved over the years and what are the artists that have inspired you the most?

I went from a footprint of more “physical” sounds, to more “ethereal” material, and slowly mixed them. Over the years you mature and gain more knowledge of the world around you, so this is definitely reflected in your music. Artists? Too many to name them all…

It must be pretty challenging to balance all that out with your DJ’ing, you’ve been resident at Circoloco for 6 years now – what’s it been like being part of a crew and representing their certain sound?

It has been nicely challenging. I see being part of Circoloco as a family affair, I think we are a range of DJ’s and producers that have their own sound and represent the brand in different ways. Circoloco and the DC10 experience has shaped my life on a personal level, which of course means that has had an effect also on everything else. Every experience in life makes you a slightly different person and this affects your music too.

You’ve got residency at the huge Circo Loco. How do you find those parties? How’s it compare to your other shows?

Ok, it’s a simple thing – Circo Loco is so good, that it messes you up for future gigs. This is because, even when you’re playing a very good club with a great sound system, great environment and you have friends around, there’s always a doubt as to if you’re doing your job in the best way. Circo Loco is like home, that’s the feeling I have.

You’re now travelling the world and a well-known respected DJ, but did you ever have any moments when you considered giving up?

Not sure really, I guess there are always those moments but I interpret them as a new start. I mean, it means I’m a bit bored with what I’m doing and it’s time to make a turn.

What has changed in club scene in the last 15 years?

The digital age – the people in the clubs are always changing, but those who never attend the clubs are still giving out misinformation.

With such an international following do you feel you have to alter your sets in the different countries you play? Or is the music a universal language.

It’s not really the country that makes you play, it’s more the type of night that makes you decide which kind of music you want to play to a crowd. Sometimes emotion plays a strong part in how you play, like if you’ve had a bad day you go deep and dark.

You’ve got your own label ‘This and That’ which is proving highly successful. What sounds are you looking to push on your label? How do you find the artists?

I don’t think we have a specific genre we want to push, it’s more about what mood we are in at the specific times of our lives. Mainly it goes from the 4/4 side of electronic music, it can be for darker days, happier days, after party vibes or a big festival. We’re not very extremist in our views of music, we really don’t want to be labelled in any particular genre. Finding the artist has always been a fairly random process, we buy a lot of music, of course, because we are all DJs. So when we hear someone we like, we might get in touch with them and ask if they want to do something with us.

Why did you decide to start your own label?

To stop having filters between what I was doing in the studio and what would be released.

Questions? Comments? We want to know:@djfollower