Desolat producer and Ibiza fixture Francisco Allendes features a brand new remix with UK imprint Underground Audio this month, guesting on the 1970s EP from rising Cologne duo Tolstoi and Andsan. We caught up with Allendes, who is fresh from a quick stopover in South America, to get his insight on the release as well as top tips for doing the White Isle right!
At the moment I am in Ibiza which is where I live. Yesterday I played with Tiga in Heart here in downtown, and tomorrow I am flying to Venezia for a nice open air party with Stefano Noferini. For the days before I had a mix of beach/studio/baby sitting and answering an interview for the cool guys of When We Dip 😉
WWD: You’ve a brand new remix coming up on Underground Audio, how did the opportunity come about?
They contacted me via Facebook and then sent me the original track which I liked a lot. I knew the label from before and played tracks from them, so making a remix really interested me. Am happy with the result 🙂
WWD: After the stems for a remix arrive in your inbox and you load them up in your DAW, can you give us a general play-by-play regarding your approach?
I listen stem by stem looking for sounds that I like and try to make a groove out of 3-4 parts of the original stems. I try to not use very long elements of the original track so the remix sounds very different from the original. After this, normally I go into my Modular to create some more percussion parts that complete the groove, and then the hi-hats, snares and clap I usually make with Maschine. When the drums are ready (or when I think they are ready) I look for the bass and synths that fit with the rhythm – creating them with the Modular or Moog or Kontakt. After this I start working on the structure of the track where I will add or erase more drums and synths, maybe modify the bass, or even erase everything and start again if I realise after some time that I really don´t like what I am doing with the track – something that happens more times than I would like.
WWD: You recently toured South America. Can you give us one highlight?
I´ve played several times in South America and this time was just two dates in Chile and Peru. Playing Chile is always special because its where I am from originally and I get to see my family and friends. But to be honest both parties of the tour were amazing and I can´t highlight just one as it wouldn´t be fair as they were very different. Chile was a night show in a huge theatre in downtown Santiago; Peru was a daytime party – open air, not that big and outside of Lima. But yes – the 2 shows rocked 🙂
WWD: Talking traveling, are you the kind of person who enjoys embracing different cultures or is the traveling element of music something you find an inconvenience?
If you don´t like to travel and complain about it then I would suggest you stop DJing and get a new job. Making records and playing parties will demand at some point to take planes, the more you progress the further and more frequently you will travel. Luckily I enjoy traveling, and I have met great people and amazing artists doing it.
WWD: Best thing you ate all trip?
Food wasn´t the most refined on this tour – mostly hotel and airport food. But the dinner in Santiago was very cool. I met with my high school friends, ordered 30-min-or-free-pizza and watched the soccer match where Chile won 2-1 to Bolivia
WWD: Worst meal you’ve had on tour in recent memory?
The veggie burger at Ibiza airport. In fact I´m pleased to say they don´t sell it anymore!!
WWD: Obviously, you’re well associated with the Desolat team. What do you think it was about your music that caught their eye?
I met Loco Dice in 2010 at the old Ushuaia and I was very happy when I heard him play my tracks – so I sent him my newer music right away – which luckily for me he also liked and signed very fast. I think my sound has the exact energy they are looking for at Desolat – a mix of raw uplifting tech and not cheesy.
WWD: Can you give us two up and coming producers who have caught your eye recently?
Pablo Inzunza from Chile and Nukov & Yelmet from Belgium
WWD: You’re an Ibiza regular. Give us three rules to follow for a success trip to the White Isle!
1 – Don’t drink and drive.
2 – Don’t lose your phone
3 – Don’t accept candy from strangers
WWD: Best set from another DJ you’ve caught this Summer?
Mathias Tanzmann at ANTS, Ushuaia, Ibiza
WWD: Aside from the upcoming remix on Underground Audio, what else have you got on the horizon?
Soon my collaboration with Danny Serrano for Eat and Beat label should be out. In September one of my tracks appears on the Desolat X-sampler and after this I have a remix for Snatch! ….. and 2 more Desolat releases.
Tolstoi & Andsan’s 1970s EP (with Francisco Allendes remix) is set for release July 29th on Underground Audio.
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