Alongside his remarkable contribution to the series, we sat down with DJ DEXTRO who shared his thoughts about his career, inspirations & aspirations!
- Hi Luis, thanks for answering our paradoxical questions! With over a quarter of century in the scene, what could you say have changed in electronics in this period of time? ?
Hello, first I want to thank you for the invitation to this interview. Well music is more or less cyclical over a period of 20 to 25 years, everything that’s happening existed in the 80s and 90s, what I can say is what has changed is the number of artists and the ease with which everything happens today. Everything is much easier and faster than 30 years ago. I also won’t say how extremely difficult everything was to achieve and achieve, regardless of the musical field.
- I guess you also experienced a change in generations of Techno fans. Do you feel the crowd interacting with electronic music the same way as back in the days ?
I don’t want to be nostalgic but it has nothing to do with how one listened and enjoyed music in the 90s, totally different from today, which is “understandable” to some extent, derived from new technologies.
- Lisbon is for sure a must visit spot in the Techno circuit. Any special venue you would recommend there?
Yes already in the 90s Lisbon was considered one of the capitals of electronic music, A Paradise Called Portugal, was the slogan of the time, much better than today (ahaha) But we have the Lux Club , Gare, Ministerium, Nada 3.0, and then numerous spaces that producers and promoters can rent in order to organize their events and festivals.
- Do you have a precise moment in your career that you’ll never forget, or that was a key moment for you ?
Well, I had several projects within electronic music, maybe many joys gave me because I did what they liked and what the moment proposed to me, maybe I can say that my first trip to Japan, or my first vinyl release, also play for 120 thousand people on a beach in Portugal, many joys I have had everything also for the unique and exclusive work.
- Some months ago we read from an article relating the experience of several DJs such as Laurent Garnier that a DJ’s lifestyle is pretty tough to handle sometimes. We know passion helps a lot, but can we say that making a career out of your passion is exhausting sometimes ?
Effectively when we talk about Dj producers, think that it is all a dream and facilities, for the real Dj producers is not always easy, reconcile the gigs, with the production and family, the trips become tiring, scales, flight lost or postponed, for various causes, for those who do this for 30 years is why you have to like and love what you do and sometimes these “sacrifices” are rewarded, for for the passion that goes through the music.
- You played all around the globe, from Belgium to Japan, in Colombia or in Netherlands, do you adapt your sets regarding to the culture you’re going to face and its taste in electronic music ?
Yes, a little bit but I don’t run away much from my identity, maybe to Bpm, at this time I can go from 132 to 145 depending on the country that can go to perform, but everything within Techno, Raw, Deep, Hypnotic, Classic, Groovy, I don’t go into fashions to please deep down I like House and Techno and from there is playing with knowledge and baggage over the years.
- As a DJ, you must come across loads of promos. What do you think about the current production in the techno circuits? Is there enough sense of creativity or innovation according to you?
Effectively I get many promos, it is always difficult to get those tracks that I like to pass in my sets, a lot of offer and less quality, but always find something interesting and coming from new artists.
- What would be your advice to a young artist that is emerging on this scene ? Be focused on what is being released and go with the flow or always keep in mind what was done before ?
I would say not to be in a hurry in release music, to have a little more humility is something I see in many new artists that does not exist, not generalizing is obvious, to be patient, when they send music to the labels do not send to many at the same time this is never good, it is never good always wait 15 days minimum for a response if it is not obtained then send it back to another label. It is all easier than before so have patience.
- How did you record the podcast for Paradox ? Can you pick a record from the mix and tell us why you like it or how you found it ?
I recorded the set at home I have the XDJ of Pioneer where I do my sets for the podcasts that ask me, the record that I choose is a release of my Vitimas do Sistema that came out for my label Codein, the same track will come out by Apple store in a podcast of Charlotte, and I chose this track for that very reason.
- Do you have any connection with the techno scene in France? What do you think about it?
Not for that, by chance it was a country where I have not played yet, I have already received requests but it never materialized so I can not talk much about something coming from France, only if we talk about the 90s and some artists who marked this phase and who continum, but the question was not that.
- Can you give us a glimpse about your future projects?
Of course yes, 2025 will be an interesting year to return to vinyl also by Mutual Rhtm, and Nechto, I also have some reworks by the mythic Missile Records to go out and dedicate a little more to Bandcamp with exclusive editions on my label.
Thanks a lot Luis, we hope to see you very soon somewhere, keep the good vibe on!
Love and respect