Leader of the new Spanish electro scene and form-an-early-age true artist, Uner is a rising star. Looking behind, he released tracks on world’s best imprints, collaborated with cutting edge producers and treated his audience with several prominent performances. So far, he worked with Solomun’s Diynamic label, released for Visionquest crew in their early days, and mixed compilations for Toolroom and Blue Marin Ibiza. We’ll let his tracks speak for their self and talk to him about his opinion and plans for the future.
How did you started producing music and what did you do before that? What was the most challenging moment for you at the beginning?
I’ve actually spent all my life producing music. I started when I was fifteen, but I’d been studying piano and music theory from the age of four. So musically, the only thing I did before producing was studying 🙂 The hardest thing then was to get material to produce. The equipment was very expensive and I come from a very humble family, so buying a synthesiser was a big thing. My parents bought my first ever synthesiser after taking out a huge credit at the bank. That’s when I started producing my first songs.
You have produced numerous tracks so far. Where do you find your inspiration and what keeps you going? How do you look at the evolution of your sound?
I’ve published lots of tracks but I can assure you that I have many more on my hard drive hahaha
I’ve always said that my greatest inspiration is the silence, as it’s the time when I meet with myself, and when I can listen to the music I have in my heart and in my mind. That’s the place where I get my ideas and even where I go when I want to switch off from the world.
I think that the evolution of my sound is a question of mental maturity, age, emotions. Each day life poses different challenges and emotions and that makes it totally influence your music
How would you describe your style? And what would you play to someone if he asked you to present it in a song or two?
I’d describe my sound as my sound 🙂
If I had to describe it in one word it would be emotional. I don’t understand music without emotion and don’t understand art without it.
If I had choose one song to sum up my sound, it would be UNER – Sol, one of the tracks edited on Visionquest two years ago 🙂 That could be a summary of what I was, what I am and probably what I will be.
So far you have been working with labels such as Defected, Cocoon, Suara, Diynamic, Visionquest, and many others. How do you manage to answer to their challenges concerning their styles and also to keep your own signature in the tracks?
I think it’s a question of clear communication. The labels clearly know what my sound is and I know what theirs is. The moment you step into this road with something special, it’s something that explodes without explanation. It’s as if suddenly we were speaking the same language and that respect for music joins us together at a specific point.
How would you describe today’s underground scene? What do you like about it and what do you think is wrong about it?
I think underground has been nothing more than a tag for a long time now. When an ‘underground’ artist charges €150,000 for one night and a trip by private jet, I believe we can no longer speak of underground. It is a tag that simply differentiates two major musical genres.
For me, it’s a matter of expression and emotions, as I said before. This music allows me to tell my story, without having to think about sales or the charts, and the audience that follows it can understand it perfectly. So ultimately that’s what matters to me.
Do you see yourself as being a part of a growing electronic music movement in Spain and what would be its main characteristics?
I think it was the general evolution of our scene that found us in the middle, at this time, which makes us look like a standard bearer, but nothing is further from the truth. For many years, very good underground music has been made in our country, and there are lots of artists who have had international success before. But perhaps, thanks to communications, the Internet and social media, everything is much more visible and it looks like we invented it.
For my part, I try to do the best possible so that the doors are open for those coming behind, but it’s just a question of work, effort and perseverance, something that was maybe lacking in our country in the past (although we still have a long way to go)
Do you prefer in working with great labels or in working with small ones? And why?
For me, the most important thing is to feel comfortable and that the record label does an excellent job. I’ve worked with huge labels and small labels, and I promise you I’ve seen everything. The main thing is to work with passion and humility (though some, over time, have shortcomings of the latter).
You have been producing music for years now and you have performed almost all over the world. What was the performance you will not ever forget and why?
I’ll never forget, of course, my first performance back in 1995, loaded with hardware (back then I only did live sessions), with my dad helping me to set up and take down, travelling in a car packed to the roof with equipment, and experiencing something that for me it was a dream.
It was in Florida135. So it began and keeps on going now, the sad part of it is my dad is no longer with me physically.
Do you prefer to play in clubs or at festivals? And do you prefer small group of passionate listeners or a larger group of fun seekers and why?
I like playing at both. It’s totally different and there are times for everything. During the summer I usually play a lot at festivals and on big stages, something that lets you experience a more intense show and play in front of thousands of people. This means that by the end of the summer I miss playing in small clubs and having people much closer, so the winter is perfect for travelling between clubs (although we also do festivals), and when the winter ends, I’m missing the big festivals, so the story begins again: D
How much time do you spend in the studio? What are you plans for the future and what can we expect from you?
I spend as much time as possible in the studio. When I’m home, I’m in the studio and when I’m not at home, I keep on producing 🙂
Right now, I’m starting to work on a new album, with a new exciting project that I’ll tell you about as soon as everything is ready: D
So wait for the worst hahahaha
What do you see as your next great milestone when it comes to your career?
UNER Live Band… 🙂
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