August 3rd, 2007
The Mediterranean talks to us in a luscious language delivered through broad airwaves of advanced technology. What is this sound you hear? The ethnic cultures of Africa and South America echo a tribal pulse from ancestral decades of human existence. These drum-centric rhythms were the driving force behind spiritual rituals. Over the seas and across the airwaves from the Spanish regions of Madrid and Portugal, comes the sound of STEREO! Chus and Ceballos are STEREO Productions, coined flavor, the Iberican Sound. These two have independently developed an underground sound synonymous of its historical culture and landscape, the Iberican Peninsula. Percussion, warm tribal rhythm and electronic groove help describe the sound of STEREO!, but mere words cannot catch the essence of distinct music. A mixture of global sound and passionate culture, Stereo delivers a dance floor pitcher of Sangria(sangre’).
Chus L. Esteban aka Dr. Chus! started his musical journey at 16 years old at a club called Alien, Grupo Kapital in Madrid. Chus was a resident at Kadoc in Vilamoura, Portugal and played along side of the best djs in the world. He soon would play at the top events in and around Spain and the world. He started producing with David Penn (Black Vinyl rec.). In 2001 with Pablo Ceballos and Carlos Calico (head of A&R and responsible for Stereo Management and Dj Agency), STEREO Productions was born.
Pablo Ceballos also started at the very young age DJing and producing. First drawn to the Techno scene then developed a passion of progressive house. His quality productions and collective roots teamed him with Chus, jump starting a talented label into a worldwide production haus. Their teamed efforts contribute to a definitive brand of high quality music.
Together Chus and Ceballos have acquired a long list of accomplishments. They have released a number of tracks and compilations on Yoshitoshi, Shinichi, Defected and Twisted to name a few. Notable remixes include Deep Dish’s “Say Hello”, Danny Tenaglia’s “Dibza” and remix of Madonna’s “Hung Up”. Several times elected “Best DJ of the Year” by the Spanish Deejaymags Awards, Chus is quoted amongst the top 100 world DJs, next to Ceballos, by the British DJ Magazine.
These two are relentless in their labor. It’s difficult to capture word for word, all things known about these two, but nonetheless time well spent. I remember coming across the STEREO web site a couple years ago, it immediately caught my attention with top notch sound, recognizable branding and attention to detail. So, I downloaded their custom desktop image and set it as my background on my Apple G4 while working through design school(It’s still there). Little did I know how much of an impact they would soon make in the electronic music industry.
Crossing the Bay Bridge, we slipped into the city of San Francisco with Chus and Ceballos before their Rubyskye appearance for a private interview.
VM: How do you manage running your own club, record labels, digital download site and tour around the world as djs?
Chus: Good question, we try to do the best and sometimes it’s very difficult. We try to separate DJing, running labels and personal life, it’s not easy.
Ceballos: There are two keys, one is we are workaholics, we are always working on our laptops in the hotel, on tour, pretty much everywhere. The second is help, our partner Carlos Calico who helps runs the labels and also with a team about 4 or 5 people working full time.
VM: What are the names of labels you currently run?
Ceballos:We currently have 5 labels, Stereo Productions, Stereo Cool!, Iberican! Recordings, Solar Recordings, and Tribal Recordings. We also started a digital download site called Trackingspain.com, you can download alot of tracks that come from our labels and artists that work with us.
VM: Both of you grew up in Madrid, you must have had several musical influences. What was you first dance music experience?
Chus: About 20 years ago, I was at a big festival in Portugal, of course DJ Vibe and it was the first time I saw Danny Tenaglia. Long time!
Ceballos: I’m 31 now, I started producing when I was 18 and started DJing at 20. I started DJing in my hometown at a local club, really underground. I started producing on my own and came out with some demos. We are somewhat pioneers in Madrid, of course there were DJs and producers before us. We are pioneers in a sense because we went abroad, we started remixing for international artists and labels.
Chus: We were the first label with a global mentality in Spain(Stereo Productions), which is very important and many people followed.
VM: You both have produced numerous tracks and compilations, any particular project you’ve had a memorable time with? and why?
Chus: Maybe the remix we did of Haunting Me by Cuba Computers…there are so many tracks, they were are all good memories.
Ceballos: Cuba Computers was supported and a favorite of Danny Tenagalia that year and at WMC, it was important to us because that was when people first started to notice Chus and Ceballos. The Strong Rhythm was the first track on Stereo Productions and the remix of Baguio Track with Luzon which was the 100th release for Yoshitoshi EP, just to name a few. Good times!
VM: When can we expect something from the “Madricians“, Chus and Ceballos and Danny Tenagalia?
Ceballos: It’s going to be a crazy groovy thing, dance floor destruction.
Chus: We are working on it, it’s very difficult for us all to get together, maybe in the next year or two.
Ceballos: We started the collaboration, it hard to find time. Danny is very busy and we are really busy too, maybe by next year.
Chus: It’s going to be huge, for sure!
VM: How did Dibiza on Stereo come about?
Ceballos: What happened with Dibiza, Danny sold us Dibiza about three or four years ago, I remember like it was yesterday, a magic day.:D It was at his loft, he has his own disco. He said, “Guys, I want to release this on Stereo.” We were like, “Wow!”
Chus: He said he needed to fix some things, record some voices, and go to the studio and work together. Danny came to Madrid and stayed one week with us in the studio. Recorded some voices… Bring the Drums Back, Bum BUm BUM!! It was an amazing and magical experience.
Ceballos: I remember it being a lot of fun. Sometimes it’s a little strange because you have to do what you have to do, and you have deadlines. That week with Danny was just fun, you know. We had fun eating going out to dinner, going to the studio and recording some takes. Danny was kidding and jumping around. If you listen to Dibiza it has a lot energy and a lot of fun.
VM: Define what is quiet time for you and how do you relax?
Chus: We don’t have time to relax.
Ceballos: (Laughs) There is no time for relax. We have maybe just a few days, it a lot of work with our labels, remixes and the studio.
Chus: I have a special place to lose myself in South Portugal, Algarve. I have a house there, my family, daughter and wife go there. I try to relax a little bit there.
Ceballos: I travel a lot, I stay one or two extra days here or there because I have friends where I go, but no real holidays.
VM: Any particular producers killing it right now that we should be on the look ut for?
Ceballos: Peter Bailey and Richie Santana having been doing stuff for a long time now and I think they are on fire now. They are doing good stuff laterally with new remixes, very interesting.
Chus: There is a lot of new talent on TrackingSpain.com, Spanish producers like like D-Formation, Sergio Fernandez, Oscar De Rivera, Peter Tha Zouk from Portugal, Rob Mirage from New York and Simon and Shaker from Spain.
VM: Which places do you like to visit and play?
Ceballos: There something special about Stereo in Montreal, we have a residency there every three or four months, it’s magic. It’s a special night every time we go. It’s an after hours club we play from 4am to 12pm, 8 hours of good music, good vibe, an amazing club, an amazing sound system, and a good booth, but the best is the people. The people listen to you and you can feel what they are listening to.
Chus: Theres another club in Asia it’s Zouk in Singapore.
Ceballos: Bulgaria is an amazing country, with two or three cities with different clubs but the crowds are amazing. It’s a pleasure to play there.
VM: What would you like to say to the global dance community in 2007?
Ceballos: All the people in house music, it’s a transitions time, a hard time for labels, because of vinyl and piracy. Support the music, buy legal music, and go to the clubs to see DJs and support dance music.
Chus: Keep the music alive, don’t destroy it, the music industry please!!
Ceballos: Support the music!
VM: We would like to thank Chus and Ceballos, Carlos and Victor at Stereo, Malik at Vital and everyone at Rubyskye. Chus and Ceballos, thank you for all the time and energy you have given to dance music, lord knows we all appreciate the Iberican sound.
Keep doing what you do! Gracias!