Paco Osuna: "Music is passion, not fashion"

PACO OSUNA is 30 years deep into his career and is one of the most innovative artists on the electronic music circuit.

The Mindshake Records boss continues his Now Here residency at Hï Ibiza this summer having launched in 2022, and next weekend he is set to take to the stage at one of Europe’s best summer electronic music festivals, Kappa FuturFestival in Turin, Italy on 5, 6 & 7 July.

Now here… Paco Osuna

We caught up with Paco this week to talk about everything he has going on in his world, plus he’s compiled an exclusive playlist which you can listen to after the interview.

Paco, it’s always a pleasure to see you perform. How excited are you about your upcoming set at the Kappa FuturFestival?

Every time I play at Kappa it is an incredible feeling, I have always considered Italy my second home and it is always a huge pleasure to feel the warmth and energy of the Kappa festival crowd.

Kappa FutuFestival, Turin, Italy – Click image for more details on the festival

The Kappa FuturFestival is known for its vibrant atmosphere and enthusiastic crowd. What do you enjoy most about performing there?

Everything, the Italian crowd and the people who go to Kappa are distinguished by an incredible enthusiasm and energy, plus the venue where the festival takes place is impressive, it has a very special and unique charisma, so I really love everything about Kappa Festival.

Hï… Paco Osuna

Can you give us a glimpse into how you prepare for a set at a major festival like Kappa Futur?

I always select the music that I think can work in my set, but in the end the most important thing for me is knowing how to read the dance floor and adapt to it. So although I make a musical preselection for the festival, in the end it is the crowd’s reaction to each track I play that tells me which direction to follow.

Kappa FutuFestival, Turin, Italy – Click image for more details on the festival

Are there any new tracks or special edits that you’re planning to debut at the festival?

Every week I have a lot of new music and new edits that I make or receive from friends, so a week before the festival is when I will start selecting everything, obviously I have several new productions that have not yet been published that I will surely play at Kappa.

Paco Osuna presents Now Here at Hï Ibiza – Click for more details

You have a residency at Hï Ibiza with your concept, Now Here. How has this residency influenced your approach to live performances?

A lot!! Once you start a residency with your own brand it influences you. Being your party, you are the flagship, so obviously you have to have a line that represents your musical concept. So yes! It’s influenced me a lot in what I do musically outside of Now Here.

Can you tell us more about the Now Here residency at Hï Ibiza and what makes it unique compared to other residencies?

The atmosphere and the connection we have with our audience every Tuesday, obviously in Ibiza the crowd changes week after week, but we have a base of loyal followers who are highly identified with the brand and the concept, they are the true driving force of Now Here. Their energy, their passion, their love for the brand is the greatest motivation I have and what makes me try to continue improving to surprise them every week, they are my greatest pride.

Paco Osuna in The Night Bazaar in The Sun’s Something For The Weekend

Your sound has evolved over the years. How would you describe your musical journey up to this point?

Throughout my 30 years of career, music has been changing and evolving, I have experienced many musical genres since I started as a DJ. Acid house, techno, minimal, tech-house, house, are styles that I have grown up with and have obviously influenced me a lot. I have always considered that music is freedom and I have never liked to pigeonhole myself into a single style, music is so great and varied that it is reductionist not to want to play other styles just because of stereotypes. Good music is good music and I try to take what I like most from each period and adapt it to my way of mixing and understanding the DJ set. Although it is true that I have been playing many styles at different times, I think what identifies me most is the way of mixing it and creating a moment or intensity by playing it, the genre doesn’t matter because what I am always looking for is a funky and danceable groove.

Are there any particular influences or experiences that have significantly shaped your recent work?

Yeah!! I am greatly influenced by seeing the new generations, they are the future and sometimes they show me different musical ideas than the DJs of my generation. That’s why Now Here is a party based on the musical quality of young talent, not on the name of the DJ, or the tickets that a DJ can sell. Music is constantly evolving and new generations always give me a lot in terms of ideas and creativity, which I then adapt to my musical personality and my way of understanding a DJ set.

Mindshake… Paco Osuna

You’ve worked with many artists in the techno scene. Are there any upcoming collaborations or projects you’re particularly excited about?

I really like sharing and working with new people, I have many projects with many of them. In fact, I have returned to the “Amigos” concept that I did on the Plus 8 label. It is the idea of working with your friends, playing with music and having fun in the studio. Whatever the work is, when you do it with your loved ones it is always more fluid and creative, since you are not afraid to present ideas that perhaps with other people you would not dare to do. So I do have many projects with many artist friends and they are all special to me.

How do these collaborations influence your music and performances?

A lot!! The way of production that I started with in the 90’s is very different from the way of producing today and I have always considered myself more of a DJ than a producer, so every time I get together with one of them in the studio I learn from their way of producing, tricks that may be different from mine and they do the same, they learn from the things that I can provide them with my way of producing through my experience. It is a very nice way to combine and create new ways to produce music.

Your label, Mindshake Records, has been instrumental in promoting fresh techno talent. What can we expect from Mindshake in the near future?

The same as since I founded the label: music for the dance floor. Mindshake is a label focused on making people have fun and dance. I have many tracks for 2024, both from completely new artists and those already established, but always music for the dance floor.

Are there any new artists or releases from the label that you think festival-goers should keep an ear out for?

There is a generation right now with a lot of talent to produce. In recent years, and perhaps because of the concept created by Now Here, I receive demos from many unknown people who are very talented. It wouldn’t be fair to single out one because there are many who, due to their passion for music, really do it very well. To say something general, at Now Here I invite those DJs because I like either the music they make, or the way they play and manage the dance floor… look at the Now Here line up and you will find many of them .

How do you usually spend your time at festivals when you’re not performing?

Unfortunately due to my work schedule there are very few festivals that I can enjoy without playing. Most of the time I have to play the day before or after, so I normally arrive at the festival an hour before my set-time to see the vibe of the dance floor and as soon as I finish I go to rest at the hotel because the next day, or a few hours later, I must play again. For example, this year after my set at Kappa I have to go play the after hour party 😅

What are your plans for the rest of the year after Kappa Futur? Any tours, new releases, or projects we should know about?

Many tours and many releases 🙂 After the residency in Ibiza we have the Now Here showcases around the world. This year we will tour again through cities such as New York, Lima, Medellin, Buenos Aires, Amsterdam, London, among others. I have several releases to edit throughout the year, also collaborations and remixes.

This year I have a very special event in Madrid, to mark my 30 years of career I will do an all-day-long at Brunch, it will be on September 29 and I will play a 9-hour set. I am really very excited about this date because of what it represents.

Kappa FutuFestival, Turin, Italy – Click image for more details on the festival

Where do you see the techno scene heading in the next few years, and how do you plan to be a part of that evolution?

I couldn’t tell you, I always try to adapt to the new generations for whom I have played throughout my 30-year career, so the only thing I will try is to continue connecting with them without losing my identity.

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Finally, what do you do to relax and recharge when you’re off the decks?

Enjoying my son, my fiancee, my family which is something I don’t do that often due to my busy diary. I like to go with them to enjoy a good meal, a day at the beach or simply do activities with them. Apart from that, I love watching soccer games hahaha

Any message you’d like to share with your fans and the readers of The Sun and The Night Bazaar?

I would like to tell them to feel the music for themselves and to live their own experiences. Nowadays with social networks there is too much manipulation and sometimes they sell us something that in reality is completely different. That’s why I encourage them to live it themselves and judge it by their own experiences. Music is passion, not fashion.