INTERVIEW WITH DOC BROWN

What do we find in your podcast for our radioshow?

So in addition to some of my favorite tech-house & techno tunes of the moment; I have also included two tracks from the first release on my new record label, Unlearn:Records.  “Voices In Yr Head” & “Connection” are two tried & tested tracks I feel really great about & I can’t wait to share them with the world!

3 Essential Tracks of this 2020?

Aside from my own tracks, which I tend to play most often, these are three I’ve been really playing a lot:

Julez Cordoba – Wow! (Original Mix) [SNOE]

Shadow Child – Space Riot (Extended Mix) [Nothing Else Matters]

Torsten Kugler – dKatzen Müssen Frei Sein (Calvin Pepper Remix) [M5 Records]

Your wish for before the end of the year?

My hope is that by the end of the year we will all start to have a much more solid vision of what the events & club industry is going to look like going forward.  Obviously things will eventually be more-or-less back to normal; it’s just the uncertainty of when exactly that will be (and what changes will need to be made) that has everyone a bit on edge right now.  Unfortunately events have been the main source of music revenue for a while now, so I’d like to see the industry create a better and more diversified structure for artist income as well.

First place where you played?

The first show I ever DJ’d house music as ‘Doc Brown’ was in a club that was hidden in the back of a taco shop on Miami Beach. A friend of mine called and asked if I could fill in for him at the last minute, and I obviously said yes.  The show wasn’t well attended, but that night I met someone who introduced me to the owner of a different club; I ended up pitching him on the idea of a party & all of the sudden I had my own weekly residency.  Funny how things work like that.

Best club ever?

Staying with what I know best, I have to say my favorite club is Space Miami.  It has changed a lot over the years & with recent residential development in the area it seems now its future may be uncertain—but to have a place like this in my home city to visit as a clubber is amazing.  I have seen countless amazing performances and have had so many off-the-wall nights & mornings there; it truly is a privilege.

Your best session was on?

There are a lot to choose from; I’ve been lucky enough to play some amazing shows.  I think the most special one to me, though, had to be playing at EDC Las Vegas last year.  It’s the biggest dance music festival in the Americas—comparable to Tomorrowland—so that alone was crazy.  What made it really unique was playing on the Corona Electric Beach stage, which coincidentally a friend of mine had been hired to design, build, and run lights on.  The Corona team is amazing to work with & has been extremely supportive of me for a while now, so getting to share that experience with all of those people was something else.

The best DJ you’ve ever seen?

When I start to think of the best individual sets I’ve ever seen it gets to be a crowded space very quickly…but overall & consistently the best DJ of all time, for me, is Carl Cox.  He’s a true master of his craft and I’ve seen him play a variety of styles in both small rooms and on the biggest stages in the world…all the while exuding a massive amount of energy, yet making it look absolutely effortless.

If you were not a DJ, what would you be?

In my previous life I worked in the music industry for labels & such, but if music was totally out of the equation I probably would have ended up a lawyer.  I actually took all the tests to begin studying law here in the US—and did pretty well—but was offered a job managing recording projects before I committed to the schooling.  I think my parents would have preferred me a lawyer to a musician, haha!

Your favorite place in Ibiza?

Hmmmmmm, that is a tough one.  Personally I love the relaxing vibe of Formentera, but on the island itself there is a lot to choose from…and not just clubs & music.  But speaking to what it’s most known for, I think my favorite day I ever spent in Ibiza started at Space and ended at the Zoo Project—what a unique venue for a party, and the vibes were A+++.

Your specialty in the kitchen?

I think my best work is done on the BBQ.  I’m strictly a charcoal guy too—no propane or electric grills for me.  In addition to the regular items, lately I’ve been grilling a lot of zucchini with a little olive oil, sea salt & red pepper (and a few other spices)…I think everything on the grill tastes better!

What equipment is missing in your study?

Although I do have some analog studio gear, I produce mostly in the box and don’t have very much in terms of outboard instruments.  In particular I’d love a Moog Sub Phatty or Sub 37–the sound is so nice & warm, and I think either would be a great fit with the style of stuff I typically produce.  Cross-modulations sound so much nicer on analog stuff so I’d probably incorporate more of the stuff I write as well.  Maybe someday…

¡Thanks!