The ‘Shine A Light On’ Mix: Roman & Castro

Latin nightlife is wild, at least that is the stereotype which we are led to believe. However, countries such as Chile aren't often necessarily known for their contributions to the likes of House music. Roman & Castro are a duo from Santiago who appear to be bringing in a season of change: their debut EP, 'Bajo' , has just landed on Sanfuentes Records and features two slammin' remixes from Alejandro Paz and Eddie Mercury. The crew bring with them a sound which firmly acknowledges the duo's roots in Latin American culture, but also one of modern day club music. This mix is wild straight from the get go and takes no prisoners. Tribal, jacking house music with a cultural influence, play this one loud. Listen and Read the Interview Below: 

Who are you? Where are you? What are you?

Unsurprisingly, Roman & Castro stands for Sebastian Roman and Nicolas Castro. We come from Santiago de Chile and we were brought into this world to make you go all the way down.

What does your music sound like? 

As our friend and label manager Vicente Sanfuentes likes to put it – a blend of house, techno, sweat and sex. Let's call it just Techno Latino.

Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us, an image from the old internet is acceptable?

We'll let the emojis do the job for us: 

Where was the mix recorded?

At home, on a sunny spring afternoon.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

It's very suited for late at night, but it should also pump you up when you take a jog or drive on a fast highway.

What should we be wearing?

As little as allowed – it's gonna get hot.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: location, system, format?

The best way to recreate what we are live is to record one of our b2b sets, using a pair of CDJs. For us it's key to feel the energy of the crowd to pick the next song.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

That's a tough one. We love them all so much! Obviously we won't choose one of ours, so we would have to go for Mijo's "El Próximo Berlín". It's such a great statement of what's going on in Latin American techno right now. 

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

Damn, that's even a harder one being two. I don't know if "all time", but for both of us Sanfuentes' Boiler Room in Santiago was a huge inspiration. Also Daniel Maloso's live set in Primavera Fauna 2013 blew our minds. We're not sure if he's aware but he's been a really big influence on Latin producers. Bad ass techno that fits anywhere with an unmistakeable latino vibe.

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

Green Velvet for sure. The man keeps going and remains important and influential, whether it's a big festival or a small club. The way he handles the crowd, the energy and the vibe is… wow.

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

We are both relatively young. And since vinyls here are so expensive, we learnt the basics using Traktor. Then it got boring and we moved to CDJs. We had own a pair of 900s and now we moved to 350s – they're so much easier to carry on.

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

We give them both a big thought, but probably the last is more important. You have to leave people with their minds blown and also wanting for more. They'll probably judge your whole set on that single choice also. Memory is fragile these days.

What were the first and last records you bought?

The first were Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" and Guns 'n' Roses "Use your illusion II" . The last one was Publicist's "Artist & Models" – we bought it together before a gig.

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

A chili pepper. Or as we say in Chile, "un ají".

If it was an animal what would it be?

We see ourselves like a woodpecker – beats for feed well dressed in black and red.

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

Front 242 – "Work 1 (L-Vis 1990 Edit)". Maybe you can throw it, but it might be a great challenge.

Upcoming in the world of Sanfuentes?

We can't fully speak on behalf of the boss, but we've heard some stuff and 2016 is looking bright. There's probably not a better label right now to summarize what's so hot about Latin techno, from places like Mexico, Argentina and of course Chile. It's an honour to be a part of it and feel how people are starting to notice. It's tough trying to make it down here, but at the same time it's an exciting point in time to be doing it.

Anything else we need to discuss?

Get nuts but be careful on the sound quality. Lo-fi might be cool but it doesn't really work on the club. It's been a pleasure, we hope you like our stuff. Thanks.

Buy the release HERE.