The next mix in our Friends & Family series comes from the head of Barcelona’s hottest dance music distributor and record store; Subwax.
Baldo has been at the forefront of club records in the Spanish capital for many years starting in Subwax under the faithful hand of Jimi Disko in 2013 going on to take-over the company entirely in 2020. In recent years Subwax has started to focus mainly on dealing with labels under tech, deep and garage house sounds from the likes of some our favourites Limosine Dream, Mindhelmet, Sunset Drifters & Spaziotempo to only name but a few but the quality list very much goes on & on.
Baldo also handles many of his own imprints through the illusive distro, Physical Education, Curated By Time and BLD Tape Recordings. His thought provoking productions have also seen him appear on Gerd Janson’s Running Back as well as Unknown to the Unknown’s rave ready E-Beamz off-shoot! We are delighted to have Baldo on our F&F series where he is showcasing plenty of what has come and gone and what will come to be on the distro that he has dedicated his career to.
We had a chat with Baldo about the mix and about what he has coming up:
Hey Baldo, thanks for joining us! Can you tell us about your mix and what the idea behind it was?
These tracks represent my personal DJ style, as I could perfectly play them in a gig. What makes this mix unique and special is that I exclusively used music from Subwax distributed labels. It includes a couple of unreleased tracks that haven’t even been announced yet.
Can you tell us a bit about how you usually approach recording a mix or a set?
Typically, I like to begin and end with deep or special tracks, while maintaining a consistent intensity throughout the mix with not relevant changes on the style. That’s how I usually handle my gigs as well.
What are your preferred methods for finding new music—do you still enjoy digging around in dusty crates, or do you prefer to buy online?
Digging through second-hand records can be very enjoyable, but it requires a significant amount of time, something I don’t have much of these days. So, if I’m searching for and buying second-hand records, I usually do it on Discogs. I also purchase new releases both online and at physical stores. Sometimes, I browse through Bandcamp and digital shops as well.
You are the head honcho at Subwax distribution, for anyone that doesn’t know, what is Subwax and what is the brand vision?
Subwax is a distributor of vinyl releases primarily for electronic music DJs. We specialize in distributing genres such as House, Techno, Electro, Breaks, Minimal, Tech House, etc… always with an underground touch.
We’re situated between the record labels and shops, we receive all the stock from our labels at our warehouse in Barcelona. From there, we ship worldwide to specialized vinyl shops. In some cases, we also assist labels with the pressing process if they’re unfamiliar with manufacturing records or if they prefer to delegate this job to us.
You are also a very solid producer with plenty of great 12″s out, do you have any valuable tips for people who are getting into music production?
One advice I always give is to avoid spending more than 1-2 weeks working on the same track. Personally, I believe that after a few days of continuously listening to the same track, your brain becomes accustomed to it. Any new element you try to add might not sound good, so it’s best to finish it as it is and move on to a new track. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in a never-ending loop, wasting a lot of time that you could dedicate to a fresh tune. Another tip is to explore online production courses. Nowadays, there are many excellent channels and online courses that can inspire you and save you a lot of time trying to find out things about software or hardware by yourself.
What do you have up your sleeve for 2023?
I have an upcoming EP on Permanent Vacation in August, three original tracks. I’m also working on the next EP for my label, Physical Education, which will likely be released in the fall. Additionally, I have a few remixes in the pipeline for artists and labels that I admire, but I’m afraid, I can’t reveal any details just yet.
Thanks Baldo 🙂
