For Lupe Fuentes, a passion for music is something that has always flowed through her veins. This multi-faceted artist caught the house music bug years ago when she moved with her family from Colombia to Madrid, exploring the club’s burgeoning dance music scene as a wide-eyed teenager. Drawing on the blend of house music styles she grew up on and combining it with some of her cultural heritage, she has created a musical identity for herself that focuses on grooves and dancefloor prowess above all else – combining tribal, tech, Latin and more. Citing the likes of Erick Morillo, Adam Beyer, and Marco Carola as influences, it’s clear she’s well versed in the way of quality 4/4 dance music. With the support and tutelage of industry icons like Roger Sanchez, Junior Sanchez, Todd Terry and Claptone, hotly-tipped talent Lupe Fuentes is carving out a solid reputation in house music as both an in-demand selector and a producer of rhythmically charged house music.
Lupe Fuentes continues to up her game with each new release and has recently taken on her biggest endeavor to date with the launch of her own label, In The Loop. With her burgeoning skills and dedication to her craft, Lupe Fuentes is set to prove to the world that house music is her true love and that she is truly dedicated to making it her be all and end all. Women making waves in house music are still in short stock compared to their male counterparts, and Fuentes is one of a new generation make sure that things don’t stay that way for long.
Jason Price of Icon Vs. Icon recently caught up with Lupe Fuentes to discuss her passion for music, her evolution as an artist, the launch of In The Loop and what music fans can expect in the months to come!
Going back to your early years, what are your first memories of music?
You know, I have always been a very musical person. I remember growing up in Spain, and even when we were back in Columbia, music being a big part of our lives. My mother is Colombian and I remember her listening to the radio, songs and live shows from Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. I feel it was a very defining time in my life musically. Even now, when I am producing music, I really go back to my roots and take things from salsa and old school house music. If you listen to my music, you will hear a lot of Latin undertones and percussions. Many of my roots come from that!
When it comes to the type of music you are making now, how did you know it was the style you wanted to pursue?
It is so interesting because you don’t choose music. Music chooses you! I remember I began producing pop music with some of my friends and producer friends I used to have. We would get into the studio, brainstorm and play around with different sounds or basslines. Slowly, it transitioned into house music. It was such a natural transition for me and it is where my heart is at!
When did you learn to spin and start getting into production?
Growing up in Spain, the electronic music scene was really big. I remember going out to clubs when I was around 14 or 15 years old. I had a lot of friends who were DJs and I had always been very interested in electronic music and the electronic music scene. I used to spin at their houses but I never took it too seriously until about four years ago. It was then that I started to invest 100% of my time into my music. I started producing house music seriously about four years ago and spinning about two years ago. I will say I am definitely a producer first!
That leads us to your latest endeavor. You just launched a new label called In The Loop. What can you tell us about bringing this label to life?
It is such a dream come true for me because the label is my baby in many ways. It is what I am most focused on right now. It is so cool to bring an idea from nothing to a defining sound and image. I think that is what my label is, definition of the sound and the path I am on right now. I think it is so cool because now that I have the label, it is not only about putting music out, creating tracks and bringing them to the people but is also about an image, visuals and an idea. I think all of that goes together, the music and the visuals. It not only brings out both of those elements but also a vibe or a feeling. It is a place where they can come and look for music, videos, artistic pictures, become inspired and really feel something. It is a place where they can come and find new artists or new sounds. It is so amazing to me that I am doing this right now and I couldn’t be more excited about it! The label launched two weeks ago and the first release was “Let It Feel Alright,” my latest track. The track is currently #3 on the Tech House chart on Traxsource. There are two more tracks of mine coming and those are the first tracks I am launching the label with.
Was there something about “Let It Feel Alright” that made it the song to launch the label?
“Let It Feel Alright” is one of my favorite tracks that I have created so far. Why? Because I love the vocals and the deep message. I also love the instrumental of it and every single sound. I feel like every time I produce, I learn something different. Every single day I get pickier and pickier about the sounds I use, how I produce them or how I mix them. I feel it is one of the best tracks I have produced so far and I chose it for that reason. Sonically, it is really where I am right now.
What can you tell us about the way you bring a song to life these days? Has the process changed for you as you have grown musically?
Completely! Completely! It’s so funny that you say that because I was going through my oldest music sessions last night. I opened this session of a track that never got released and I realized the way the track looks on Pro Tools is completely different from how my sessions look right now. I use so many more plugins and things like that. It was so cool to see the growth! In music, every single day is a learning experience! That is why I say that there are really no mistakes, just learning experiences! I definitely think I have grown so much over the course of the last year. I have had the opportunity to work with so many great people and they have all taught me something. I have had the opportunity to learn from people I look up to like Roger Sanchez and Junior Sanchez. There are many things that I have learned to do differently, along with a lot of new tricks I have learned to make my music that much better!
Was it difficult to break into the world of house music as the field is so saturated at the moment?
It is interesting because, for sure, there are a lot of DJs and producers out there but I feel it is really a positive thing. It is a positive thing that people are creating and taking chances. At the same time, if someone gets their name out there and makes a name for themselves, it is great because you have your own name, brand and sound. It means there is something different and special about you that people want more of! I think it is all about creating good music, staying true to your sound, not giving a fuck and doing what you love!
You are married to Evan Seinfeld. He has years of experience under his belt in the music industry and has likely seen it all. What is the best advice he has given you on your music career?
Evan and I have been married for six years and he has definitely had a huge impact on my music career and my creativity. We are together 24 hours a day, so if I am in the studio producing and he comes in, he will give me his input on everything! I love it! I love it because he does have so much experience and is so talented. I have learned so much from him and he has been an amazing and positive person in my life. He has taught me to be uncompromising. He has taught me that you have to be true to what you love and not what you think people want or are going to like. You have to make the music you love because fans may come and go but you have to be able to step back later in your career, look at your body of work and be proud. I just have to stay true to myself and that is one of the biggest lessons I have learned from Evan.
What can we expect from In The Loop in the months to come? What should we be on the lookout for in the short term?
There are a few things actually! Right now, I am very focused on my upcoming gigs. I am going to be playing here in Los Angeles on March 19th, here in Studio City. Then I am going to Miami for the Winter Music Conference and I will be playing five gigs there with Roger Sanchez, Jesse Rose, Junior Sanchez and a bunch of other great artists. There are so many cool people there and I am very excited about my Miami gigs. If you want to find out more about that, you can go my website at www.lupefuentes.com. You can click Shows to see all of my tour dates. Also, be on the lookout for all the upcoming releases from In The Loop from me and other really cool artists. I have another big surprise in the works but I don’t want to say too much. I can say there will be a specific party for the label with a lot of cool visuals, cool music and the DJs will be from my label. It is going to be a really cool thing! My new track will be coming out in April. It is called “Holla If You Hear Me.” The first video will also be premiering for “Let It Feel Alright,” which is more of an art piece I have directed. That will be out very soon! I am making music, building my brand and connecting with my audience on social media to spread the word!
That is great! We are certainly excited for you and happy to help spread the word on all you have going on!
Thank you so much, Jason! I really appreciate it!
Keep up to date with Lupe Fuentes via social media:
www.lupefuentes.com
www.facebook.com/LupeFuentes
twitter.com/lupefuentes
soundcloud.com/lupefuentes
lupefuentes.tumblr.com
instagram.com/lupefuentes
Jason Price founded the mighty Icon Vs. Icon more than a decade ago. Along the way, he’s assembled an amazing group of like-minded individuals to spread the word on some of the most unique people and projects on the pop culture landscape.
