Timelessness is a unique notion within dance music. In the immensely trend-centric industry we find ourselves in, it’s a rare breed of producers who continually create grooves that pay homage to the earlier days of electronic music, while also proving relevant in the modern scene. There are certain kicks and rhythms that shine through whether you are a new dancer or a hearty lifelong house enthusiast. Often times, less is more. The latest XYZ artist is a perfect representation of somebody who has a knack for the timeless groove.
An Argentinian who’s musical forte has been bred in Berlin, Alejandro Mosso has been at the forefront of developing innovative percussive, organic and delicate electronic music for more than 15 years. Through challenging the understanding of what dance music could be, Mosso sits at the intersection of deep house, minimal techno, tribal, and melodic dance music.
Alejandro’s ability to traverse genre lines, as well as his widespread involvement in diverse artistic projects, is what makes him a prime representative of Label XYZ’s artistic vision. With releases on industry titans such as Cocoon, Third Ear, and Hivern Discs, we are thrilled to welcome Mosso to XYZ for one of his more innovative projects to date. The Sirocco EP comes as the Berliner steps into a refreshed musical territory. Touching upon the deeper ends of house, the three track project rests upon his ever-present percussive mastery.
Title-track Sirocco opens the EP, with a groovy rhythm feeding into a soothing melody with atmospheric wind instrumentals. It’s a stellar track to summarize Mosso’s work, with amazing organic craftsmanship supplementing a dancefloor-moving kick.
Caravan is all about the drums, allowing an untarnished beat to set the tone early in the track. Haunting pads arrive to set a sturdy soundscape, expanding the melody during the bridge before the percussive kick reignites.
Finishing off the trio is Adrift, a showcase of Mosso’s ability to arrange complex melodic gems. A piano carries the groove, with fluttering synths floating in and out. Adrift is a track for the pensive moments on a dancefloor, and a perfect closer to Alejandro’s debut on XYZ.
We caught up with Alejandro to recap what’s been an industrious career, yet one that is just turning an important corner, and how the XYZ EP came to fruition.
WWD – Alejandro, it’s great to have you here! Thanks for joining us today.
Mosso – Very happy to be here. Thank you!
WWD – What’s Berlin like at this time of year?
Mosso – It is usually very grey and cold, but over the last few years the winters have been very mild. In any case, it is a great time to work in the studio.
WWD – How has the well known artistic hub, especially for electronic music, played its part in your musical path thus far?
Mosso – Berlin has many layers and different scenes, so there is always something new to discover. I guess the most important thing about Berlin is it’s possibilities. Berlin has provided me with the time and freedom every artist needs to develop new ideas.
WWD – What was the driving factor behind leaving Argentina?
Mosso – I left Argentina more than ten years ago. Back then, the electronic music scene there was not very receptive to the music I was doing and artists like me were having better opportunities here in Europe, so it was kind of a natural move.
WWD – Recently, Argentina is becoming well known in dance music as the leading South American scene, fostering both an incredible roster of producers and a thriving party circuit. What can you say about your native electronic community?
Mosso – Argentina always had a lot of interesting artists and an active scene, but the constant economic crises have made it difficult to develop a stable scene with varied options and accessible culture. There is sort of an imbalance between massive entertainment events with European headliners, and smaller local scene events with not enough production quality. But I am hopeful for the future!
WWD – What would you consider ‘timeless’ music, both in & out of the electronic spectrum?
Mosso – I think it is sort of a paradox. Most music can be pinpointed to a specific time, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Only some music perseveres to still be enjoyable and appreciated decades after, while the rest gets stuck in an era and never makes it to the next decade. I guess it ultimately depends on the music touching something deeper than just the current cliche in sound design or vibe. Good music never dies, but it can certainly age graciously.
WWD – How has your production style changed in the last ten years?
Mosso – In terms of technique, it has changed a lot. New tools are constantly coming out, offering new possibilities and the learning process never ends. In terms of musical style, I guess not that much has changed for me personally. I think no matter how much time passes, you always find yourself looking for that vibe or atmosphere that represents you. Creating music is ultimately a path of self-discovery.
WWD – Which current trends or popular styles do you find interesting, and which do you see as troublesome for dance music as a whole?
Mosso – Troublesome trends? Probably too many to talk about here! But I guess a particularly damaging one is the fact that social media seems to be the main factor driving bookings and artist recognition. When you realise that many people are driven to tell a fake story about themselves online, acting as something they are not, things get quite depressing. I recommend leaving your phone aside and enjoying the park as much as possible!
In terms of musical trends, I believe every scene has something very interesting to offer, be it hard techno, deep house, minimal, etc… The problem is when these trends are reduced to cliches by fanatics and marketing teams. Then you end up with uninteresting, nicely packaged consumer products that will end up in the trash eventually.
WWD – How has your ability to be a full-time musician, especially considering the niche-ness of underground dance music, changed with the times? Do you find it harder to make a living as a producer and performer in the modern industry?
Mosso – I have worked hard to make a living out of music, but a big part of it depends on luck too. While I was studying at university, I was supported by my family which allowed me to learn freely and not compromise my music for economic reasons. That period of my life was key in my later professional development. I am very happy to make a living from music, it is kind of a dream, but in the current state of the scene it is becoming extremely hard for producers.
Over the last 10 years the electronic music scene (especially in its dance sub-genres) have been progressively distributing bigger and bigger percentages of its revenue to event organizers, middle men, marketing strategists and DJs; a clear detriment of the artists creating the content that is being sold, used, marketed and branded. This unbalance in the distribution of the wealth generated by the industry presents not only a clear and evident ethical problem, but it is increasingly devaluating the image, reputation and sustainability of the scene as a whole.
The whole scene is built around DJs, while the authors behind the music are rarely credited. The media pays more attention to “personas” as opposed to the music itself. Promoters don’t care about presenting lists of performed music from their events to collecting societies, essentially cutting the ability of producers to collect significant royalties. DJs often shamefully fill-in this occasionally submitted list with their own music. DJs are mislabeled as live acts, creating a massive confusion around the various types of electronic performances. All the while, the creators of the content that makes this machine turn, ie the music itself, are being forced out of the business and find themselves looking for 9 to 5 jobs outside of music. In a world where everyone becomes a service provider or entertainer, who will stand for creating the content that the rest of the industry is based upon?
WWD – What advice would you give to up and coming producers trying to ‘make it’ in 2020?
Mosso – Given my honest critique of the current state of affairs, I guess many young producers might run away… but I don’t want to sound pessimistic! I still believe that if you work very hard and base your career decisions on healthy goals, you may stand a chance to actually make a decent living out of music. While it may not be much in terms of economic gain, a career in music brings tremendous benefit for your happiness and personal fulfilment, something that is rare in industries with more income. This is something that will never change in artistic fields, and is reason enough to pursue the dream of being a professional artist.
WWD – You’ve released on quite an epic roster of labels. Which imprints have withstood the test of time in your opinion, putting out consistently quality music?
Mosso – I think it is quite difficult for a label to stay in business for a long time, let alone releasing quality music consistently. But overall, I am very proud of the labels I have released original music on. Some of them have disappeared, some of them are still active and very successful, and some of them are only starting, but in general they all release good and sincere music, which is the most important thing.
WWD – What do you look for in a label when considering a potential release?
Mosso – I think is important that the label offers the artist freedom, an organized structure, dedication to the music and connections to a scene where the artist can thrive.
WWD – You’ve also started your own label, Mosso, releasing several of your own productions. How important are artist-run, independent, and niche labels in the current industry?
Mosso – I started this small label in 2011. I have only released 7 EPs there, but each release is quite special for me. I curate the releases very carefully, release them on vinyl and digital formats, and have a consistent artwork design of which I am very proud of. From the business side of things, running your own label is a lot of work for very little money, but it is the only platform where you can have control over every aspect of the music release, which is a nice experience and a very powerful artistic statement.
WWD – In three words, how would you describe your music?
Mosso – Percussive, enticing, and harmonic.
WWD – We’re absolutely loving the Sirocco EP. It’s one of our favorite releases on the label thus far; groovy from start to finish! What’s unique about this release to you?
Mosso – Thank you! I think what I like most about the EP is that the three tracks each display a different side of my music, but they also seem to fit together very well. Sirocco is club driven, but with a lead element to hold on to, Caravan is a bit more complex, intricate-percussive and sound design focused, and Adrift is emotional and musical without losing the steady beat and energy.
WWD – We feel productions like Adrift have potential to attract interest in both the ‘deep’ (Sol Selectas, All Day I Dream) and more classic European club scenes. How has percussion played a crucial role in your particular sound?
Mosso – Somehow I cannot seem to finish a track without having some sort of acoustic percussion sound on it. This might come from my latin american origin, but percussion always provides that texture and human presence I like to have in my music.
WWD – We’ve heard some exciting rumors about a remixer or two on the EP, can you provide some insight into who might be putting their spin on the new material?
Mosso – We have a great remix by experienced producer Daniel Bortz, and a couple more that I am not allowed to disclose yet. But I am very excited to announce soon!
WWD – You’ve produced audio/visual installations in Mexico City and Berlin during the last year, can you tell us a bit more about this artistic pursuit of yours?
Mosso – Over the last three years I have been exploring the world of sound and light art installation. It is a world somehow related to electronic music, but in a very different setting. It has allowed me to develop new strategies in terms of audience interaction, sonic environments and visual content. I have presented a few different installations in art galleries here in Berlin and CDMX, and I have a few more coming up this year.
WWD – The Sirocco could be deemed a ‘revival’ of sorts, pushing your sound to a new set of music enthusiasts. Can we expect more material coming out of the studio soon?
Mosso – As I mentioned, over the last years I have been quite busy with my installation artwork, but recently I have worked on a lot of new music that is coming out this year and I cannot wait to share with the audience. There is a whole new generation of music fans that are discovering my music and this is very exciting.
WWD – In parting, if you could pick one track to signify Alejandro Mosso, which would it be?
Mosso – That is very difficult, but I think one of my long time favorites is Cashmere, released on my own label in 2012.
WWD – Alejandro, it’s been a real pleasure. Thanks for the chat, and the amazing music as well.
Mosso – Thank you!!!
Alejandro Mosso – Sirocco EP [XYZ013]
Release Date : 1.24.20
Stream/Purchase : ampl.ink/aKlL0
Connect with XYZ – linktr.ee/wwd.xyz
Connect with Alejandro Mosso
Soundcloud – @alejandro-mosso
Facebook – www.facebook.com/AlejandroMossoMusic/
Instagram – www.instagram.com/alejandromossomusic/