South American DJ, Hernan Cattaneo has spent the last few years ripping up a storm on dance floors across the world. Now he has just released his first self-penned track 'Satellites' which will allow him not only to watch people dance to great music, but dance to something he created himself. Hernan was interviewed by Textravaganza and MTV Text reviewer Nina dela Fuente.

NDF: How long have you been DJ'ing for and when did you realise you wanted to make a career out of it?
Hernan: Well I started around 12/13 years ago in Argentina, at the time there wasn't really a scene so I didn't even know what a DJ was. I would say around 8 years ago I started meeting international DJ's that were playing in Buenos Aries, that was the time when I started realising that it was a profession and there was a whole scene internationally.

NDF: It has been said that the popularity of clubbing in Ibiza has been gradually declining in recent years, what's your view on this? And why do you think Ibiza become so popular in the first place?
Hernan: I think originally it became popular because, apart from being a great place naturally, and having good weather and great beaches, there has always been great clubs as well. I think one of the most interesting things about it is the international crowd, it has people from all over the world. Every year I go I meet more and more people from different and unusual places. That's what keeps it being a really interesting place.

NDF: How does it feel to be in control of whether people have a good night out or not by which records you play and the atmosphere you create?
Hernan: At first it is a big responsibility, you are in control, but at the same time if you do it well, it is really rewarding. When you finish a good night and you see everybody happy, you cant beat that feeling.

NDF: How does the music scene in your home country differ from that in the UK?
Hernan: The electronic scene is really good at home, maybe its not as big of course, as over here in the UK there are big radio stations, television and record labels. It is smaller, but it is really good. There's been promoters bringing in DJ's since 10 years ago, UK DJ's, and people were learning a lot from them. It's based on quality and not quantity, which is a really good thing.

NDF: Do you have to adapt your set depending on the country you are playing in or is what you play based on your musical style and therefor stays the same wherever you go?
Hernan: Wherever I go I carry all my records and some CD's as well, I've tried to have as much variety as possible. Once you start playing you try and stay close to what you are but it always depends on the crowd and the night and how it is going, the way you are going to play. Initially there are going to be around 10 records that you want to play, the records that are doing well for you at the moment but sometimes it can be more housy or more progressive or more breakbeat. It's really varied in different countries but also in the same country, in different clubs.

NDF: I've read that becoming a DJ was an unheard of occupation in South America and it was especially hard to get hold of vinyl, how did you manage to overcome these obstacles and also, how did you convince friends and family it was something worth following?
Hernan: It was really hard at the beginning, convincing my father especially. My mother was always into music and taught me the passion of it so I wouldn't say she wasn't happy but maybe she was worried about my future cause at the time there wasn't any future in become a DJ. Parents always want their kids to do a professional job so they have some security in the future. My father was a big man, he was a lawyer and he was harder to convince but as soon as they saw that I was doing it seriously and it became a profession they supported me big time and there wasn't any problems. Regarding the vinyl, there was just one record shop which brought in maybe just 30 records a week, so all the DJ's went there very early in the morning and were in a queue while the shop was closing trying to be the first to get hold of the vinyl. It was really hard but then I started travelling and met the right people at record labels and DJ's and they have been supporting me. All the DJ's that have been coming to Argentina, especially in the early years like Paul Oakenfold, Danny Rampling, John Digweed, they have been giving me loads of stuff and that was a big support for me.

NDF: You are now writing your own music, where does your inspiration come from?
Hernan: I would say it comes from the dance floor. Some DJ's like me, we are not musicians, but we really have a lot of knowledge about what makes people dance so it is based on that. I have been travelling all over in the last two years having loads of experience and its nice to extend my DJ'ing on another level, which is producing. The only problem is, I usually work with my partner, who is called Martin Garcia. He lives in Buenos Aries so I never got all the time I wanted to work with him because I am travelling all the time but I always look forward to going home and working with him in the studio.

NDF: What is the meaning behind your new single 'Satellites' and how long did it take you to write it?
Hernan: I usually like to play longer sets and in a longer set you can play different kinds of styles like the deeper side of the house and the progressive which I like a lot, so that's what I had in mind when I wrote Satellites. It's a deep record, it's not an instant hit, it grows on you, it's slow but ends with a really great atmosphere in the club. I started working on it while I was away and then went back to South America to finish it with Martin and it took around two weeks.

NDF: It is so easy for people to put together a dance track on their home computer these days, how do you go about creating your music?
Hernan: We have a proper studio in Argentina with instruments and all the stuff. When I travel I have my Macintosh PowerBook computer with the software similar to what we have in the studio so I can do really good demos or run ideas on the computer then go back to the studio and let Martin tweak it to make it sound right.

NDF: For pop stars, their ultimate ambition must be to keep on releasing chart topping songs, what is your aim as a DJ?
Hernan: When I started in the international scene my first ambition was to push South America into the scene. I think at this time it is doing very well, even with all the problems that there are in Argentina and South America where the countries are struggling in the economic way, the dance scene is really good. It is great that our club night in Buenos Aries has been nominated twice this year for best club in the world. That is a big acknowledgement of what we have been doing and how we have been pushing the club scene over there. In a more personal way, I have always been into the music and trying to share it with the people so I keep doing this and also now on the producers side, try and learn more and make better tracks. I think that is the goal for every producer, the good thing on this is that you never reach an end. On your mind you think that your next track will be your best one and that's what keeps you inspired all the time.

NDF: What will you be doing on new years eve, will you be DJ'ing or relaxing at home?
Hernan:: Of course I will be DJ'ing. I have been doing it for the last 4 years. There's a Cream party in Buenos Aries and I would never miss that. It's one of the best parties of the year. Three years ago we did that with Deepdish to 20,000 people, it was massive. Two years ago I did back to back with another DJ for 10 hours and last year I did back to back with Cast for like another 8-10 hours so I am really looking forward to this year.

Quick Questions
1. What is your favourite song? Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
2. Who is your favourite artist? Deepdish
3. What is your favourite time of year? Spring
4. Where is the best place you have DJ'd? The Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver in the dessert.
5. What was the last film you saw? I have just bought the whole set of the Sopranos on DVD so I have been watching those.

Hernan Cattaneo's new single 'Satellites' was released on the 28th of October. For more information on Hernan and his music please visit: www.perfecto-fc.com

Essential web links:
www.perfecto-fc.com