Who’s Abel Ortiz? Introduce yourself
Hi, I am Abel Ortiz, young DJ and Producer from Madrid, Spain, who loves music in all its genres. My passion for this world began at the age of 15 when I started mixing and composing music with the computer. When I was sixteen, with my first salary, I dedicated it entirely to buy a mixer, two turntables, DJ headphones and a couple of vinyl’s; that day the hours were spent as minutes testing and enjoying my first equipment. From that moment on, my passion for music helped me to continue learning and training as a sound technician, without ceasing to evolve musically and become the person I am today.
What is the style that defines you musically?
The musical styles that define me the most are tribal, ethnic, house and tech house sounds. I have always felt a personal attraction for these sounds that transmit me good vibrations and a lot of energy. Besides I love listening to all kinds of music, from Rap, Rock, Heavy Metal, Classic, Pop, Singer-songwriters etc. I think that every genre of music has something to teach us.
What are your favourite artists?
Difficult question, but if I have to highlight some of them, as producers the first ones that always appear in my mind are: Michel Cleis, Glender and Joeski. Their productions fit very well with the style of music I want to transmit. And as DJs: Luciano, Chus & Ceballos and Cristian Varela. I’ve learned a lot from listening to them. I admire all of them.
Where did you play?
In my first steps as a DJ on the Madrid night scene, I have been in local clubs, the emblematic Madrid venue Paladium, villages around Madrid, in the Club Nao in Toledo and private parties. I’ve also organised some raves.
What prompted you to enter the competition?
I wanted my work as a DJ, my ability to make a musical selection and mix it, to be judged by professionals like you. I wanted to listen and learn from other participants, and in the end, I had fun and learned a lot from this process.
What do you think winning this competition will give you?
To continue working hard, I want to improve my skills as a DJ and much more as a music producer, so I will continue to train and learn. I would like, and I will fight to get to work in Clubs, meet and learn from professional artists and enter in a DJ agency. In the future I would like to have my own music label and also create my own brand of music events for rooftops, cafes, bars and discos.
Do you know Ibiza?
I’ve travelled to the island twice. The first time I travelled I was very young and I really stayed on the surface of the island. But my second trip a few years later, went deeper and I really saw what Ibiza was. I met many people who live and work there, visited popular places, enjoyed their views, their climate, the air, the sea, their music and their gastronomy.
And thanks to all the team of the DJ Awards, Roger Sanchez, Pioneer Dj, Ibiza Blau Music and Mixcloud, I’m going to visit it again to live it in a way that I haven’t experienced yet and that I’ll NEVER forget in my life. Simply Thank You.
What training have you acquired as a DJ?
If we are talking about training given by a centre or something like that, I have not received any training as a DJ in this regard. My training was self-taught, since I started it was based on listening to many dj sessions, day after day, I loved listening to new sets and new mixes, the technique they used, trying to find out how to do what I was listening at that time, where the next track entered the song, equalisation games and faders etc… Then I would practice it in my room, stop and repeat until I got the desired result. Good memories.
Do you want to dedicate yourself professionally to being a DJ?
I LOVE IT! Yes, in capital letters. It’s always been my passion, but after this opportunity I’m going to fight for it and work harder than ever before… I love to transmit my passion to the public when I’m playing music, making them enjoy and live a unique moment. I’m going to continue to expand my knowledge as a DJ and train more as a music producer, because I think I can contribute with my particular style.
And all thanks to those who have made me answer these questions today, and who have made my dj set worthy of this. Sincerely. THANK YOU.
Tell us 3 tracks that have been influential
The first track was Jaguar – Dj Rolando. This song I heard for the first time when I entered in a club in Madrid with 14 years in the afternoon sessions, the DJ was playing it in the Cool room at the Space of Sound Light party, it seems to me one of the best songs that exist. That moment left me marked and the memory is still very much alive in my memory.
The second track was Bossa Nova – Glender. This song captivated me with its percussion as soon as I heard it, I was surfing a web shop of electronic music and I found it by chance, it seems to me a song with a lot of feeling. A friend of mine who speaks Portuguese helped me to understand the lyrics of the song.
The third track was Mir A Nero – Michel Cleis. When the piano of this song begins, it makes me close my eyes and enjoy, an authentic pleasure of song. It makes me live what I hear from this track and I can hear it over and over again without getting tired.
