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A wild ride through moody, melodic house and beyond.
Baltra has been consistently producing and releasing music for many years. Hailing from Philadelphia but now based in New York, over the years he has put out material via the likes of Local Action, Shall Not Fade, 96 and Forever and many more.
His sound has evolved with time, drawing upon influences which transcend dance music, utilising inspiration from Pop, RnB, Hip Hop and beyond.
These sensibilities are what has developed him as an artist and make him interesting, his music often blurs the lines between being quintessentially ‘House’, ‘Bass’ or ‘Techno’ and something else entirely.
As a DJ he has also risen in prominence, playing regularly in New York and now receiving international acclaim and recognition for his music as part of a fresh faced array of new musicians emerging from across the pond.
This mixtape showcases his modern approach to dance music, placing emphasis on melody and emotion as much as the energetic pace of drums, rhythm and percussion.
Listen and read the interview below:
Please introduce yourself… Who are you, where are you and what are you?
Hi, I’m Baltra. I reside in Manhattan (New York City), and I believe I’m a human being who produces electronic music.
What does your music sound like? Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us (an image from the old internet is acceptable)?
Where was the mix recorded?
The mix was recorded in my apartment in Chinatown, Manhattan.
What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?
Definitely a pre-party, pre-club kind of vibe running throughout this one.
What should we be wearing?
Your coziest house slippers.
What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location/system/format?
Paris. Larry David + David Lynch. Club Silencio. Seafood tower. Lynch special-edition Moët.
Which track in the mix is your current favourite?
I’m really loving the Central remix of Shanti Celeste’s ‘Shimmer’ at the moment.
What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?
I’m a massive fan of Marcus Intalex’s Fabriclive.35 mix. He’ll be forever missed.
If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?
Larry Levan. One of the best to do it – his impact at the Garage and on New York City nightlife is timeless.
What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?
I had these two Audio-Technica turntables and a janky, low-cost mixer (cannot recall the model) when I was first learning to DJ. A couple years later I gifted the set-up to my friend Andy when I was moving into a new apartment. Now I’ve got some Technics and a DJM-900.
What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?
Both are equally important to me, but I would lean a little more towards the opening track because if you can’t engage with the listener off the jump then you have little to no chance that they’ll listen through far enough to even hear the closing track.
What were the first and last records you bought?
The first dance record I bought was Inner City – ‘Good Life’. My father had a record player and quite an extensive collection of Motown and early rock & roll, so that’s where my interest in the medium began. The last record I bought was a DJ Overdose record that came out on L.I.E.S.
If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?
A hot sauce that has multiple levels of spiciness and becomes a journey in and of itself.
If it was an animal what would it be?
The crab spider – changing colors and adapting to its environment in a paced & controlled manner.
One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?
Oof, probably one of my own entitled ‘Seaside Heights’ off of ‘No Regrets’. It’s a wistful, slow-building ambient track that was created without any sort of mixing in mind.
Upcoming in the world of…
I’ve got a mixtape coming out just after the new year, January 20th, 2023 to be specific, that I’m really excited about. It’s a bit more uptempo than a lot of my previous work so I’m excited for everyone to hear it.
Anything else we need to discuss?
Nope, just grateful that most of us are still here and able to work in the music industry after a 2-year hiatus, so cheers to that 🙂
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