Exclusive Interview: Gabriel Blu

This week, Gabriel Blu from Las Vegas is in the Artist Spotlight. Gabriel has played at many nightclubs and parties around the US including #Afterlife in Chicago. He has a collaboration with Pastiche coming out on Audiophile XXL at the end of the summer. He also recently started Sundaze which is a monthly pool party in Vegas. Read the interview below to learn more about this artist on the rise.

How did you first begin DJing/Producing?
As a teenager I was really into rock & metal, I randomly ended up at a rave when I was like 15 and I was blown away by the DJs, I didn’t know any of the songs they were playing and I was loving every second of it! I got home, downloaded Virtual DJ and began messing around with it like it was a video game. On my 16th birthday I had just enough money to buy the cheapest DJ controller from Guitar Center and the journey began.

Who is your biggest influence(s)?
Definitely my parents! They have the craziest work ethics out of anyone I know! Not only that but they supported me from the beginning which gave me the motivation and the ability to decide that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

What’s your favorite record of all time?
Oh man I have a few! I really enjoy listening to 80s music life Earth Wind & Fire’s Boogie Wonderland or Men At Work’s Down Under.

What was your favorite party of all time that you have played?
I went to Pacha in New York to play with my homies Kiss The Sky and we saw Eric Morillo do like a 10 hour set the night before which gave me a taste of the New York crowd. The atmosphere was like nothing I had experienced in the US at the time, the next day we played as direct support for Michael Woods and it was incredible. No matter how deep & underground I went the crowd was loving it!

Who do you want to collaborate with in the future?
I love collaborating, there are so many artists that I would love to work with. I’ve been a big fan of the whole Toolroom squad for a while now, it would be amazing to work with any of those guys like Mark Knight, Prok & Fitch, Rene Amesz, Dosem.

What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you at a show?
I played a house party on a really hot & humid summer day in northern Wisconsin, the AC wasn’t working or something so it was even worse. I had to setup my 1200’s & mixer and begin playing . I was literally dripping sweat the entire set, one of my friends felt so bad he grabbed a fan and was holding it above me for most of the set since there was no room to set it down. My records were getting ruined & I felt like I was going to pass out, it was horrible.

What do you like to do when you’re not working on music/DJing?
Honestly my life revolves around music so mu that I don’t really have much time for anything else. I like traveling to new places and taking photos but that goes along with my music more often than not. The go to relaxing activity is re watching The Office for the billionth time.

What is your opinion on the current EDM scene?
I think it’s beyond saturated. I think that is changing though, living in Las Vegas puts you right in the middle of it all. These new and excited EDM fans are doing things like driving across country to see their favorite artists at multiple festivals spending thousands of dollars just to hear the exact same sets. People are slowly starting to get sick of it and are starting to explore new options.

What do you think will be the next big thing in EDM?
Techno & House music are definitely on the rise. Techno was the #1 selling genre on Beatport for 2015 actually. I believe that we are going to notice more Techno & House misoc bookings in general which will give weekly partiers an opportunity to explore those deeper sounds open their minds to other sub genres of EDM.

What do you think about all these “frauds” in the EDM scene using ghost producers, buying likes and purchasing their own tracks on Beatport?
They don’t bother me, I’m in this for the long run. I’ve seen acts buying their results and disappearing off the map in a few months. Those people don’t have the same passion for the music and will fade away while true artists will keep perfecting their craft and succeed in the long run.

Is there any upcoming releases/shows we should keep an eye out for?
I just launched two brand new House music monthlies for the Las Vegas summer season at Azure Luxury Pool which I’ll be a resident at. Sundaze which is happening on July 10th with special guest Trent Cantelle as well as Poupon on July 29th! We are also doing a special Afterlife Chicago Edition Sundaze on August 21st! I also have a collaboration with Pastiche coming on Audiophile XXL sometime in September!

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