Influential Spanish artist Coyu is stepping out on his own Suara label with a long-overdue debut album entitled ‘You Don’t Know’ that is going to shatter all conceptions about him. Due for release this September 23rd, the 16 track affair showcases his broad range and takes in collaborators like Moby, Lazarusman, The Horrorist, Thomas Gandey and many more.
We caught up with Coyu to talk about his new LP ‘You Don’t Know’
Electronic Groove: Hey Coyu, glad to have you on EG. How has your year been so far, was summer good for you? Or do you prefer the winter season?
Coyu: Hello and thanks for the interview. It has been a very interesting year so far. I’m not just working/touring a lot but learning many things that should make me a better artist and person in the future. Summer is my favorite season of the year. I love wearing light clothes, spend all day shirtless and enjoying the hot weather. Plus it’s also great to play in open-air parties. Winter is the perfect moment to spend time in the studio though, so as soon as Summer finishes, I’ll come back to work at the studio. I’m looking forward to making new music after the album comes out.
EG: How do you feel now the album is out there?
Coyu: It was a relief when I finally finished, almost half a year ago. It’s all about joy now that people are starting to listen to it and I’m getting the first feedbacks. It was a very long project, I spent 7 years working on it. I’m very happy to see it finally has seen the light. Hope people like it.
EG: Did you enjoy making it now that you look back, or was it a tough task to produce it and finish it off?
Coyu: Making music is all about having fun and enjoying the moment.
EG: Why did you feel the need to show off a wide range of sounds and styles?
Coyu: It is my debut album, so I wanted to show all my sides as an artist and music lover. Some of the tracks were made 6-7 years ago, so I revisited to give it a higher quality of sound. My mixdowns are way better today than in the past, so even if I just stick with the original idea, I added a better sound and a few new elements.
“Making music is all about having fun and enjoying the moment”
EG: Are there any styles harder to create than others?
Coyu: I enjoyed working on all of them but the non-techno tracks are my favorite ones. I make techno all the time, so making drum n bass, garage or drill n bass makes me feel alive. I love to work with other genres, it’s big fun.
EG: Did you use any new gear or learn new techniques, in order to make any of the tracks?
Coyu: I’m pretty basic working in the studio. I rarely buy new gear. All I need is a fast computer, time and be in the right mood. Sometimes the right mood can be happy or sad. Sometimes the best records come when you’re sad or tired. You have to take advantage of those moments, capture them, and express it with music.
EG: What’s next for you now that you’ve done this? Will you focus in on any styles that you explored?
Coyu: I’m not a drum n bass artist or a garage artist, so I will stick with techno, which is my favorite genre. But now that people know I can do other things, will be easier for me to release different beats in the future if I want to.
EG: Do you like to play a wide range of music like this in your sets? Do you feel any pressure from crowds to play what people want you to play?
Coyu: Laurent Garnier is my favorite DJ ever. He can play 6-7 different genres in a 5-hour set. And I love that. I try to do that. But it’s not easy since I’m used to play for 2-3 hours. Techno is the core of my sets but I navigate through sounds, so it can be deep techno at the beginning, housy techno later, acid and industrial techno in the middle of a set and electro or trancy techno at the end. I can play drum n bass in the middle of a set, but not every crowd is pleased with the change of tempo and rhythm, so my sets are always different from each other. I read the crowd and see what it seems they want or what may be up to.
“I enjoyed working on all of them but the non-techno tracks are my favorite ones”
EG: You arrive in the US this September for shows in Florida, NYC, San Francisco, and Phoenix. How much are you looking forward to playing in this country and what can you tell us about your experiences of playing over there in the past?
Coyu: The club scene in the United States has grown up very fast throughout the last years. I have had some of my best shows there. It’s always great to come back to the States and see familiar faces. I have a very important fanbase and some fans travel from other cities and areas to see me play, which is very satisfying. Every city is different. I don’t play the same stuff in Phoenix or Brooklyn. There are some cities where I challenge myself and play quite underground, others were I prefer to play softer and a bit housey. It’s always fun though
EG: What have been the hardest lessons you have learned in your career so far?
Coyu: There are no hard lessons, just life moments. And fortunately, I am alive and learning every day. Life is beautiful and I’m doing the best job ever: play records to make people happy.
Coyu’s ‘You Don’t Know’ will be out September 23rd via Suara.
