Eleganto stopped by to chat about diving into music full-time, his recent collaborative EP with Cloverdale, and his goals for the future.
Originally from Valencia, Spain, Elegant is an artist you should have on your radar if you’re into house music. Since first bursting onto the scene in 2019, he’s taken the bass house genre by the horns and hasn’t been shy about forging his own path. Early versions of Eleganto found their way onto 3000 bass, Clawand Dynamism as he began his growth as an artist, and he catapulted even further when Don Diablo signed his piece, “Keep your feet on the ground,” at HEX Generation in 2021.
This year, Eleganto has continued to thrive with tunes on imprints including Space yacht records, STMPD RCRDSand Barong family. He also got backing from a bass house veteran Dr. Freschwith his track “Reckless” featured on Home visit Caller ID Vol. 2 compilation. More recently, Eleganto discontinued the Looking back PE with Cloverdale on IN ROTATION and “caspar” with Gabriel Kirch and Zadquiel it only added to his elaborate discography.
Seeking to better understand the spirit of Eleganto, we caught up with the aspiring artist to discuss his recent releases, his debut on the scene and his plans for the future. Read on for the conversation and stream his exclusive guest mix on SoundCloud!
Stream EDMID 347 Guest Mix || Eleganto on SoundCloud:
Hi Elegantto! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us! We are delighted to tell you more about the start of your project. What inspired you to get into music full time?
I have always been involved in music since childhood, received a classical education in music theory and violin, which my family always took very seriously. When I started producing music in early 2012, it opened up a whole new world to me…endless possibilities at my fingertips. But it wasn’t until seven years later, in 2019, that I started my Eleganto project, with the aim of pushing house music that consistently stands out and directing it to the dance floors.
Your early original releases dropped in 2020 amid the pandemic. What was it like starting this journey and fully devoting your time and creativity to music during such a stressful time?
It was very confusing to see festivals, traditions and all public events cancelled. Obviously, the increasing number of cases was something that passed under your nose, but I tried not to think about it and just focus on improving myself and my craft.
Everything went really well, I did 3D design, Photoshop stuff, website building, release planning and trying different approaches to music creation with hardware synths etc. In the end, I’m proud of how it all turned out.
We’ve seen you go from self-publishing and supporting artists like Don Diablo to releasing on imprints like STMPD RCRDS and IN/ROTATION. How does it feel to reflect on where you started and where you are now?
I’m very lucky to have had some hype with my debut EP; Right from the start, my track “On The Floor” received a lot of support from class A DJs around the world, and I was pointed in the right direction by my friends at Vibrancy.
Now that I have a higher fashion trend after my remix for Martin Garrix and my collaborations with Cloverdale, I feel more motivated than ever and I want to keep doing what I do best. I hope that I will also have a positive impact on the daily lives of listeners and partygoers around the world.
You recently signed your collaborative EP, Looking Back with Cloverdale, on IN/ROTATION. This release had three flawless tracks that we just couldn’t get enough of. What was it like having this outing together?
Working with Alex is always a pleasure. He’s an amazing person and a great producer; when we work on an idea, it’s usually finished within a few days. We did a lot of Zoom calls and brainstorming ideas on messages until we were happy with the final product. The great support from the Insomniac team was the icing on the cake. I’m very happy with how it all turned out.
“Casper” featuring Gabriel Kirsh is yet another fantastic single from you, showcasing your minimal side a bit more with elaborate vocals throughout. Did you approach this production process in the same way as for other releases?
I tend to approach new music in a unique way, each song has its own personality, and how I build layers around it depends on how the energy has been flowing from the start.
“Casper” mostly started with a chord progression I had from an old unreleased Chris Lake remix that I did, sent it to Gabriel, and he loved it. He’s a super talented producer, and we’ve made countless calls together to build a drop that would match the same energy. It was a little longer process with this song, but when my brother Zadquiel brought in his phenomenal songwriting and vocal performance…we were ready.
It definitely came together differently due to its unique combinations of influences, but it’s all about travel. Exploring ideas is so much fun, and that’s part of why I love making music.
You grew up and currently live in Valencia, Spain. Can you share what the dance music scene is like there and how it influenced your view of house music?
I love this city, the music scene here is mostly centered around reggaeton and urban music, but there are some really great places where you can listen to house music and completely immerse yourself.
I find the simple things about Valencia to be the most influential for me, walking by the beach, eating good food with lots of sunshine all year round…these things inspire you!
Just for fun, what is your favorite place in Valencia? If you took us for our first evening in Spain, which one would you choose?
If it’s summer, the beach club near the port is super nice, House music most of the time, good DJs, good vibes, swimming pool and restaurant next door. It’s called Marina Beach Club, we played Acraze this summer, it was great.
Finally, what are your objectives for the Eleganto project? Are there any artists you hope to collaborate with one day or any particular festival you hope to play?
Nothing specific, I want to see what opportunities the future holds for me. I’m excited to be sharing lots of new music with the world very soon, I love everyone who supports me and enjoys music. I get so many messages every day from amazing people saying great things about my latest releases and how it makes their days better, that’s what I’m doing this for and I love to hear it.
I would love to bring my music to the stage and do more live events in general, ultimately the most rewarding moment after the music is released is seeing the world dance to it in person! I look forward to continuing to collaborate with uniquely diverse musicians, bringing new influences to the house music scene and electronic music as a whole.
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