CLOSE LABEL FRIEND HERNAN CATTANEO TALKS TO THE GLOBAL DANCE MUSIC COLLECTIVE ABOUT EARLY CAREER BREAKS, THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, LIVE STREAMING AND HIS LATEST REMIX FOR SELADOR. 

Hernan Cattaneo, affectionately known as ‘El Maestro’ to his masses of fans across the globe, is not only one of the most celebrated DJs to come from South America  he is also regarded as one of the ‘good guys’ amongst his peers which in turn, only makes people love him that little bit more.

Starting his career on a local radio station, Hernan’s rise to the top of the international DJ circuit all began with a residency at Clubland Pacha in Buenos Aires where he soon became a kind of messiah to the Argentinian ravers. 

It was through this residency that he earned the respect – and friendship – of some of the world’s best DJs such as Sasha, John Digweed, and perhaps the most momentous of all, Paul Oakenfold, who invited Hernan to join him on his world tour with Perfecto.

By 2000, Hernan was already a major player on the world club circuit and has now amassed more than 30 years of DJing experience. He runs his own label, Sudbeat and along with his infamous weekly ‘Resident’ radio show, has attracted a global audience of monumental proportions. He has drawn approximately 35k followers in a single live DJ stream during this pandemic alone. 

Hernan’s story is one of true love and passion for the music first and foremost. Couple that with his dedication to his craft, his ability to champion his own unique sound and his pledge to help the newcomers of the scene highlight why he has been -and will continue to be – at the very forefront of the progressive house scene.

Full Name  HERNAN ENRIQUE CATTANEO

Nationality: ARGENTINA

Labels: SUDBEAT

Current Releases: MANY

Musical Mentors: FRANKIE KNUCKLES

G’day Hernan. Thank you so much for taking time out to have a chat with us all today. Where are you right now and how are you feeling?

All good here, at home with the family during this Covid pandemic, patiently waiting to go back to normal life.

Can you tell us what was it like growing up in Argentina and how you became involved with the electronic dance scene? Is it true you started DJ’ing after hearing a collection of Chicago house records featuring artists such as Frankie Knuckles and Inner City?

I had a really nice childhood, life back then was super easy-going in Argentina, it was all about school, music and friends – I was already an amateur DJ before, but hearing FK was like seeing the sum of all things i was only dreaming about – His music and his DJing was mindblowing to me and those first house music records made a huge impact on my musical taste and and in my life.

What music did you listen to growing up? And how do you think your early musical taste influences your music today?

They influenced me massively. I grew up hearing my sisters records ( mostly progressive rock) and my mother’s more soul & melodic taste so if you hear my sets now you can tell where all that comes from.

You won a residency with the infamous PACHA franchise in Buenos Aires in 1996 and then went onto secure yourself a ‘warm up’ residency with Paul Oakenfold on his world tour. That must have been quite a ‘moment’ for you right? Can you tell us a little more about this and how it changed your career?

All of them were massive moments for me. Pacha was the first club where DJs and music were at the centre of the nights so it was a big push and my chance to share the booth with all the international DJs who used to play there. So in a way i reached the pinnacle of Argentina’s clubs. Then Oakie took me from there to the international scene so of course that was an incredible opportunity . I moved to London, became a resident at Cream, Liverpool & Ibiza and started slowly earning a global status.

You have been doing your Resident radio show now since 2001, so 18years. That’s amazing! How important is the show to you and why? ** I love that you are always trying to push new talent of your show btw ☺

Yes, first show was called “ live from London” then changed to Resident but it’s always been about playing new music from producers around the world. It’s not a dj set. It’s a showcase of mostly new talent + some of the more established people .

I hear there is a whole wall in Palermo, Buenos Aires with your face on it! How did this happen? Ha….

An artist called @sebacener did it in Palermo, a trendy area in Buenos Aires and became a spot for fans to take pics – How cool is that? A funny note… I once took my daughters to see it and the little one asked me how much i had to pay to have this done :)))))

You have recently done a remix for another progressive house superstar, Dave Seaman on Selador Recordings, a collaboration with DJ Paul who is also from Argentina. Can you tell our readers more about this and what we can expect? When is it being released?

I know Dave for many many years – I was already a fan when he came to record his Global Underground Buenos Aires CD and we connected instantly and he even taught me how to mix in key on a napkin one day at a bar in the city 🙂 We also shared great times in Punta del Este, Uruguay talking about music and football all day with many friends including DJ Paul. Fast forward 20 years, we are all still good friends. So a few moths back, Dave & Paul got together to make a single honouring Marcelo Bielsa (the revered Leeds football coach) and asked me & Mariano Mellino to remix it, so of course we accepted instantly, since we both love Dave, Paul and Marcelo Bielsa! It is out now!! 

http://classic.beatport.com/release/loco-hermoso/3112831

What is the one track that never gets old for you no matter how many times you hear it?

Too many to mention but I’m a big fan of Depeche Mode tracks and also tracks from Underworld for example – They always sound great if you drop them at the right moment 

You are renowned for not only your own legendary all night DJ sets but also your B2B’s with fellow progressive house legend, Nick Warren. How do you prepare for these sets? Do you have your set mapped out in your head? Or do you (you & Nick) just fly by the seat of your pants and see where the night takes you?

We never ever prepared anything. We dont even talk about music at dinner before the show. But we know each other, we like what we play and we trust each other a lot and i really think that’s why it works so well.

The global pandemic has seen a necessary rise of the ‘virtual DJ set’ all over the internet. How do you feel about playing in front of a screen? Do you think that these live streams could be implemented in future as part of say a festival’s ‘package deal’ to attract people like myself, from the other side of the world, to join in? Or do you think everything will return to ‘normal’ once this nightmare is over?

I hope we go back to normal. I see this virtual dj sets as a good tool for these times. But you can’t replace people and atmosphere in any way than the real way. At any event we the djs are only a part and the crowd is crucial. 

Name three up&coming DJs/Producers you would recommend our readers to keep an eye out for?

Not so up & coming but I see consistent great work from Budakid, Subandrio and Mariano Mellino. 

Away from music, how do you relax? 

With family and friends. I spend tons of hours travelling so when i go home i really want to relax and enjoy the love of my family and the company of my friends  I love football so watch a lot too.

Thinking of the future, what is coming up in the forthcoming months for you and your music? What can we expect from Sudbeat and Hernan? Anything you would like to let our readers know before we say goodbye?

Doing many remixes with different friends and a new single with Soundexile at the moment so expect to hear all of them in the near future + a stream or two here & there  🙂

Thank you so very much for your time Hernan.

Thank you guys!! 

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