When conversing about the name Ovidi Adlert, you are discussing a subject that is tantamount of a life dedicated to music.
Born in Valencia, Spain and raised on a recipe of remarkable home town residencies, Ovidi honed his craft behind the decks and evolved as an artist thus creating the perfect connection with his home following.
Characterised by a passion without limits, this Spanish native has since expanded out of Spain with performances across Europe, the United States as well as striking up the perfect connection with his fan base in Canada.
Looking to follow up on the success of his recent Kaluki Musik release, ‘1996 Visions’, Ovidi has now aligned himself with the Cumac Bookings team for what will undoubtedly be an impactful 2017.
We recently caught up with Darkside Digital Records boss, Ovidi Adlert, and discussed his home town of Valencia and how it has influenced his sound, his strong connection with Canada and his latest EP release on Underground Audio titled ‘90’s Movement’.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane to your youth where you were born and raised in Valencia, Spain. In terms of early career influences, what artists inspired you when growing up and how have they impacted upon your current sound?
Since I was very young, I felt very attracted to the sounds of Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Queen, Madonna, Bob Marley. Then at the age of 13-years-old, I discovered the electronic music.
Out of all these years, the most influential party was A.C.T.V. and their resident Jorge Zamora, he was the one showing me artists like Propelleheads, Daft Punk, Coldcut, The Chemical Brothers, Green Velvet, Mousse T, Candy Girls and DJ Hooligan, and of course, all the local resident DJs and Producers that we enjoyed during those times.
I was lucky enough to live in the Valencian electronic music scene in the 90s, and this had a big impact upon my current productions.
During your younger years, you also held down many residencies across your home town of Valencia. Where was your favourite residency in Valencia and why? Tell us about some of your best memories there…
First of all, I would like to highlight my very first residency. It was in a small club in Valencia called Indian. Whilst playing at Indian, I had so many great times during those three years and that helped me develop and evolve as a DJ. I loved the connection with the owners and this helped in the creation of a joyful atmosphere in every set.
I also want to mention my four year residency at the afterparty called Lou Valencia. I also had plenty of great times here as well as support from all of the team and audience, especially with my colleague in the DJ booth – Josh Dafunk. There are so many great memories from those events, from the first track to the very last, and the only language spoken in the venue was music.
How does the vibe and atmosphere within Valencia influence your creative process?
In this matter, I feel very lucky. The atmosphere is great and so is the city and weather throughout the whole year. There are many spots where you can disconnect from the world before going into the studio. In my opinion, Valencia is missing more “clubbing” culture, and it has too many events from DJs who just sell tickets. So in order to reverse that, we need to focus more on the clubbing culture.
You also possess a pretty unique connection with your fans over in Canada having toured there three times now. What is it that is so special about your connection with your Canadian fans and what do you enjoy about touring over there the most?
Canada has an important place in my heart, the people that I met there, as they treated me, the response from the public that heard my sets, were experiences that I will never forget. Also, besides a great professional value, they improved my personality. What I like the most of Canada when I went to play there, was definitely the response of the people to my sound. I realised it from the first mix, one of the most grateful audiences I’ve seen in my career.
Switching gears now, your latest EP entitled ‘90’s Movement’ was recently released on Underground Audio. Can you tell us a little more about this concept and the story behind it?
In this release, I want to showcase how important the 90s were for me. There is no doubt that this EP is a time travel to that style of music. I want to express my feelings towards this music to the new generations, because I think it is the right time to do so.
One track we particularly enjoyed listening to from your ‘90s Movement’ EP was a record called ‘Alright’. This received huge support on BBC Radio 1 in January too from Monki. What kind of production went into the creation of ‘Alright’? Talk us through the process…
‘Alright’ is my favourite track from the release. In the creation process, I´ve combined VST synths and sampling to try and express those good old times, always keeping my own characteristic sound.
This isn’t the only music in your artillery doing the rounds at the moment. Your collaboration with Alvaro R titled ‘This Is The Party’ has received a lot of support from Lee Foss as of late. What is your favourite aspect of this particular record and how does it compare to your latest EP, ‘90’s Movement’?
First of all, I would like to thank Lee Foss for playing the track and charting it on Beatport. My favourite aspect from the release is the bassline essence and how the track continuously evolves and maintains the groove. This release is on the same line of “90´s Movement” EP as well as all the new releases coming up in 2017.
In terms of future releases and bookings, what else do you have planned for 2017 thus far?
This is the most exciting year of my career because I am now part of the Cumac Bookings team. This will be a hardworking year where I want to make an impact on the market with my upcoming releases with top labels.
There are many projects coming up in terms of gigs, but I want to admit that my intention is to play in the U.K. This is because of the repercussion of my music there. The British audience have been providing me with great feedback and I can´t wait to play there.
Reflecting back on 2016 now, what are some of the most valuable lessons you learnt last year that you will try to work towards this year?
To trust and value your work and always have your feet on the ground. Also, trust your intuition as an artist, have patience and move forward on a daily basis, setting short time goals.
Finally, what do you think is the most important characteristic and quality required to get yourself noticed as an artist with so much competition around? Are there any particular names we should keep an eye on this year?
In my opinion, the most important characteristic is to create music that you would play in your sets over and over again. In order to impress the audience, you first need to impress yourself. When your music is the one you like, it is easier to set the path towards the likes of others.
I would pay close attention to all the artists releasing in my own Darkside Digital Records.
Thanks for the interview Matt, I hope you like my new music.
Best regards to all the people that spent some time reading this.
Thank you for your time Ovidi, it has been a pleasure speaking with you.
Ovidi Adlert joins The Next Evolution podcast series this week with over an hour of heady acid bass hooks, old-school rhythms and tension building strings. Have a listen!
Ovidi’s latest EP release titled ’90’s Movement’ on Underground Audio is available now. You can purchase it here.
For further information with regards to artists, new releases and events involved with Ovidi Adlert, you can follow him on the following social media platforms:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ovidi.adlert
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OvidiAdlert
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ovidi-adlert
For further interviews, features and mixes from Evolución Music, you can follow them on the following social media platforms:
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