SANTISAUN (Santiago Abad) has been devoted to music since he can remember, playing the guitar from a young age, passing thru various bands, and falling in love with electronic music almost 20 years ago. His first passion was Djing which led him to be a regular at the most successful electronic club in his hometown Quito - Ecuador for almost 10 years (Club Blues), during this time he shared cabin with lots of Djs from all over the world, played in festivals like SAMC (south american music conference) and with a group of friends founded local label called Mindsounds focused on more minimal techno sounds.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey SANTISAUN, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Hello Kamil thank you for the chance to talk about my project.
I’ve always been devoted to music; my main instrument is the guitar which gave me a chance to be part of various bands when I grew up, playing mostly grunge and metal. After I graduated from high school, I started getting interested on more beat focused music and became in love with electronic music, the Global Underground series really introduced me to the genre with producers and DJs like Nick Warren, Sasha, John Digweed, etc., almost 20 years ago.
After this of course I became a Dj myself which led me to be a regular at the most successful electronic club in my hometown Quito - Ecuador for almost 10 years (Club Blues), playing mostly techno from artists like Carl Cox, Valentino Kanzyani, Oxia from labels like Intec, I still have all these vinyl’s sitting in my home studio.
During this time with a group of friends we founded local label Mindsounds music which focused on more minimal techno sounds (the label is no longer active but it was a good learning experience)
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
I’m actually an architect focusing on residential design, at this moment I’m building my own house (with a cool new music studio space) and have been working on interior and furniture design as well.
Your latest song is 'Crono'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
I’ve been producing for a long time but haven’t really released anything so this is like my debut single and my first attempt to show my art to the world.
“Crono” started from a series of events that changed my life, the pandemic hit, I got married, had a son, and moved to the outsides of the city to a more peaceful and isolated scenery were I focused on polishing a more melodic less clubby sound greatly influenced by artists like Rival Consoles, Gidge, Alex Banks and so on.
This new lifestyle surrounded by nature influenced “Crono” which reflects on the feeling of nostalgic euphoria from times past and the hopefulness of new beginnings.
Can you reveal the recipe for a musical hit?
Well the music that I make and the artists that I admire at the moment I think are part of a niche that doesn’t necessarily seeks musical hits, I think that other genres are more likely to create this idea of a “musical hit” and are actually seeking that as their main priority. This doesn’t mean that I don’t care about being successful as a producer but for me is more important to be proud of my music and find my audience and fans than to create a musical hit.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
For me the quality of the music always comes first, even now that image and socials are so important for an artist’s career, I think that we can’t lose the fact that only great music makes us feel good at the end of the day. I’m always trying to get a better sound by trying different approaches as a producer and learning from the experience and time that you give to your craft. Of course making good contacts on the industry, collaborating and working on your social media game is very important now to develop as an artists.
What inspires you as an artist? Could it be the sea, the weather or something else?
The goosebumps that you feel when music hits you is really what made me want to give my time to this, being a DJ for a long time and a raver, the energy on the dancefloor is something very special. Even now that I’m away from the party scene, music can still give you this exhilarating feeling on different scenarios, it can give you peace.
How do you spend your free time? What makes you feel relaxed?
I’m a father and a husband so spending time with my family is very important, even though parenting can be stressful sometimes it can also make you feel accomplished and at peace. I also like playing video games to feel relaxed when I need to disconnect from everything.
Do you have a mentor or coach?
Not really a mentor but the people that are passionate about music production that I know, always have some good advice and collaboration is key for becoming a better producer.
Do you think it's easy to become established in the music world, or is it difficult?
It has always been difficult and will always be difficult to stand out, you have to give a lot of your time and effort, you have to offer something interesting so that you can set yourself apart from millions of new artists out there that are trying to do the same as you. It is a question of commitment and believing in yourself.
What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?
I see myself being proud of my music and the people that I have touched and inspired.