Conducted July 2018
I had the great opportunity of interviewing one of our platform DJs, Manelet. Manel, known under the stage name Manelet, is a Catalonian Dj who focuses on creating tracks under the genre ‘Light’ Techno. With his balance of DJing and having a career in architecture, Manel has made it a priority to continue making tracks while freelancing.
In this interview, I got to talk about a variety of topics pertaining to his DJing career and the Techno scene of both Berlin and Spain. We dove into the ‘Light’ Techno genre and how Manel got involved in producing under the said genre. Although he is a solo DJ and mainly producers on his own, Manel discusses some of his favorite collaborations with other musicians.
How did you come up with the name Manelet? Did you have a name prior to Manelet?
“I haven’t really changed it since I’ve chosen Manelet. My name is Manel, which is a common name where I am from Catalonia, Spain. Manelet is a version of my name. It is almost like a nickname, meaning ‘small’ Manel. My friends would jokingly call me this so I just made it my stage name.”
Why did you decide to move to Berlin?
“Basically, because there was no job at the time in Catalonia. I am an architect and there was no job for that either. I studied both architecture and music, but love music more than architecture. Being an architect is primarily what I do for a living. My sister was living here in Berlin, so I moved my music here around 7 years ago. I love Berlin.”
Is music still your full-time job, or do you work in anything else now?
“So I came here to make music my full-time job but I never reached that so I am still sticking to being an architect. I am a freelance architect as of right now.”
What genre do you consider Manelet to be? Who influenced you in making music within this genre?
“Genre-wise, I really don’t know. I’ve been told that a lot of my music would be under ‘Light’ Techno, so I don’t know. Maybe that. I like Techno, but not that hard type of Techno. I like a mix of Techno and Pop music. Happy melodies with a kick.
My influences are definitely Apparat from Berlin, John Hopkins, and Ellen Allien. I really love Ellen Allien. I think those are my favorites. I could go on saying more and more but yeah. I think those are the ones that I always like to listen to.”
What year did Manelet come to be?
“I have been making music since I was really young. Especially making music with my family. I first started with the piano, then went to the drums, and then I started doing dance music. After all of that, I searched on the internet on how to do everything I do now music-wise.”
Do you perform live? Where have you performed?
“I really don’t perform too often. So I don’t really have the contacts to do so. I did a couple of live sessions and played at a couple of bars here in Berlin. I also went to a festival in Hamburg. So I don’t know. I play more as a DJ for company parties. That’s where I mainly play.”
What is the process you use when producing tracks? Do you have a step by step process?
“Well, sometimes I just sit down on the piano and come up with some of my melodies. This is mostly done in Spain where my piano is. With my father. When I come back [to Berlin], I search up records and take samples then make it my own things. I also go on the computer and create my own content. I look up references and mimic what I like.”
What advice do you have for people who want to form their own music careers?
“I feel like I’m still in the beginning stages myself. I’m not really sure [laughs]. For me, music is kind of more a hobby than a career. But I think influences are very important. If you find an artist that you really like and inspires you, then do more research on that artist and pull some things that he does and apply it to your work. Take into consideration everything, even if it is not viewed as related to music.”
Do you prefer releasing tracks online or performing them live?
“I like both but it’s just I don’t have the contacts to play live more. With the company parties, it was very easy because I did some work for both companies so I already knew them.”
Have you collaborated with any artists before? If so, which was your favorite?
“My favorite collaborations have been with a friend of mine from Catalonia and a German girl. We have around 4 or 5 songs that were never released. I think they are my favorite collaborations because it made me realize that you get to points that you would never get to alone. We never released anything but had a lot of fun.”
Why didn’t you release those tracks?
“Because one or two of the songs were not finished and the German girl moved away to a small town. So every time she comes back from Germany we work on these songs and others but she doesn’t come often so it has been taking us a while to finish them.”
Are you working on any new projects? If so, when will you be releasing them?
“I have created new songs and have been working on them. I want to keep doing more but in the last five months, I have been doing my masters. So I was focusing on that. But now that I’m on holiday, I am working and creating new stuff. I have no idea when I’ll be releasing them, but since I do everything by myself, the minute that I feel like they are ready, they will be released.”
You can find Manelet’s latest uploads and posts through the following links and on the Gnarles platform:
Bandcamp: https://www.facebook.com/ZZZManelet/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZZZManelet/
*This interview has been modified from its original version. It has been formatted to give the artist a proper voice from audio to writing. For the original version, please contact the author.
Karla M. Cortes
My name is Karla Mariana Cortes.
My biggest interests and influences lie within music, film, and film photography. Being native in both Spanish and English has given me the opportunity to explore a variety of social circles. The experiences from these circles have given me insight into different points of view and ways of thinking. I am a first-generation American. My family is from, and still resides, in Mexico. My work is constantly being influenced by my life in the US as well as my frequent visits to Mexico and Germany. I am a graduate of Drexel University with a degree in Entertainment and Arts Management. I have received my Certificate of Writing and Publishing aside from my degree. I am currently a staff writer for Grave Reviews, the blog writer for Paid to Proofread, and a blog writer for Gnarles.