NCM GUEST MIX 012: VILLAR
Villar playing at The Block in Salt Lake City. Photo by Danny Graham
Felix 'Villar' has been living the techno life for years in Puerto Rico and over a decade in Salt Lake City where he and a new wave of foreign DJs have been rinsing minimal techno across the underground. Always thoughtful and generous, Villar and his crew never fail to support with their time, muscle, and resources. Felix has singlehandedly provided sound for many events around the city purely out of his love for the scene. We are delighted he took time away from his new baby to share his origin story and an exclusive mix with New City Movement.
You've been involved in the SLC scene for quite some time now. Could you tell us how you got into the music here in Utah and what’s kept you wanting to be involved?
I moved to Utah back in 2007 and met Perez (Clan:destine) at the first restaurant job that I had. He invited me to a music event at Saltair and a few other events after that. I had fun at most of these but I was severely missing the music that I was used to back home (Minimal/Tech House/Techno). I had a little bit of DJing background from prior years so I decided to start playing the music that I missed so much. When I started playing Minimal here early on a lot of people dug the sound of it. Other people not so much. However, after a few months of playing, I started getting booked at around the city at clubs and some warehouse underground parties. Later on, I became a promoter, joining forces with some of my friends to form Clan:destine. I absolutely love the energy at music events here in Utah and that makes me want to keep doing this even though on a much smaller scale nowadays.
What is one of your proudest accomplishments on the scene here, (like a special booking or party or overall advancement in the scene)?
I have a few! From gaining a residency at the popular W Lounge in my early days to being part of the local support for artists like Ryan Crosson, East End Dubs, Huerta, and Archie Hamilton.
I know you are still in touch with many people in Puerto Rico. How did you find yourself in Salt Lake City? What is similar and different from the scene down there vs. the main U.S.?
My brother moved out here first and one day I decided to take an adventure and come check this city out. To my surprise, I really liked it as soon as I arrived, so I decided this should be my home for the foreseeable future.
Both scenes have a lot of similarities. I feel like in Puerto Rico they're able to produce events at a lower cost because liquor and beer companies sponsor them. No liquor laws are restricting them. Everything we do here in Utah is out of pocket, so sometimes it's hard to have good events every few weeks. Music-wise, I feel like Puerto Rico is very into deep and melodic sounds, typical of late night/early morning events. Most people in Salt Lake City gravitate to more punchy/party sounds. They're both great scenes and both cities have world-class DJs. I guess you would have to travel to PR to experience the similarities or differences for yourself!
Because we’re in the middle of a pandemic, what are some of the biggest struggles you’ve faced because of it as a DJ? How are you coping and connecting with music?
Oh, man. My biggest struggle is probably the same one that most DJs face. Not being able to play records in front of a dance floor... is torture. Luckily I bought a house recently and was able to set up a nice little studio in the basement. In the last few weeks, I've been having friends over here and there and doing some live streams to take the edge off a little bit.
You just had a baby (congratulations). With juggling your job as a top-level restaurant manager and planning/playing events, how do you find time to balance life between projects?
Thank You! I think my wife deserves all the credit there. She knows how important music is for me so no matter what, she always allows me to have the time that I need to dedicate to music. With my career, I have been able to create a work/life balance so I still have time for my family, music and everything else in between.
Stepping back in history… When, or how did you first discover dance music and who were some of the artists that inspired you along the way?
I think I was 16 years old when I first started listening to Drum and Bass. My older brother would sneak me out of the house on school nights and we would go to the club lol. After that, I started listening to other styles but never fell in love with it until I discovered Minimal. I think the first artist in that genre that I listened to was Danilo Vigorito from Italy. From there, I discovered Richie Hawtin, Ricardo Villalobos, Luciano, and Marco Carola. More recently I started digging into Romanian Minimal culture and that's what I'm enjoying still nowadays.
Salt Lake's house and techno music scene has grown and evolved in the past decade. What are some of your favorite things about the local scene, what makes it special or unique from other places?
It's encouraging to see crowds grow more and more for this kind of music. I remember playing for 40 or 50 people at our first few events and from that, seeing places like Tinwell and The Block have full houses is just very satisfying. I think what makes it special here in Utah is the people. Salt Lake City has the most music hungry crowds. Most of our DJ bookings would agree with that statement.
It has been inspiring for us to watch Hispanic and Latin DJs and promoters like yourself growing and become so integral to the Utah scene. What do you think about that evolution, how were/are you involved and what happens next?
You know, for me, amazingly, it felt like we were accepted from day one. People like what we do and the sounds that we bring. With all the bad stuff happening out there and all the racism going on, I'm proud to say that I've never experienced that in the dance music scene. With this pandemic taking longer than expected, it will be truly interesting to see what happens next but our plan is to start back up and do what we do. This time around, a little bit more focused on the Vinyl culture.
What advice would you give to your younger self if you had the chance?
I wish I would've moved to SLC sooner. No, really! This city had and continues to have so much potential in the music/entertainment industry. Maybe I would've owned a club or something if I'd gotten here when I was younger.
How would you describe the mix you made for NCM?
I would describe it as a COVID Isolation mix. I played some of my favorite tracks of the moment. And you'll notice, I didn't try to mix a new track every couple minutes but I let them play out so you get to really experience all the sounds on each one of them. It's a Hybrid mix being about 75% digital and 25% vinyl. I had a lot of fun recording this while drinking some local brews!
Anything else you’d like to tell the world?
To the younger generations: Music is the answer. But also, dig and search deep, you will find gems if you dedicate yourself to it. You do not have to play the commercial stuff to be a liked DJ. Being different is almost always better.
TRACKLIST:
1. Afriqua “Moonspa" [Metereze Romania]
2. Unknown Artist “Bank"
3. Cosmjn "Bounce"
4. Shadowdrum "Marin Bleu" [Mountain People]
5. Mihai Pool "Cajou"
6. Cosmjn "Miami Peanuts” [Playedby]
7. Mihai Pol "Love Story"
8. R. Villalobos, A. Brito, O. Weidenthaler, M. Messelis "Peculiar" (Sumau Edit)
9. The Internet "Hold On" (Jcrow Edit)
10. Cosmjn "Sunny Day"
11. Unknown Artist "Unknown"