Exclusive Interview: Cristian Varela

Written by: We Own The Nite NYC - Europe

August 1, 2022

The history of electronic music holds a special place for this Madrileño artist who has played a crucial role in building the Spanish industry as we know it today. Since 1991, Cristian Varela has been at the heart of some of the most important episodes of this evolution, emerging as a true pioneer in the most diverse arts that make up the landscape of this profession today. He was one of the first electronic artists to produce live recordings, to perform using 4 turntables and to play at major events and festivals. He also set up schools and agencies for national and international artists and founded two record labels that have gone on to have a global impact since 1999: Black Codes Experiments and P0RN0GRAPH1C Recordings. Following the release of his huge IPSO FACT EP on Induxtriall Records, we caught up with the man himself to find out more.

Hey Cristian, welcome to We Own The Nite! How are you doing?

Hi Team! All good enjoying playing in several Summer Festivals and relaxing a few days off in a beautiful place like Benidorm in Spain.

First things first, how has 2022 been for you?

Very busy because all the bookings postponed during the pandemic are now happening this year and we have been forced to move several dates to 2023 due to a saturated calendar!

Big ups on the release of your recent EP ’Blanky Forever’ on Manita Recordings. Can you tell us about the release?

This is one of the most emotional works dedicated to my loved Blanky who passed away months ago. It´s unbelievable the great bond we create with our animals, to be honest even bigger than with humans!

Is there a particular message behind this title?

The message is all about huge gratitude for every year spend with Blanky and how happy she has made us all this time. She is the third generation of Cocker Spaniels in my family.

Was the EP in the works for a long time? And was there anything that influenced/inspired its creation?

The song Blanky was created during THAT NIGHT.

The track Zen2 was a creation made for a collab with Roland Instruments UK where I made some remixes.

R44 it´s an unreleased track created originally for my Ambient and Chill album “Varela Concept” you can check it here:

I decided to play live on youtube for my Rela – X – Undays streaming specially created for my fans during The Lockdown you can check it here:

Going back to your early days, where did you grow up and what was the music scene like in your formative years?

My family is dedicated for decades to different arts like Cinema, Ballet, Theatre, Radio, and music. I grew up with music since my birth and it’s my passion.

Is there any news from your label Black Codes Experiments? Any upcoming releases confirmed?

Of course! Every 2/3 weeks I am releasing great Underground Techno artists such as Ken Ishii, Regis, Tensal, H. Paul, Ian Axide…and every EP has my remix.

I am also pushing very hard artists like Dykkon, Albert Salvatierra, Bernardo Hangar….it´s all about quality.

In terms of talent, are there any lesser known Spanish techno artists that we should be keeping our eyes on? If so, who?

The artists mentioned previously plus Michel Lauriola, Israel Toledo, Gabriel D´Or & Bordoy, Anabel Arroyo, Regal, Barbara Lago, Sara Krin, Mia Maz…

What are 5 records that haven’t left your record box recently?

Arnaud Le Texier – Drums