Label Mates: Cali Lanauze / Opulence

Since 2017, Cali Lanauze and his Opulence imprint have released tracks from some of club music’s leading artists, including Roman Flugel, Ryan Crosson and Martin Buttrich.

Now, bringing the labels first release of 2020, Lanauze welcomes DJ W!LD, DJ Sneak and others for their Sensory Vol.1 various artists album.

We caught up with Cali to chat about the early days of the label, what we can expect to come in the future and what imprints he rates most besides his own. Get the full discussion below.

You launched Opulence in 2017, tell us about the work leading up to putting out the first release?

Hey guys, launching Opulence was a lot of work in the beginning and still is. From organising and selecting the music & artists, to artwork, distribution, PR & more, it’s still a lot of work. I have lots of friends from the industry giving me a hand here and there with some topics but it’s mainly all me running the label.

Since then you have released music from Ryan Crosson, Roman Flugel and Martin Buttrich, what do you look for in an artist when considering them for a release?

I’m mainly just working with friends or friends of friends or people I admire all my life. Thankfully I’ve gathered an amazing roster of artists & I’m really proud of our back catalogue.

You’re about to release a new VA LP compilation with tracks from the likes of DJ W!LD, Cesare Vs Disorder, DJ Sneak and more, how would you describe the release in 3 words?

Deep. Trippy. Groovy.

And who else can we expect to see on the label in the coming months?

Secret for now hehe but it’s also a great cast of artists that I’m super excited about and can’t wait to show everyone!

What is one of the most difficult tasks in running a label that people might not be aware of?

Organising every step of a release is hard, but at the end it’s really satisfying seeing all the support & feedback and that amazing feeling overrides any difficult moments I might have for sure.

Lastly, what is your favourite label besides your own?

Visionquest has always been a label I’ve looked up to & respected a lot. Sushitech also. Amphia, Secretsundaze & many more.

Sensory Vol.1 VA is out September 25th on Opulence.