UNER has deep roots in the Spanish club scene and boasts releases on top labels like Diynamic, Selador, Sol Selectas and many others of an equally high calibre.
In the past few years UNER has moved to America, so we caught up with him to chat about how a change of location has influenced his music, and how that can be heard in his new release forthcoming on his own label, Solar Distance.
You’re about to release your new Cándido EP on your own Solar Distance imprint, talk us through the release?
Yes. There are three songs composed in recent months and I wanted to compose songs with enough melody that they also capture people’s imagination both in and outside of a club environment. One of the versions is a piano solo, and that style is something I want to work with some more next year, as right now I’m focusing on music that you can both feel and listen to.
Did anything special inspire this that or was it a typical studio session?
Having come to live in the USA with my girlfriend has changed my whole perspective on life and that has also positively affected the music I’ve been making. I’ve spent a lot of time making music with the thought process of how it will affect my gigs or work in a club, now I feel it is time to do what I want again without thinking so much about the end result before I’ve even sat down to start a new track. I’m simply wanting to express myself from within, and I can honestly say I’ve never felt so creative.
And your label has released music from Alex Kennon, Copy Paste Soul and Lee Van Dowski, what’s your typical process when planning and signing a release from other artists?
There is no special process. We only listen to the music and if we identified with the story that’s being told by the track then we sign it. These days there is so much emphasis on social media, that sometimes the music gets lost behind how many followers someone has, we like to look past that, so music is the only focus of the label.
Besides Solar Distance, your own productions have landed on Diynamic, Selador, Sincopat, Yoshitoshi and more, how do you decide if a track should come out on your own label or someone elses?
Right now, my music is focused almost 100% on my label. I’ve spent a lot of time releasing music on different labels. But the scene has taken an important turn, and for my part I want to focus on the music I chose to make, and not the personality and arrangements for others. I still work with other labels, but only when they already like how my tracks sound without requesting changes that lose the feel of what I originally intended.
You’re a pretty important part of the house music scene in Spain, how do you think the music culture there is different to other places like Germany or Netherlands?
Any place you live affects you. I mentioned earlier that my vision and my career have changed a lot since I moved to live in the USA about two years ago. My environment is an important part of the process and of course I still carry my Spanish roots and organic sounds in me, but the global vision in my life changes does affect the music I compose, which I feel is the same for anyone who has passion for being creative.
I’m still very attached to the Spanish scene which is of course unique with Ibiza dominating much of the country’s club scene in the summer, and sometimes it feels like people forget how much exceptional music is happening all across the country.
Is there anything on your upcoming tour schedule that has you excited?
The most important thing is that after 10 years of crazy touring doing around 130 gigs per year I decided to take a break for a few months, and focus on making music work including projects that I could not finish due to lack of time between travelling. Soon I will return to touring, but maybe with another vision of me, as I’m finally getting a chance to make more than just one genre of music.
Before we wrap things up, can you tell us one artist, local to your hometown, that’s really killing it right now?
Definitely Piek on the deeper more organic side of things, and ORBE on the more electronic side with darker moods. Both of those guys represent a different part of my taste, and no doubt would I recommend them to anyone!
UNER’s Cándido EP arrives October 18th on Solar Distance.