Making waves all the way from the City of Barcelona, Daniel Orpi is a fresh addition to the modern dance scene. Based in London, the talented producer and DJ has dived into the underground music space, emerging with unique mixes and sounds that have impressed music legends such as Annie Mac and Danny Howard.
Growing up, Daniel was influenced by Hip-Hop, R&B and Graffiti Art. In recent works he has created animated clips to represent his inspiration to go alongside his music, giving listeners a better feel for what he represents. He displays a unique vision of his brand and showcases how he has grown as a producer over the pandemic.
Continuing his swift rise through the ranks of the minimal and deep tech scene, Daniel now delivers the sophomore release for Mixtank’s in-house label with New Reality. The tracks was developed an idea that he created as part of his exclusive production masterclass for Mixtank earlier this year, so fans have the unique opportunity to experience the full story of the track’s journey from studio concept to dance floor.
Thanks for talking to us. We know the last year hasn’t been the best in terms of travel, but have you discovered any new locations that you’ve enjoyed visiting?
My pleasure, thanks for the invite. Yes 100% it has been a tough one for travelling, but this has definitely helped me spend more time in the studio improving my sound so there is a plus side to it haha. I had the chance to visit Sweden which was a really incredible destination.
Is travel a big part of your life under normal circumstances?
Definitely, I love to travel. Whether it is for gigs or just to explore I always like to discover new cultures that can influence me in any way. Since I was a kid I was fortunate to visit many countries with my family, so I guess It’s something that I still like to do.
Do you have any bits of tech or home comforts you never hit the road without?
I could say that I always bring some headphones and my laptop with me, never know when the inspiration can come or if I need it to do some tasks while I’m on the road.
Where in the world are you currently based? Does it feel like it’s pretty much back to normal in terms of restrictions/lockdowns?
I’m based in London. To be honest I love it here because it’s one of the few places in the world where I feel we are pretty much back to normal. Everything is open and running in here.
The Ibiza season is obviously a big part of the electronic music calendar, how much do you think its absence has had an impact on the scene?
Well I still have been quite fortunate to visit the magical island a couple of times this year. The first time in June it was mind blowing to see the island without any parties, although I had the chance to enjoy it in another way, visiting the beach, spending some time at nice spots… without having hangovers haha. Also this last October I was fortunate enough to play for the first time ever at Octan Ibiza with some incredible artists, so It hasn’t been that bad at all.
You recently launched a new label with an edits compilation… can you talk us through how you decide which tracks are ripe for the edit treatment?
Well I started doing some edits before the pandemic, but basically I was just choosing tracks that I love to hear from some of my favourite artists, like Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Reel People, etc and then used these in to my unique sounds to create remakes of them.
What else do you have planned for the label?
Thinking to do another album of edits soon next year, and maybe start with a showcase… everything is still on the table.
Your next release lands on Mixtank, and is the development of a track you made via their masterclass programme… can you talk us through its creation?
Yeah sure, I started that track during our recording session and left it almost done, showing some of the tricks I personally use when I make music. After a revision I changed few parts of the track and we decided to put it out, I’m looking forward to this release.
This track seemed to come together fairly quickly… is that generally the case in the studio? Or have there been tracks that have taken a crazy amount of time to get right?
Well I think there’s no right answer for that, some of the best tracks took me 3 hours to create and others took me weeks, so it depends of how creative you feel, how long the mixing process takes etc.
What are your plans for 2022? Anything exciting in the diary yet?
Yes definitely! I’ve lined up a few releases with labels like Edible, Four Thirty Two, Bandidos, Kaluki… and some others that aren’t confirmed yet. In terms of gigs I’ve got my debut at Bpm Festival plus a tour around South America, looking forward to that as well.
Finally, if you could play NYE at any club in the world, where would you pick?
DC-10 Terrace without a doubt.
