5 of Paco Osuna's Most Weird & Wonderful Tracks

Not unlike Spanish DJ/producer Paco Osuna's pimped-out DJ setup with lots of different gear to play and experiment with, his approach to production is varied, expansive, and anything but straight-laced house or techno.

He's often associated with minimal techno, and rightfully so; he's had a strong alliance with Richie Hawtin since the mid-aughts, with releases on Plus8 and Minus. Osuna's tracks are always layered and intricate, with sonic flourishes that can often be described as strange or playful. His sound dances between the lines and intersections of minimal, techno, tech house, and house, and is always club-ready

Osuna began DJing in Valencia in 1994, and released progressive house records under a variety of aliases. In 1999, he became a resident DJ at the legendary Ibiza club Amnesia. That was the first time he visited to the Spanish island, which greatly influenced and inspired his production and mixing style.

He released several Amnesia mix CDs and dropped house tracks as Osuna in the early 2000s, followed by techno heaters at Paco Osuna in 2002. That same year, he launched Shake Records, which became Mindshake Records in 2006, which has become home to many weird and wonderful club tracks from himself and other beloved artists.

1. Paco Osuna & DJ Oliver - Groove Bass (2022)

As the title implies, "Groove Bass" is a groovy dancefloor heater with a fat bassline. I would describe it as "weird and interesting tech house-leaning techno" (Beatport classifies it as peak time/driving techno). And in a very Paco Osuna move, it features a classic vocal about house music. The seven-minute track is a collab with fellow Spanish DJ/producer DJ Oliver, and was released on Paco's label, Mindshake last year. There's also a great, funky remix of the track on the Groove Bass EP, as well as an additional track from DJ Oliver.

2. Paco Osuna - Brain Bells (2020)

"Brain Bells," opens with a banging techno bassline and sparse claps, picking up sonic flourishes and energy as it chugs along. This one feels like techno with a solid sprinkling of house energy and rhythms (Again, Beatport classifies it as peak time / driving techno). Osuna dropped it during the pandemic on Mindshake, and surely it got the dancefloor heated once they opened back up. The B-side, "TechBass," is even more techno and more driving.

3. Paco Osuna - Let's Dream (2014)

"Let's Dream" is the enchanting lead track of his 2014 album, Long Play, dropped on Richie Hawtin's esteemed imprint Minus. It's somewhat more subdued and stripped back then some of his sonic experiments, yet still playful and bouncy, with a touch of circus energy. It's a perfect opener for the album, which builds in intensity as it progresses.

4. Paco Osuna - Atopisimo (2011)

I love "Atopisimo" so much. It's strange, spooky, and fun, with distorted vocals and an earworm of a groove. It's the first track on the Four EP, his fourth one dropped on Hawtin's iconic Plus 8 Records. It's one of those wonderfully weird club tracks that must sound absolutely bonkers on a good sound system, and even better in the wee hours of the morning, when you're not sure how you're still dancing.

5. Paco Osuna - Crazy (2007)

Crazy is Osuna's first EP on Plus 8, released back in 2007, marking the beginning of a fruitful relationship with Hawtin. The title track is classic minimal, with robotic beeps and boops. It's fun and driving, and a little bit frenzied. Even back then, the Osuna sound was evident, as he put his creative mark on the then-dominant sub-genre of minimal. On the rest of the five-track EP, the BPM starts to rise, and the basslines get fatter, once again making the lead song the perfect opener.