Jean Pierre is off to a strong start with his fledgling house music label, Pakate Records. He inaugurated it with the Actin’ Up EP by UK DJ and producer FLETCH in June 2021, followed by an April 2022 compilation titled Miami VA-001 that helped put a number of up-and-coming artists on the radar of influential selectors.




“For me, the label is a very personal thing,” Jean says. “I’m just starting to build a team with The Bullitt Agency, focusing on branding and stuff like that, but it’s mainly me. I don’t have a label manager, it’s just me handling everything. It’s very personal and I’m taking my time with it.”




Taking his time or otherwise, Pakate Records has already made moves to uplift the next generation of underground dance musicians. Don’t take our word for it, though. Below you can listen to five tracks from promising artists that have come out on the label thus far.




1. FLETCH - Want Me

Appearing on the B side of FLETCH’s aforementioned Actin’ Up EP, “Want Me” fused sassy vocal samples with primal sonics to great effect. The London-born, Manchester-based artist has also landed on labels like Toolroom Records, Kaluki Music, and Madhouse Records.




2. Daniel Orpi - Candy Mouth

Daniel Orpi demonstrates that less is more on “Candy Mouth,” which appeared on Miami VA-001. The track’s smooth bass line and understated percussion allow its filtered topline to shine. Labels like elrow Music, Edible, and Saved Records have also championed the London-based artist’s other music.




3. Reelow - Homegrown (NYC 2022 Mix)

Jean Pierre came up as an artist in the NYC underground, but it was more than the title of Reelow’s new mix of his track “Homegrown” that landed it on Miami VA-001. Between its infectious groove, crisp sound design, and almost psychedelic tension, there’s a lot that makes it a formidable weapon in any DJ’s arsenal.




4. Guti - La Familia ft. Flor Del Valle

Guti is more established than some of the other artists featured on Miami VA-001, to be sure — but “La Familia” is too good not to include on this list. Warm hand drum samples accentuate the organic warmth of Flor Del Valle’s dreamlike vocal in this compelling cut by the Malawi DJ and producer.




5. Joseph Edmund and REME - Don’t Talk

Compared to most other tracks released on Pakate thus far, “Don’t Talk” by Joseph Edmund and REME leans into the challenging waters of techno. The single’s upbeat tempo and dissonant sonics add a little variety to the Miami VA-001 compilation.






5 Tracks from Up-and-Coming Artists on Jean Pierre’s House Label, Pakate Records

Spain

Daniel Orpi

Known for his unique brand of high BPM tech-house groovers, Daniel Orpi has quickly made a name for himself, despite first releasing only three years ago. Born in Barcelona but based in London, Daniel has had the opportunity early in his career to play some of the best venues globally and count artists like Claude VonStroke, Solardo, and Eli Brown as supporters.

"I start raving when I was 17 years old… I didn't know what electronic music was, I was just a typical rebel kid. I was painting graffiti on trains and all that stuff… I met some people and they started to bring me to afters [parties] in Barcelona… I was like, Wow, this music is crazy. I was going there every weekend, and I fell in love. Soon, one of my friends introduced me to DJing... Step by step, we got like a small controller. Then I got rid of the small controller, and got some CDJ 300s, and we tried to mix properly without any computer. It took me like one month to figure out what was the BPM and all of that stuff because I was in my in my rooftop bar like trying to figure out what the fuck is this?"


After cutting his teeth in Barcelona, playing all night into the mornings, Daniel decided it was time for a change of scenery. Once he determined he wanted to pursue a music career full time, he went to the United Kingdom. 

Wade

Wade’s remarkable rise to the top of the tech-house game over a few years has been marked by a string of thumping releases on highly respected labels. His slinky beats are informed by a hip-hop sensibility and anchored by wavy basslines. He’s become a sought-after producer. And with collaborations on the books with coveted artists like Solardo, Cloonee, and Jay Lumen he’s undoubtedly captured a sound that pulsates with a unique spirit.

He grew up listening to flamenco music, a traditional southern Spanish musical style. He still finds inspiration in Spanish music and grasps at any opportunity to use traditional instruments in his music. You can hear it in the slinky Spanish horn sample in “Mi Amor” his recent collaboration with UK tech-house heavyweight.

His background in music goes back to his school days. He says he studied music but, “I never focused on music outside of classes.” 

It wasn’t until he attended his first dance music event that he fell in love with house and began to soak up everything that the culture could offer him. “I remember the first time I went to an electronic music party, I totally fell in love with that music. I realized it was the music that I liked the most, the one that I most identified with.”

He picked up Djing soon after but wasn’t truly devoted to any one musical style. He drifted between pop, electro, and Latin house. He didn’t dedicate focus to one musical style until he began producing tech-house in 2011.

His trajectory follows the old adage “overnight success takes about ten years.” In the last five, he’s racked up an impressive resume of accolades. He’s released music with revered labels like Relief, Sola, Armada Subjekt, Snatch!, and Black Book. He’s held down remix duties for fellow Spanish artist David Guetta and had the kings of UK progressive Camelphat remix him.

“When great artists of the electronic scene started playing my music,” he says of the support he’s received from the likes of Richie Hawtin, Marco Corolla, Chris Lake, and Paco Osuna, “I realized that I could really take advantage of my talent and make a career in the music industry.” 

He’s since logged an impressive amount of frequent flyer miles playing in clubs from Australia to Argentina. But his favorite shows are with his beloved hot hometown brand, elrow. He’s most at home on the elrow stage among the pageantry and non-stop barrage of colorful performers. He says, “I like what elrow parties transmit. I always enjoy them because the theme is super fun.”

As the gigs begin to flood back in, Wade will continue to see the fruits of his labor flourish. He’s stayed busy throughout quarantine. He’s released music at an impressive clip. And as we begin to return to normal, Wade’s name will undoubtedly stay on the lips of the industry.

He quickly made a trip to Liverpool, where he ended up staying for six months. Although he made great relationships and gained experience, the trip proved difficult for Daniel due to the language barrier. After two years back in Barcelona, Daniel decided it was time to go back to the UK for good. He saw the opportunity that DJs had in London and quickly made it his new home. 


As he has grown and developed his career, Daniel's sound has become more defined. As a result, he operates in a space that tends to be more minimal, without being repetitive, and often maintains higher BPMs than one would typically find in tech house. 


"I'm trying to bring it down now, trying to bring it to 128, between 128 and 130 because when I play, I really think it gets all the people dancing more when the beat is faster. It sounds better. I don't know why," he posits.

"But also now when I make tracks, I always, even if I do it at 130, you're going to always bring it down when you're playing. So at the end, it's not that much difference. As long as there is no 134, which is crazy stuff, you know, I got some training about like 175, like I would never play that in a club like 134, you know? I just feel that the groove is more driving, so it invites more to dance."

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For Daniel, finding the right groove is always the goal. It has allowed him to secure gigs in Ibiza, as well as 

"I feel that what you put into your work life will get back to you… I had this in mind [playing Ibiza] for a long time. And now to be seeing all of these goals getting real, it's so crazy. But at the same time, I was already working on the vision of my career for a long time." 

Daniel Opri DJ Set | Ministry of Sound

Daniel Orpi DJ Set from Ministry of Sound Pop-Up, Boxpark Shoreditch (London) 30/09

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Daniel Orpi DJ Set | Ministry of Sound

Knocking out the goal of any rising DJ to play in Ibiza is a massive accomplishment. Getting support from BBC Radio One meant even more to him. 

"I feel so grateful. Every time I look at things like it's cloudy again, Covid, political issues, I'm just grateful to be where I am and be able to play shows." 

Going forward, the future is only bright for Daniel Orpi. He is scoring gigs worldwide and just wrapped up his debut US tour. In addition, he will be releasing an EP with 

 on December 10th, cementing his place with the brand as one of the hottest Spaniards in the business. 

Daniel Orpi Interview

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Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:14 - Moving from Barcelona to London
02:11 - Early rave days
05:43 - Elrow
10:38 - His unique sound
13:14 - Ibiza
15:27 - London
16:53 - Post-pandemic nightlife/Uniqueness of elrow
18:35 - Starting his own label
21:00 - Throwing his own parties
23:12 - Favorite US cities he's played in
25:50 - Making music his career

#grayarea #danielorpi #housemusic

Gray Area Interview: Daniel Orpi

Known for his unique brand of high BPM tech-house groovers, Daniel Orpi has quickly made a name for himself, despite first releasing only three years ago. Born in Barcelona but based in London, Daniel has had the opportunity early in his career to play some of the best venues globally and count artists like Claude VonStroke, Solardo, and Eli Brown as supporters.

"I start raving when I was 17 years old… I didn't know what electronic music was, I was just a typical rebel kid. I was painting graffiti on trains and all that stuff… I met some people and they started to bring me to afters [parties] in Barcelona… I was like, Wow, this music is crazy. I was going there every weekend, and I fell in love. Soon, one of my friends introduced me to DJing... Step by step, we got like a small controller. Then I got rid of the small controller, and got some CDJ 300s, and we tried to mix properly without any computer. It took me like one month to figure out what was the BPM and all of that stuff because I was in my in my rooftop bar like trying to figure out what the fuck is this?"


After cutting his teeth in Barcelona, playing all night into the mornings, Daniel decided it was time for a change of scenery. Once he determined he wanted to pursue a music career full time, he went to the United Kingdom. 







He quickly made a trip to Liverpool, where he ended up staying for six months. Although he made great relationships and gained experience, the trip proved difficult for Daniel due to the language barrier. After two years back in Barcelona, Daniel decided it was time to go back to the UK for good. He saw the opportunity that DJs had in London and quickly made it his new home. 


As he has grown and developed his career, Daniel's sound has become more defined. As a result, he operates in a space that tends to be more minimal, without being repetitive, and often maintains higher BPMs than one would typically find in tech house. 


"I'm trying to bring it down now, trying to bring it to 128, between 128 and 130 because when I play, I really think it gets all the people dancing more when the beat is faster. It sounds better. I don't know why," he posits.

"But also now when I make tracks, I always, even if I do it at 130, you're going to always bring it down when you're playing. So at the end, it's not that much difference. As long as there is no 134, which is crazy stuff, you know, I got some training about like 175, like I would never play that in a club like 134, you know? I just feel that the groove is more driving, so it invites more to dance."



Become a Gray Area member for access to exclusive perks!




For Daniel, finding the right groove is always the goal. It has allowed him to secure gigs in Ibiza, as well as high-level support on BBC Radio One. 

"I feel that what you put into your work life will get back to you… I had this in mind [playing Ibiza] for a long time. And now to be seeing all of these goals getting real, it's so crazy. But at the same time, I was already working on the vision of my career for a long time." 

Knocking out the goal of any rising DJ to play in Ibiza is a massive accomplishment. Getting support from BBC Radio One meant even more to him. 

"I feel so grateful. Every time I look at things like it's cloudy again, Covid, political issues, I'm just grateful to be where I am and be able to play shows." 

Going forward, the future is only bright for Daniel Orpi. He is scoring gigs worldwide and just wrapped up his debut US tour. In addition, he will be releasing an EP with Elrow records on December 10th, cementing his place with the brand as one of the hottest Spaniards in the business. 

Daniel Orpi

Articles

John Cameron