Artist Spotlight
With so much authenticity and artistic flair to offer, Mexican artist Mike Montaño continues to astound listeners with his uniquely curated house-driven soundscapes. The flourishing musician is a staple of Mexico’s pristine nightlife scene, especially throughout the country’s booming party cities along the Riviera Maya like Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Tulum, where he resides. Throughout his career, he’s depicted the true meaning of underground with each relentless beat and profound performance. Never afraid to go against the norm, he’s demonstrated that forging your path as an artist is always attainable, even in this highly competitive industry.In his eyes, success isn’t releasing records on top labels or finally attaining a one-hour time slot on the main stage at a massive festival. For Montaño, success lies in stirring people’s souls and moving listeners with his music. It’s all about creating these inspirational moments and memorable experiences through each melody. “There’s something about being part of this small community where everyone knows each other and everyone goes to these underground events simply for the people, the music, and to just enjoy themselves, nothing else. I want to move people with my sounds.” His devotion to music stems from his upbringing in lively central Mexico. No matter where he wandered, he was surrounded by infectious rhythms. His mother was a tremendous influence and introduced him to 70s disco at a young age. The two would have solo dance parties at home and listen to disco records on the regular. Dance music captured his soul. “Without knowing that my upbringing would be the main influence to push me to pursue a career in music, that familiar feeling came back to me later in high school when I started listening to artists like Daft Punk. I was playing the drums at the time but I realized I couldn’t bring the equipment everywhere, which was a problem. I decided to experiment with turntables and that was where it all began. Then the 2000s progressive house era happened. This new movement brought me back to my disco roots and my love for Chicago and Detroit house. That’s when I realized I could transition to making music with just these four-on-the-floor beats.” Every life experience suddenly began to connect, and music always seemed to be a significant part of the beauty of it all. Then, one day it all clicked, and that’s where his journey as a house music artist began. “Music has been chasing me my whole life, and everything along the way kept pushing me to pursue this. Once you fall in love with it, you cannot escape it. It’s something that I believe becomes part of your life, and once it becomes that important, it’s very difficult to let it go.” His closest college friends further inspired him to become more involved with the movement of the scene in the early 2000s, and after eight years of spinning records, his career exploded like never before. Since then, he’s captivated listeners and underground labels across borders and has made a name for himself within the BPM Festival community, among many others. Industry legends like DJ Sneak, Nick Curly, Paco Osuna, Alex Dolby, and more have actively supported his sound by featuring his tracks while in the mix. House music is at the core of his creative processes, yet there’s no attachment to one specific soundscape. Instead, Montaña evolved through these distinct styles. His tracks range everywhere from deep and melodic to progressive and minimal. The notion of describing his releases using sub-genres doesn’t make sense to him. For him, his sound is a feeling. “It’s all about the way we can create movement and the way rhythms can be transformed into any specific type of house sound that we want. I always try to explore different sounds and different types of house music. Creating a sound is something that you cannot plan or expect, it's all about that tickle that makes you move while playing around in the studio. My sound is a feeling. It's hard to describe. It's not techno and it's not house, it’s that tickle I feel when I’m creating music.” Now that Tulum has blossomed into the international hot spot for underground house and techno soirees, there’s no reason for Montaño not to use this to his advantage. He currently lives in Playa Del Carmen, making it easily accessible to host and perform at these secret parties throughout the Riviera Maya, where all the magic happens. “More than playing a huge festival, I’d rather be a part of this intimate energy and more underground vibe where everyone is just connected to the music. All the love to Ibiza, but right now, Tulum is winning the spotlight. I think Ibiza has officially landed in Tulum.” His passion for the underground is in alignment with this ongoing movement, and getting to be a part of it all is everything he’s always dreamed of and more. “I’m not in a rush. I know where I’m at and I know what I’m capable of, and I’m just really enjoying every moment along the way.”
