An Interview with Pachanga Boys: Exploring Their Timeless Sound

When searching on YouTube for the famous song "Time" by Pachanga Boys, the top comment, which has the most likes, reads, “We all are in search of love in any shape, that's why we love this kind of art and that's why I love anyone who reads this because I know you are also in search of love and you know it too.” This comment is fitting, as this 15-minute track ignites a feeling of love and captures how it feels to walk through life, observing how time simply passes by.

We sat down with the German and Mexican duo who are storytellers behind the decks and are back on the road for an exciting world tour after taking a brief hiatus from the hustle and bustle of the music industry. It’s exciting news! These two have created a timeless deep house banger. It's also great to have a duo that weaves tracks spanning disco, funk, Latin, and country influences into a rich tapestry of sound. Their label, Hippie Dance, is an extension of their artistic ethos—emphasizing freedom, creativity, and an unapologetic departure from the conventional. Let’s dive right in and discover more about the enigmatic duo.

Being that you're a German and Mexican duo, how has the cultural background of each of you influenced the sound of Pachanga Boys?

In every way we like to think… If you look at our individual work and then at the Pachanga universe, you can hear how both worlds are entangled with each other. It's hard to describe in detail something so ephemeral, but it's possible to see the rawness of some elements combined with the deep musicality of others, the repetitiveness, and the sarcastic splashes here and there.

Can you share the story behind your first collaboration on "Fiesta Forever" and how it set the tone for Pachanga Boys?

Fiesta Forever was a happy accident that led to Pachanga Boys. Superpitcher was working on his second solo album “Kilimanjaro” and asked Rebolledo, who was then living in Cologne at Super's mansion, to record some vocals. In one break of those sessions, Super started testing a new instrument playing a catchy melody. Rebolledo started singing on top of it, “Mis amigos, vamos a la fiesta, hay que disfrutar que va a estar buena la Pachanga.”

Super asked: “What is that?” Rebolledo replied: “I just made it up… thought it fitted the melody.” So, we recorded this lovely little tune and called it Fiesta Forever! Kompakt wanted to include it on their annual compilation “Total 10,” and when Michael Mayer asked, “Who are you guys?" our answer was: “We are Pachanga Boys.”

What's the philosophy behind your label, Hippie Dance, and how do you curate artists for it?

Welcome to the New Church of Hippie. A place of freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of mind, freedom of dance. There’s no flower without power, and we truly believe in a daily shower. There's no need for Patchouli over here; we'd rather have Yves Saint Laurent’s "Opium" always near! It started as a playground and home for our own productions. We just wanted to be free to release whatever we wanted and do it fast. Eventually, and naturally, it opened up to great music from beautiful friends and allies. It was just coming together like this. To be continued...

How has the dynamic between you evolved over the years since you first started collaborating?

Well… it's been a ride for sure! And still unfolding. Life is a funny thing, and everything is morphing and changing constantly. We’ve been touring and spreading the love for about 10 years before we felt like having a little break. Coming back now to play a string of special shows is very exciting.

Reflecting on your career, is there a particular moment or performance that stands out as defining for Pachanga Boys?

It’s difficult to name just one as there have been quite a few. We are really into moments. “Lost track of time” 25 Hours at M.N. Roy was perhaps the most crazy thing we ever did. We always thought that as long as there’s one person enjoying what you play, you can always play one more record, so having this in mind, we decided to do this “social experiment” in Mexico City at M.N. Roy.

We gathered people from 6 PM on a Saturday to finish at 7 PM the next day. We actually wanted to lock them in but then realized it was too scary. No watches were allowed, so people had no idea what time it really was. People dropped in and definitely dropped out. And back again. It was intensely beautiful. There were tears!

How do you balance individual projects with your work as Pachanga Boys?

These days Pachanga Boys is a very special thing in our agendas. We carefully choose and hand-pick the shows and make them count. This gives us some time to work on our other endeavors.

In what ways do you think electronic music and its scene have changed since you first started?

So many. It’s always and constantly changing. For better and worse. These days sadly music has less and less to do with the so called music scene. Other factors like social media, hypes, name dropping, and big screens have become as important (if not more) than the music itself it seems. Let’s bring music back!

Are there any artists or genres outside of electronic music that inspire your work as Pachanga Boys?

Sure thing. Actually most (if not all) of our references and inspirations come from other sources totally different from today’s electronic music. Our references are closer to folk, country music, classic rock, disco, funk. Inspiration is everywhere. You can be sure we would never check Beatport's top ten tracks to check what “the sound of today” is and try to recreate it in our own way. We have our own way.

What's your process for creating new music? Do you have a particular routine or method?

The technical process can be different from time to time. We have to be together in the same room to get the juices flowing. We usually get in there with a concept in mind and then find a way to catch the ideas before they’re gone again. Record before malfunction. And there’s a percentage of magic too. And that you can’t explain.

What advice would you give to upcoming artists who look up to Pachanga Boys?

Don’t listen too much to advice from anyone.

If you could collaborate with any artist, living or deceased, who would it be and why?

We like dead people… Lee Hazlewood would be a dream.

What's the most unexpected source of inspiration you've found for a track?

A river maybe…but is it that unexpected?

And finally, if you were stuck on an island and could only bring three records with you to play, which would you bring?

That must be the most difficult question ever and it so rarely happens to be stuck on an island. We are two so can we bring six at least?