EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
From his first violin lessons to becoming a key fi- gure in the international tech house scene, Fran- cisco Allendes has carved a path defined by ex- ploration and constant evolution. With a career that has taken him from Chile to Ibiza and be- yond, the DJ and producer celebrates 15 years on the island and a 2025 full of new music and major performances.
FROM CHILE TO THE WORLD
For Francisco, his first steps in music were tied to the violin and classical training, but his true ca- lling was found on the dancefloor:
“The first key moment in my musical journey was when I started taking violin lessons at the age of 8. Since then, music has been a fundamental part of my life, almost like a second nature. I spent years studying at the conservatory, immersing myself in the discipline and structure of classical mu- sic, but I always felt drawn to other genres. That’s why, over time, I ventured into rock, folk, and jazz bands, exploring different sounds and forms of expression. Each musical phase taught me some- thing valuable, but none fully captured my essen- ce. Everything changed years later when my ol- der brother took me to a nightclub, and I saw a DJ performing live for the first time. That moment was eye-opening—the connection between music and people, the energy of the dancefloor, the way a DJ could manipulate the atmosphere and tell a story without words... I realized that was the path I wanted to follow in music. Since then, my mission has been to create and share sounds that make people feel the same way I did that first time.”
His career truly took off when he signed his first record with Cadenza in 2009 and moved to Ibiza, a place that not only embraced him but also hel- ped shape him as an artist:
“Producing and DJing allowed me to make my way in the Chilean scene and gradually in the inter- national scene until 2009, when I signed my first record with Cadenza. That was a turning point in my life. Because of this, I was offered a residency at the old Ushuaïa, and in 2010, I moved to Ibi- za, where I still live today. The island welcomed me with open arms and helped me fulfill my dreams: playing in the best clubs, releasing on my favorite labels, and traveling the world with my music.”
RETURNING TO HIS ROOTS WITH HIS UPCOMING EP ON CLUB SWEAT
On April 4, Francisco will release a new EP through Australian label Club Sweat. Featuring two trac- ks that fuse tech house and Latin percussion, this release marks a return to his classic sound: “That’s right, the EP includes two tracks: Desi-
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re, produced by me, and Go Low, a co-production with Bruno Bona, an emerging producer from Chi- le. When I first heard Bruno’s work, I felt a special connection and knew that merging our two gene- rations could create something unique and power- ful, especially since we both come from the north of our country. With this track, we reconnect with the sound of my earlier productions, incorporating lots of Latin percussion and signature rhythms.” This release is also a way to pay tribute to his ear- ly years as a producer:
“Integrating this kind of rhythm and sound is no- thing new for me; I’ve been doing it for years. My music used to be very percussive and Latin-inspi- red, with tracks like Llovizna and Esa Nena Quie- re, which brought me to Ibiza. However, my artistic curiosity has led me to explore other paths, and over time, my music has evolved. With this new track, I want to pay homage to those years, up- dating those sounds for 2025 but keeping a touch of 2010.”
REINTERPRETING A CLASSIC: JAZZIN’ THE WAY YOU KNOW
One of Francisco’s biggest projects this year is his version of the classic Jazzin’ The Way You Know by Jazzy M. The idea came from his own repertoire of edits for his sets:
“This is a track I’ve always loved, and I had my own version for a while to play in my sets, where it always worked really well. Last year, Altra Moda offered me the chance to work on a track from their catalog, and coincidentally, they owned this classic, so I didn’t think twice about it.”
The key to this reinterpretation was modernizing the structure so it would fit better in today’s sets:
“The roots of the music we dance to today come from the ‘90s and 2000s, and it’s incredible how some tracks, like this one, still sound so current and even futuristic when compared to today’s music. However, despite their timeless sound, in- tegrating them into modern DJ sets can be tricky because their structures don’t always align with the way music is composed and produced today. That’s where I stepped in, adjusting the structure to make this track shine on the dancefloor once again and be more accessible for DJs to play.”
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