mixmag netherlands


restricted


Patience, instinct, and unpredictability


This may come as a surprise, but Restricted doesn’t rush into space. In rooms or in conversation, he keeps things tight. Measured. Focused. There’s a sense that energy is being held back rather than spent, even offstage, as everything passes through the same internal check before it’s allowed out.


That control wasn’t inherited with confidence. It came slowly, through years of touring, during which the sound often travelled faster than the recognition he got for his work. Australia required a lot of patience on his end. Europe introduced scale and the massivity of people who connected with what he is bringing to the industry. America arrived later and heavier, sold out shows, and the people´s energy made everything more than real.


Somewhere along the way, instinct had to be balanced with responsibility. How far can somebody push a room? How long can a body hold up when momentum stops being useful? In our interview, we talk about growth, understanding, appreciation, and a world that´s becoming smaller and smaller for an artist who is taking it by storm! Brace yourselves, because this is a good one!


TUNNEL VISION AND MUSIC MAKING


Restricted´s Tunnel Vision be- came a defining release. When a track sets such a clear benchmark, it’s hard not to get caught up in its success while still respecting what made it resonate so strongly.


“I think in my eyes it was a big hit for the sound, but my goals are always about striving for more and reaching higher. There are many elements in the production of that track that carried over into many of the following releases, shaping the style. I couldn’t have asked for a better first release on my label.”


That approach has been sharpened by motion. Constant touring compresses time, and


with it, possibility. Writing music between flights and soundchecks leaves little room for wandering, which in turn renders the studio a space governed by necessity rather than exploration. As he describes,


“You have way less time when you’re producing on tour, so you’ve really got to take advantage of that time, Instead of being more experimental,” he admits, “I’m wri- ting what I know will work. I love producing when I actually have the time to sit down and treat it like painting a picture, when I can chip away at it and try new things. That’s how I like to make music. But 2025 was super rushed. I’ve been really short on time.”


AUTHOR: SERGIO NIÑO PHOTOGRAPHY: SOPHIA CAREY (@SOPHIACAREY)


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