Massa is a Barcelona-based DJ, producer and hosts the label “Hidden Traffic“. I got in touch with him some years ago and he appeared on Affin on the “Decennium” series. As another project with him is on the way I thought it’s a good occasion to talk about his music and his surroundings…
J: Your first appearances have been with Deepbass, Reggy Van Oers & Ness. How did you guys get in touch?
M: Since Deepbass moved to Barcelona we got in touch together with Ness as he was also living in the same city. Sometime after we made an event and we invited Reggy Van Oers. In that period I was starting my label and I made some showcases at Moog where I invited them.
J: You found the label “Hidden Traffic” at an early stage of your career, what was the reason to launch it and what’s your idea behind? Is there a new project to expect from you in the next season?
M: I founded hidden traffic in a moment where I had some tracks finished which I wanted to release and despite of my first though was to send them to other labels, I found more inspiring to start a journey with them, within a platform where to develop, experiment and share with other artists. Some of the producers that released in this label, have a close relation with these moment in 2012 where I discovered the sound, artists and labels which marked a milestone in my Dj career after some years of music research; from all of this is born hidden traffic which perspective is to meet and welcome more artists throughout the way. In views of the next season, the 5th reference is going to be released in the first half of 2020 and more are planned. I have some other projects in mind but it is early to say whether they will show up in the next season as my focus actually lies on to open my music to other ways of expression.
J: Something about your studio: You’re mainly working with Ableton or hardware involved as well? Do you have essentials you always use when making music?
M: I have always worked with Ableton but since some time ago I’m adding and getting used to play some hardware in order to integrate it to my upcoming projects. I don’t have essentials if we understand them as a default setup to work or synths which I always use. However, I’m changing my way to work, synthetizing some of the processes and the hardware is going to be an important origin from my sound.
J: Do you plan to play as live act one day or do you prefer DJing in public?
M: As probably many of us, I’m Djing since half a life and this is what I love the most. That’s the reason that took me to make music and to the present moment. In the other hand, I see many creative possibilities about to play as live act and this something which I would like to add to my performance sooner or later.
J: You live in Barcelona. How would you characterize the city regarding art, culture and its nightlife?
M: The geographical situation of Barcelona has provided to the city a big dose of culture, art and life throughout its history. Renown artists of any kind have developed their career in this city as Barcelona has always welcomed people from different parts of the World. Walking across the streets, the neighborhoods, villages or the nature around, anyone can easily get impregnated for its vibe. In the electronic music field, this city hosts one of the most referential electronic music events which is Sonar besides of Mutek, Mira and many more. Also, the “mental techno” scene has its own festival; Paral-lel Festival makes us enjoy once a year during three days in the mountains showcasing artists from the international and local scene since 2016. During the season, Barcelona’s techno scene can rely on some local collectives such as Node, Astra or Bahn among others, making events in a roughly monthly format and showcasing artists from around and beyond. In the other hand, there aren’t so many clubs where to enjoy techno music compared with the whole offer, as the big exposure from Barcelona to the World has inclined most of the city’s offer to commercial events and sometimes it is not so easy to develop and go ahead with some alternative ideas but, at the end, there are many artists developing their career in Barcelona, many festivals / events are consolidated and I think there is also a good base of supporters.
More information about Massa
Joachim Spieth 