Gabriel I (Tenampa Recordings)

Hello Gabriel and welcome to Magazine Sixty. Your label Tenampa Recordings has just released Dean Demanuele’s Tabula Rasa EP – which we had the honour of premiering recently. Tell us the story of how you came to sign the record?

Hey Greg, thank you.

Been a fan of Dean’s music since way back and got the opportunity to work with him a couple of years ago. We’ve released one of his EP’s (Blumen) back in 2015. Since then, we have been speaking regularly and have become friends. Thus far (with his latest Tabula Rasa EP) we’ve released 3 of his excellent EP’s. So we can proudly say Dean is part of the Tenampa family.

What are the plus and minus points of running a record label in 2017? And how do you predict things will go into the future for labels and generating revenue with the popularity of streaming etc?

The future of the music industry is obviously going towards the streaming platforms such as Spotify and Youtube. How will this turn out for Dj’s, not sure, yet…

As far as the plus points of running a label… For me, is having access to lots of quality music and to be able to work with artists that I admire. Not sure if there’s a minus… may be only to have to deal with a ton of mail!

What do you look for when signing a record?

It’s very simple, if I like it, I’ll sign it. We don’t necessary look for a specific genre on the label. The way I like the music to sound is deep, hypnotic and dark, if it has any of these 3 elements and I like it, I will sign it.

Tell us about your radio show for Proton Radio. How important is it as a way of communicating with people?

Well, I grew up listening to Proton Radio, so I hope my music thru this website can inspire people like I was.

Who designs the fabulous artwork for the sleeves and for the website?

This is done by one of my best friends from my home town and amazing artist: Xavier Fajardo. He’s the art director of Tenampa since day one and responsible for part of the success of the label.

Who designs the fabulous artwork for the sleeves and for the website?
This is done by one of my best friends from my home town and amazing artist: Xavier Fajardo. He’s the art director of Tenampa since day one and responsible for part of the success of the label.

How would you describe your studio set-up? What is your favourite piece of software/ hardware?

The piece of hardware that I like to use the most is my small Moog Minitaur for bass lines. It’s very easy to use, just select a preset, tweak it a bit and that’s it, sounding big and solid.

Who are your main influences, both within and outside of Electronic music?

My dad used to listen to Pink Floyd so I pretty much grew up listening to that kind of sound. Really like music to be progressive and soulful.

On the Electronic music side, my influences at first were the local Dj’s from my home town in Juarez, MX. To whom I used to listen until late time on the radio when I was 11/12. After that my biggest influence as a Dj has been John Digweed. I learned how to sequence and program my sets by listening to him.

What are your plans for 2017 and into beyond?

Plans for this year are a tour on Europe in July. Playing on Amsterdam, Berlin, Greece and Italy thus far. More dates to be confirmed…

And another tour by late 2017 on Asia. Also have music coming up on my label Tenampa with a Remix by Kiki. And also doing a Remix for Kling Klong Records so stay tuned for that 😉

http://tenampa.mx

https://soundcloud.com/gabrieli/gabriel-i-earlly-2017-promo-mix

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