Downbeat Records: The ‘Shine A Light On’ Mix

Spanish label, Downbeat, came to life as a party launching in 2007, later releasing their debut cut – Specter's 'Mind Over Matter' EP in 2009. 

Prioritising quality over quantity, Downbeat carefully curate consistent releases of soulful house and balearic tracks from an impressive international roster of artists including Marcellus Pittman and Mike Huckaby and champions the sounds of US house. 

A label with a penchant for the unusual, highlighted with tracks such as Chris Gray and Moonchildren's,"It Was The Fried Chicken That Saved Our Sanity (Because The Ghetto Is Sad)" which has garnered serious play-out support from "DJ's DJs" including Jane Fitz and Owen Jay. Having recovered from the label's 3 hour showcase at Lapsus Festival, we speak to Jose Rico, one third of the Downbeat trio alongside a mix of the smooth, slowed down, spaced-out sounds with which Downbeat have become synonymous.

Download the mix here: 

Please introduce yourself… Who are you, where are you, what are you?

My name is Jose Rico and I'm part of Downbeat. 3 friends from Madrid and the Basque country who are running parties and a label and above all, we share a love for music.

Where was the mix recorded?

The mix was recorded at a private club at unseemly hours: AAMM.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

A nightclub or a summer after house. If it's open air, better.

What should we be wearing?

Whatever the hell you want. This is house music or something like that.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: location/system/format?

3 turntables on Mars with a portable mp3 recorder.

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

Alfonso Pomeda (F-on) because I know him as a person and an artist and no surprises… I know him better than any other and he is the best at opening a club. 

What's more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

Every track is important, from the first one to the last… and the whole night from start to finish… those who think that everyone does theyr job better than the other and go to the club to compete and not to share… are really wrong… although his name is even heard in the fishmonger.

What were the first and last records you bought?

Not sure the first, maybe, X-103 "The Gardens" (Axis). The last one, the reissue of Clarence ‎– Hyperspace Sound Lab.

If this mix was a edible thing, what would it taste like?

Orange.

If it was an animal what would it be?

Bird. 

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

You can mix anything. It depends on what you mean by "mix".

Anything else we need to discuss?

Nothing to add.

Follow Downbeat HERE.