8 Tracks: From The Early 90s São Paulo Club Scene (That Changed My Life) With Gui Boratto

Music

To recycle a lazy journalistic cliché, a guy like Gui needs little introduction, if any. To subvert it, though, I'll introduce him anyway. Since 2005, when he decided to dedicate himself to his own output, the architect turned A&R turned superproducer has established himself as one of a handful of producers and DJs whose dedication and success position them atop the border to celebrity in certain parts of the world.

We caught up with the unlikely techno star just hours ahead of the release of his fourth solo LP Pentagram, out June 15th courtesy of Kompakt, and the world tour that accompanies it, during which Boratto will perform in Barcelona, Warsaw, Amsterdam, London's XOYO and more. He re-enacted for us the sonic steps he took on his journey to stardom.

Preorder/buy Pentagram direct from Kompakt HERE.

LISTEN

M|A|R|R|S - Pump Up The Volume

I remember, around the beginning of the 90s when I started to go out to dance in clubs like the legendary Rose Bom Bom, was the first time I’ve listened to ‘Pump Up The Volume’.
It completely blown out my mind. I thought: “What is this sound??” I think everyone DJing that time played M.A.R.R.S. It’s from 1987, but by that time, everything that was coming out, used to take months or even years to reach here. Was very difficult and expensive to legally import vinyls to Brazil. Unless you traveled to the UK and stop by on a HMV store to buy your own records and put in your bag and bring them yourself.

M|A|R|R|S - Pump Up The Volume

I remember, around the beginning of the 90s when I started to go out to dance in clubs like the legendary Rose Bom Bom, was the first time I’ve listened to ‘Pump Up The Volume’.
It completely blown out my mind. I thought: “What is this sound??” I think everyone DJing that time played M.A.R.R.S. It’s from 1987, but by that time, everything that was coming out, used to take months or even years to reach here. Was very difficult and expensive to legally import vinyls to Brazil. Unless you traveled to the UK and stop by on a HMV store to buy your own records and put in your bag and bring them yourself.
Bomb The Bass - Beat Dis (Extended Dis)

This is another classic acid house from the late 80s! Almost every DJ more then 45 years old I know started to DJ because of this song. It’s a coincidence that after doing a remix for Bom The Bass, the song “Black River feat. Mark Lanegan”, Tim Simenon himself invited me to produce the new Bomb The Bass album, back in 2010. We spent 2 weeks in São Paulo producing his new album ‘Back To Light’.
Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance

Another song produced by Tim Simenon. This one has been played all over the clubs here in São Paulo. Not only on the underground ones, but even on the radios. Actually it’s a worldwide success. This is how I know Neneh Cherry actually. This is a pearl. Very happy song. Still love it!
New Order - Blue Monday

I know New Order since their debut album ‘Movement’, after the death of Curtis. But ‘Blue Monday’, originally released as a single in 1983, had an incredible remix on 1988. That one is the one that every DJ still plays these days. I remember going to Madame Satã, a very unique club. Don’t remember if was Magal or Marquinhos MS (in memorian) that was playing. But ‘Blue Monday 88’ had a huge impact on me, on other producers and all DJs around the globe.
Steve "Silk" Hurley - Jack Your Body (Original Mix)

This is the one song that could’t get out of my mind since the first time I’ve listened to it. There was a very small club called “Nation”. It was there, the first time I’ve heard “Jack Your Body”. Don’t know who was DJing but, it took a while to discover what it was. My brother just came back from London with around 300 vinyls. He was putting on his MK1200 everything he got. There was a lot of Acid House, also lots of New Order singles, but suddenly he put this one: STEVE “SILK” HURLEY – JACK YOUR BODY. I said: WOW!!!! This is the song I’ve listened at Club Nation! Finally!!!!
S'Express - Theme From S'Express

Probably one the the most played vinyl from my brother’s crate. He still DJ for fun and ‘Theme From S-Express’ is always on the turntables. He also has ‘Hey Music Lover’ and ‘Superfly Guy’ singles. That’s how I know S-EXPRESS. Still remember Derrick Carter playing it the first time I saw him playing, at Rose Bom Bom club.
Information Society - Running

Never been too fond of Information Society, but ‘Running’ has probably the most incredible electronic music production from the late 80s for me. First of all, the little arp synth that runs all over the song. Then, the number of different snares (probably a Simmons), because it changes every beat step. And the vocals are incredible too. Also remember programming this song for one of my first electronic music project bands I had in the early 90s. It was so hard to ‘imitate’ and properly reproduce the cover. I’ve learned so much, especially when oversampling in different layers on my first sampler Ensoniq’s EPS.
Depeche Mode - Behind The Wheel

That’s one of my favorite bands. Who doesn’t LOVE Depeche Mode? ‘Behind The Wheel’ is one of the songs that opened so many doors (on my mind) in terms of production, composition and arrangements. The first time I’ve listened to it was in Campos do Jordão (2,5 hours from São Paulo) on the only club that existed that time there, called Chess.
In July, (winter time in Brazil), lots of people used to spend the whole month and enjoy the cold weather there. Yes, we used to call that city ‘The Brazilian Swiss’…hehehe…
There was one particular year that I could listened to this song every night. Sometimes the DJ also used to play ‘Route 66’, side B of the single.