Additional Information
The Igloofest Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary with great fanfare! Its mission: to highlight electronic music, energize the Old Port district and promote Montreal internationally with this unique initiative. Usually, large-scale events rely on programming that can combine quality and the satisfaction of the general public. Which is often a big challenge!
That of January 28 offered a range of music – on the Videotron stage – very punchy and totally feminine: urtrax, Isabel Soto and No Police. PAN M 360 spoke with Isabel Soto on this occasion.
DJ and producer, originally from Venezuela, she is in the process of becoming the next star from here and elsewhere. In less than two years, she has multiplied the projects galore: resident for the Arder collective in Montreal or DifferentSound in Georgia, affiliated with several labels such as Diffuse Reality, Second State, Occultech Recordings, Sine Space 7…Not to mention that she is also a photographer and graphic designer.
It would seem that hard work and simplicity are the keys to its success.
PAN M 360: Isabel, I would like to know more about your career as a producer and DJ. Tell me, in detail, what brought you into music.
Isabel Soto: I started producing and mixing in 2019. Just before the pandemic started, I bought myself a controller to start learning. However, you should know that I have been involved in the music industry since 2012 as a graphic designer and photographer for Montreal parties. In 2016, I started to discover the techno scene during a concert at the mythical Stereo Club. Since then, I have been completely involved. Moreover, I discovered the European scene which opened my eyes to the extent of the possibilities of techno music. All of this really motivated me to totally get into production and DJing. My advantage was being very familiar with visual design software and when I started learning to use Ableton, I was relatively comfortable with the interface. But, I took a lot of classes to better understand all the keys to creation, production and post-production. The pandemic was a key moment because I spent a lot of time at home learning and working with a producer from Bueno Aires online: Michel Lauriola. In September 2020, I was contacted by a producer who listened to one of my productions on the networks and there, everything started.
PAN M 360: Individuals capable of being both a DJ and a producer are relatively rare. You are one of those people with this ability. In my opinion, it’s a great potential that you exploit wonderfully. Your selections and your productions are almost similar. How do you feel about this yourself?
Isabel Soto : Yes, that’s true. There is a similarity. In truth, I saw DJing as an introduction to production because for me, it’s creation that attracts me the most, like in graphic design. I love giving shape to my ideas. I quickly felt limited in DJing and was captivated by the fact of wanting to create sound.
PAN M 360: Going through your SoundCloud, I see that you are a very prolific artist both in your productions and your DJ performances. How do you plan your work to be so productive?
Isabel Soto : (laughs!) I spend my time working! During the week, I am a graphic designer. On weekends, I’m a DJ and/or producer. I’m lucky to be working remotely often, so I can juggle from one project to another very quickly. The counterpart is a reduced social life. Unfortunately, I have much less time to socialize, to see my friends or to go out to events. But, it is the price to pay to concretize all my projects. I developed the ability to multitask all the time.
PAN M 360: What machines or instruments do you use for your productions? Do you work alone or with others?
Isabel Soto : I mainly produce with Ableton and a synthesizer, the Korg minilogue. I learn every day to make better use of all the potential of these. Sometimes I call on producers to help me find solutions when I feel the need, for example, to learn how to mix my sound better. I also watch tutorials on YouTube.
PAN M 360: Where do you draw your influences for both your productions and your musical selections?
Isabel Soto : Blazej Malinowski was my first source of inspiration for learning production. Then, I can quote: Aleja Sanchez (Colombia), Pulso (Argentina), Marcelo Antonio (Argentina), FLAWS, Oscar Mulero. I am very influenced by what is happening in Argentina, in general.
PAN M 360: Your musical style is very marked by deep, hypnotic and mental techno. It’s a very European influence and we also find this genre in Latin countries. Personally, I find it very refreshing because in Montreal, the techno scene is rather dominated by a tendency to ultra fast and brutal BPM. How do you perceive the Montreal scene?
Isabel Soto : When I started in 2020, I felt demotivated because I felt like I wasn’t sticking to the general mood. It plunged me into a certain loneliness in Montreal until I met artists and/or collectives who were looking to develop this style of techno. For example, Mike Larry’s Arder collective, where I’m a resident DJ, tries to bring that style here. And so many others besides. Now I feel like the tide is turning. People like me can finally flourish and find their place on the Montreal scene.
PAN M 360: You shared the stage at the Igloofest Festival with the prodigious urtrax. How did you perceive that?
Isabel Soto : I still remain on the element of surprise. I received confirmation from Igloofest on my birthday. For me, this is and remains a great first. I try to take it as naturally as possible. No Police was on the same lineup as me and it comforted me to be with a friend. It was a great honor to play before urtrax. She is so young and so talented. She is just amazing! It makes me really happy.
