LA-based DJ Santiago Salazar was born and raised in a small barrio in East LA called La Puente, sandwiched right between West Covina and Avocado Heights. His music has roots in Detroit techno, but he acknowledges that he “electrifies” his Mexican roots to complete his sound, which includes elements of salsa and Latino rhythms.
We spoke with him about growing up in LA, his day job as an elementary school custodian, and, of course, his favorite Mexican restaurant. Salazar performs at dance clubs and EDM parties throughout Los Angeles and beyond.
I heard that you started DJing by toying around with mixtapes your brother brought home from the LA gay underground scene in the 80s. Is that how you got started?
That’s how I took notice of this kind of music. I think one of the songs was “Inner City by Big Fun.” I remember I just played it over and over and over, until I went and bought the actual record.
How would you describe your sound?
I guess from what the majority people say is that it’s Detroit Techno. That’s a weird kind of thing though because I was born in Los Angeles and raised here. I would say house music, sometimes techno.
What makes something Detroit techno?
I would say what makes Detroit techno is that it’s very emotional. You can hear a person’s moods. A good example is off a label in Detroit called Red Planet and a producer named Mike Banks. He did a song called “Voice of Grandmother,” and if you listen to it, there’s so many strings, and the baseline is moving and it’s not minimal, it’s so soulful. I guess when people hear my stuff they hear the same thing. People think I’m from Detroit when I’m not.
Talk about growing up in La Puente.
It’s a little town in East Los Angeles between Baldwin Park and El Monte. We’re in the middle right there. It’s my favorite part of LA, the neighborhood I grew up in. It’s also known as Bassett for some reason, I have no idea why.
That’s the neighborhood I grew up in, y’know? that’s where I went to my first backyard parties. It’s like a little Barrio out there.
I know a lot of your tracks have a real salsa feel to them. Did growing up in LA influence that sound?
Yeah, I would say the percussion part of my music is based around the percussion sounds of salsa music and Merengue. Growing up in Los Angeles, I just wanted to make the music I listened to, mostly coming from New York and Chicago. But when I moved to Detroit and I met the label head there, Mike Banks, he told us to “electrify our roots.” I took his advice and learned to use the music I grew up with, the music of my people, and to electrify it.
I like that, “electrify your roots…”
Yeah, and he gave the same advice to, for example, I have a friend named DJ 3000 from Detroit, who’s parents are from Albania. It’s cool to hear the Albanian culture in dance music. It gives it its own unique flavor that makes it really stand out.
So where does a guy who grew up on Mexican food go out for Mexican in LA?
I get it right here where I’m living now in San Gabriel, a little place right around the corner from me called Luna’s. It’s one of the best places. When people come from out of town to play parties I always take them there.
What’s the best gig you’ve played in LA?
Oh, now you’re gonna put me on the spot like that! Good question, though. I’d have to say it’s not really a club or an event. It was playing for a local radio show here done by Kristi Lomax called One Track Mind. It was right after the passing of a Detroit dance artist named Aaron Carl, and I got to play all of his music. I got a great response from new fans that I never had. It was great to hear that people were actually crying while I was mixing it. It was blasting all over the FM, on 90.7, so people in their cars and houses were listening to it. It just felt great to read these messages afterwards because he had just passed and he was a friend of mine. It just felt really good.
Where are we most likely to find you during daylight hours?
You’ll find me at my day job. I don’t know if I should say, but it’s as a custodian at a local elementary school.
You already mentioned a few, but what other local DJs are you listening to now? Anyone that stands out?
There’s a few. There’s a DJ named Stan Min, he’s from Los Angeles. He’s one of my favorite DJs to listen to because every time I go out and hear him, I’m always inspired to go home and start mixing. Also, another DJ I would have to say is Jerry Flores, he’s a house DJ from LA. He’s just a very skilled house DJ.
Where can we find you next?
This Friday I’ll be in Mexico City playing for Low Profile.
