02/10/2024
30 YEARS AGO [EP.03]
In this third episode of Alonso’s thirty-year celebration, we continue to explore the collaborative spirit that has been central to his journey. From the beginning, Alonso set himself apart by rejecting the monopolistic mindset often found in the DJ world, where many artists guarded their music. Instead, he believed in openness and sharing, helping to cultivate a creative environment where ideas and tracks were exchanged freely. This approach was the foundation for the thriving community Alonso helped build, both locally and internationally.
Back in the early nineties, before the existence of internet, social media, or digital cameras, the only way to access exclusive music was by physically traveling to different cities and countries. Alonso, who was already accustomed to global travel from his skateboarding career, took that same adventurous approach to collecting records. He visited France, England, Germany, Belgium, and even the United States, which was the farthest he traveled to acquire vinyl. These trips were essential in helping him develop his own sound—one that was distinctive and deeply personal, crafted from the rare records he sourced abroad. Alonso didn’t just visit these places to buy music; he also performed in cities like London, Paris, Toulouse, Brussels, Zurich or Boston, becoming one of the pioneering national DJs to perform outside of Spain. He helped energize legendary clubs such as Omen in Frankfurt, run by the infamous Sven Väth, and Oxa in Zurich during the mid-nineties, further cementing his reputation in the international techno scene.
A major turning point came when Alonso, with the help of Paco Garcia, convinced Onofre, the owner of Studio Disc in Gijón, to import vinyl directly from European distributors. This allowed local DJs, including Alonso, to bypass Madrid-based intermediaries and obtain rare music firsthand. The process, however, was far from easy. Alonso would often have to listen to music references over a landline phone that couldn’t handle low frequencies. This was especially challenging since techno music relies heavily on the low-end spectrum, and the first thing that gets cut out over traditional phone lines are the bass and sub-bass elements. Despite these limitations, Alonso carefully selected records, often receiving lists of available tracks via fax, not email, making the entire process a meticulous labor of love. Around this time, Groove Magazine began to emerge as a crucial source of information, with DJ charts that provided insight into what the top artists were playing, further guiding Alonso’s music choices.
This collaboration with Onofre and Studio Disc eventually gave birth to Exotec, which became a powerful force in Spain’s electronic music scene, closely tied to Alonso’s residency at La Fabrika. Through Exotec, Alonso received exclusive promotional records from across the globe, many of which became the backbone of his legendary sets.
Alonso’s career took off internationally when he became a promotional artist for Harthouse and Eye Q Records, two of the most influential labels in techno. This recognition, along with his performances in Europe’s major cities, solidified his place in the underground scene. Unlike many DJs who hid their tracks to maintain exclusivity, Alonso embraced a different philosophy—always eager to share his discoveries with both fellow DJs and his audience, fostering a deeper connection within the scene.
Each episode in this series unveils a new chapter of Alonso’s musical journey, and this third episode dives into the era where he helped create a hub of creativity for DJs and producers through his work at La Fabrika and the growth of Exotec. This episode will feature the final extract from the set recorded at Pablo Kuntz’s studio, offering a look into how those experiences shaped his evolution as an artist. In future episodes, we will be introducing new types of media to explore Alonso’s journey in fresh ways.
As the celebration continues, we are slowly organizing the details for the final event that will mark the culmination of Alonso’s anniversary. This highly anticipated session, which will bring together the essence of his career, is still being planned, with the date and venue to be confirmed soon.
In this third episode of Alonso’s thirty-year celebration, we continue to explore the collaborative spirit that has been central to his journey. From the beg...
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