Can you share the story of how your musical journey began and what led you to become known as Machu Linea?
In 2009 I moved from Pueblo, CO to Denver to pursue a career in music production by opening several recording studios with my brother Around the same time I started making music with different artists in Denver/Colorado and The Circus House project started. This was a project with many different artists that fused Pop, Electronic, and Dance.
After doing shows and releasing three full albums, I started to form the Machu Linea project in 2016.
I wanted the Machu Linea to be heavier, sexier, more House/Electronic, and I wanted the project to reflect more of my Latin culture.
What initially drew you to the music industry, and what were some of the biggest challenges you faced when starting out?
Growing up as a child, I was heavily interested in music, dance, and entertainment. Being in my mother’s Mexican Folkloric dance group, I developed a deeper love for music, performance, and cultural representation. It wasn’t until I started making beats when I was 18 that I started to pursue a career in the music industry.
Could you walk us through your creative process when you’re composing a new song? How do ideas typically come to you, and how do you develop them?
Ideas come to me by hearing certain words, different sonic moods I wanna capture….hearing other people’s music..and visual art really helps to kickstart a sonic idea.
A song typically starts by me creating a simple skeleton of drums….for this album I wanted a bass-heavy feel, so bass was the next thing added. Usually I’ll add some keys, synths, some vocal samples, and create a few sections.
When it gets to the part where I’m playing the loop on repeat, I’ll think of who would sound cool over the track….sometimes it’s someone I worked with in the past or I’lll reach out to someone whose music I follow. Most times I make a track with someone in mind, if not, I’ll send a variety of beats. I’ll explain my vision of the song, influences, maybe some lyrics, key words, and imagery.
Either they record on their own and send their stuff back, or we meet and record together.
Usually there’s some back and forth with different versions, then eventually it evolves into its final form.
How do you keep yourself motivated and inspired to create new music, especially during challenging times?
I think it’s really healthy to take breaks….allowing time for rest and rejuvenation. It is really easy to get caught up in always having to feel like you need to be putting out music/content, but there is so much value in allowing yourself time to get reinspired and living your life outside of making music.
What inspired you to create the original version of “Blue Light,” and how did the idea for the remix come about?
Last year I reached out to Michelle Rocqet, who is an amazing vocalist and musician, and sent some beats in hopes of a collaboration. Thankfully they were into it and connected with the beat that became Blue Light. For the album I wanted a combination of House, Latin, Electronic, and Pop sounds. Blue Light is a spacey-Deep Housey- mellow jam that sets the stage for the rest of the album.
In what ways does the “Blue Light (BIFW Remix)” differ from the original track, both musically and conceptually?
The original version has more of a subdued, chilled-out feel…it was always meant to be the album opener so I wanted something that eases you into it. There was a certain roughness in some of the lyrics/delivery that made me wonder what a more aggressive and harder version would sound like.
What was your initial vision for the “Blue Light (BIFW Remix),” and did that vision evolve during the production process?
My initial vision for the remix was something more minimal, something with a little more bite. It honestly took me a minute to get it right….there were different incarnations of the remix that never quite matched my vision. It wasn’t until I added the lead synth that the final version started to form.
How would you describe the evolution of your musical style over the years, and what new directions do you see it taking in the future?
Over the course of the Machu Linea albums, I have been heavily influenced by House, Dance, and Electronic music. With the Invasion album, there is definitely more Latin influence which I would love to explore more in the future.
Are there any new musical genres or styles you’re interested in exploring in your future work?
I would love to explore Cumbia sounds, more Hip-Hop, Techno, and film scores.
What are some of your long-term goals as an artist, and what steps are you taking to achieve them?
Some of my long term goals would be to play major festivals, work on film scores, work with more international artists, learn new instruments, and to continue to evolve as an artist.
Since the release of the Invasion album, I have been mapping out the next stage of music, learning guitar, and reaching out to new artists to work with.
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