Née: One man rager Daniel Gutiérrez
Raíces: Monterrey, Nuevo León
Sounds like: A blast from the techno past with a contemporary touch.
You should listen to Daniel Maloso because…he’s one of the leading lights on the international electronic front.
Daniel Maloso apparently doesn’t know how to sit still. The Monterrey programmer has been at it for the last bunch of years and is always on the move, conquering new crowds and sounds.
He has spent a good chunk of time living and performing in Europe, soaking up influences from the continent’s tradition of dance music and turning into his own style, which incorporates classic house, techno, and mutant disco in such an organic way that it could make LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy lose his edge yet again. He incorporates the martial precision and analog dark shades of eighties industrial without the harshness, as well as the warm sounds of synthpop without its song format. Take “Ritmo Especial,” a certified hit in certain dancefloors, which immediately recalls The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me” in its use of rapid staccato bass module riffs but makes it strong enough for a cyborg to get down to it.
His tracks as well as his live presence (he often sings and plays drums, and sometimes he even trashes his own gear) has attracted attention from specialists and casual partygoers alike. He’s part of the Cómeme crew led by Matias Aguayo, and Bleep/Warp declared “Ritmo Especial” as one of the best tracks of 2010. He has been very active in the Mexican circuit as of late, playing on the first Boiler Room from that country, as well as on festivals like Vive Latino and Ceremonia, the later which will happen this Saturday.
Check out many of Maloso’s tracks and EPs on his Soundcloud page.