Coffee break with Kevin Di Serna
From rock influences such as Depeche Mode, The Cure or Radiohead, to contemporary club music: Kevin Di Serna’s work aims to inspire and soften the mind. Being a melodic music aficionado, you probably know him from his releases on Exit Strategy, All Day I Dream, Watergate or Innervisions.
This week we are hosting one of his latest mixes on our channel, recorded in his country: Argentina. On this occasion we were curious to ask him a few questions about his music journey, his vision of the scene and future projects.
Hi Kevin, how are you? Tell us a bit about your summer and the exciting gigs you played recently.
Hola! Thanks for having me. I recently played at the Bow with Trikk in Buenos Aires, and with Kadosh and Alican in Turkey, and at this moment I’m going to la India from for some gigs, it’s my first time there. I’m exited about it, I’m curious about this culture because it seems really different and I’m sure I will learn good things there. I’m also looking forward to the next shows in Barcelona and Munich.
You were born and raised, and still live in Argentina. How would you describe the Argentinian electronic scene, and how different is it from the European scene?
Did you ever think about moving to Europe for your career (like Santiago Garcia did for example)?
The scene in Argentina is growing and improving, the crowd is great, passionate, we dance a lot.
The European scene has more history, the events work really well, people have a music culture. Also the economy is more stable, which can be safer for promoters.
Moving to Europe? It could be great for my job, because I could go from one country to another in just a few hours, it could be a possibility. But for now I will continue to travel from Argentina to play my European gigs.
Today we are hosting your warm-up set for Hernan Cattaneo on our channel. Can you tell us more about this event and your experience there?
This experience was great, Hernan is a big icon and his events in Argentina are special, it was something to play with him in front 6.000 music lovers . . .
The event was at the stadium ‘Arena Maipu’ and the promoter did a very good job there.
People traveled from all parts of Argentina for this show and everyone was superexcited. As I told you before, the crowd here is great, the vibe that night was really special.
Last May, you released ‘The Path’ EP on Exit Strategy. We really liked the emotional atmosphere of this release. Did something in particular inspire you to create it, did you follow a general idea? Also please tell us about the creating process for this release.
Thank you, I’m glad you like it. Well I was in the studio with the intention to do something different, with an original style and timeless sound.
For “Small Fragment From The Path” I used real drums in the breakdown, like a tribute to my father who is a drummer, rhythm is part of who he is.
“Ave Del Paraíso” is a fusion between all my influences, it represents me in so many ways. The idea behind this EP was the introspection, with an aim to stimulate emotions, empathy and sensibility.
Magic is inside us, we only need to learn how to channel our wisdom and expand the consciousness.
What does a regular day at the studio looks like for you? What gear do you use to produce, and how many projects are you working on at the same time?
I have 2 friends in Buenos Aires, Max & Santiago Franch, who have a studio and office called ‘Music Hub’. I usually work there. They have the Moog Sub 37, the Prophet Sequential 6, UAD and good acoustics.
When I work from home, I use digital tools like Omnisphere 2, Diva, Arturia Mini V3, Soundtoys, and more.
This summer you were invited by Dixon to play at his Ibiza residency, Transmoderna. Tell us about your experience there.
Transmoderna offers an evolution of music and of the club experience, I love the concept and it was great to be a part of it.
I opened the night, started slowly with soundscapes to warm up the audience for what came next. Then Marcus continued with a solid set, followed by Dixon who played great danceable rhythms. Frank then played his wonderful live set, and finally Steffen was back on the decks to close the night with a more melodic and deep set. It was an interesting set time distribution, and it worked really well.
Is there a club or a festival where you would love to play and haven’t had the chance yet?
Robert Johnson, Warung, Panorama Bar, Watergate, Burning Man, M.O.S, VOID Mykonos, DGTL Barcelona.
If you had to choose a career outside of music, what would you do?
I would be a therapist, or a psychologist, or I would be working in healing therapies.
You seem like a spiritual person. What effect would you say music, and more precisely this kind of music, has on the mind?
When the music is harmonic and has a good intention, the receptive atoms of our body respond by creating harmonious, beautiful forms and feelings.
I recommend Masaru Emoto’s documentary film, in which he demonstrates with experiments how water and energy behave, depending on the type of vibration they receive. It is really interesting and could be applied to music.
What hobbies do you have outside of music?
I really like to enjoy time with my family, and I also practice meditation.
If you were to be reincarnated in an animal, which one would it be?
A dolphin.
How do you like your coffee?
Black. Black coffee.
Are you working on exciting projects for the future?
Yes! Something good for the community, with music on it but not only.
What would be your advice for new DJs or producers who just started?
My advice would be to find within themselves the real purpose of this art, ask themselves what is their intention and what message they want to give through music.