PLAYY. Mix Series #161 – Tony Romera

A decade ago, Tony Romera burst onto the music scene with youthful exuberance at the tender age of 20, armed with an ambitious vision to revolutionise electronic music with his distinctive flair and a nod to the soulful beats of French house. Over the years, Romera’s artistic journey has been a dynamic exploration of various sounds and styles. His musical portfolio spans across renowned labels, solidifying his presence in the industry. Esteemed figures like Diplo, Fisher, Chris Lake, Mark Knight, DJ Snake, Skrillex, Tïesto, Porter Robinson, Fatboy Slim, Deadmau5, Kaskade, Vintage Culture, Claptone, and Adam Beyer, among others, have rallied behind his craft. Romera’s affiliation with label Toolroom has solidified his place within their ranks, and his latest offering, House Y’all, marks his triumphant return to the Toolroom family. We spoke with Romera about the single, and he provides us with an exclusive mix. Read and listen below. 

Set the tone for us. Where did your journey with music begin?

I started listening to electronic music when I was a kid, probably around 7yo, a friend of mine showed me a Daft Punk Album his big brother just got at this time. Then I started producing Electronic Music when I was 17, and since then, I’ve been locked in the studio or touring most of the time. haha 

How would you describe the current direction of your sound, and who would you say have been the biggest influences on this direction?

I’m really going into Underground Tech House, I love minimal drums and synths, with some big sub rumbles. The biggest influences for me in this direction are probably all the Solid Grooves crew, also, I really love Sosa, Cloonee, Low Steppa, the UK vibe and sound has influenced me a lot these past years.

How did ‘House Y’all’ come about? Could you tell us a bit about the process behind this music?

I was listening to some old albums, and I wanted to make something with an old school hip hop / breakbeat vocal. Then I made some cool tech house groovy drums, added a filtered 303 bass and here we are! 

How does this mix speak toward your current creative direction?

As you can hear in this mix, I love minimal tech house vibes, with noisy textures and powerful drums. When I play live, I love to play long sets to bring the crowd into a journey, from house, to tech house, and sometimes darker tech house, or oldschool groovy techno and to finish with some melodic vibes. 

What’s next? Any exciting projects that you’re working on?

There’s so many things happening right now. I was touring a lot this summer, playing incredible venues and festivals, it was such a great time. I’m also working everyday in the studio, I have a ton of music to release. Some sick collabs with friends like Low Steppa, Havoc & Lawn, Matt Sassari, Keeld and more. I can’t wait to release everything, and I hope you’ll love these !”