De La Swing In Residence (elrow)

elrow has become one of the most popular party concepts on the planet. With it's colourful and chaotic production, attention to detail and interchangeable themes, nothing else in clubland comes close.

Revellers attend elrow events because of the unparrelled raving ridiculousness it creates, rather than the names of the line up. Events have sold out without big names, all because of the consistently crazy experience it offers, and this means the resident is even more important than usual. 

De La Swing is elrow's most prominent resident, playing at the vast majority of the club night's events across the globe, including showcases in Miami, Amsterdam and of course, its spiritual home in Barcelona. 

As one of the most important aspects of one of the most in-demand parties in the dance music right now, we thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to ask De La Swing more about his responsibility as a resident and how he became involved with elrow.

Why do you think that the role of the resident DJ is so crucial to a successful club night?

Resident DJs like us, we’ve grown up parallel to the party, we know the concept, we identify with the project and its values. The promoter chooses our profiles because they believe themselves that we play a very important role in the development of the club night.

In our case, the elrow residents, we are a group of friends that love morning sessions, dancing under the sunshine and conveying happiness. But the most important thing is to entertain each and every one of the people in attendance of our twelve hours of total fun!

What do you think your duty is as a resident?

To be honest, I don’t see it as a duty. I just consider myself another party-goer, so I always try to contribute to the party with a little of my craziness. Something I’ve learnt over the years with elrow is that each artist needs to have their own musical style, but without breaking the party’s rules.

We can never forget that people come here to have fun, to forget about their daily lives - they have come to see a show. In my case, to be part of a party like elrow is just amazing, I feel so integrated that my imagination feels infinite, so I always try to surprise our people and get them thinking, “Let’s see what surprise is in the next song."

It is important to remember that most of the time, the resident is the warm-up to a headliner, so it is wrong to go for a music style that you know the headline act is going to play. A good resident knows the party and has to ‘teach’ the DJ that comes after them what people like. If the headline wants to adapt to you, I can say that they have taken the right choice, but of course they should always keep the respect for their own musical identity.

Tell us about the very first time you played at an elrow party...

I remember it like it was yesterday... It was at 6am at elrow in Viladecans (Barcelona) where everything started. My whole body was shaking, but after 15-20 minutes I started to feel very comfortable, I enjoyed my time like a little kid in a toy store.

Then, the sun started rising and you could see it little by little from an opening in the roof. It was just a good vibe that was flooding the club, it felt so nice and I thought, “This is the beginning of a long journey, we are going to have the time of our lives from now on." And here we are.

How do you think that your sets represent the club night and its music policy?

When I started as a resident for elrow, I was a bit lost. I wanted to keep a darker line in my music, more minimalistic, and I soon realised that it was not going to work.

Luckily, I’m obsessed with the dancefloor, I can’t stop staring at it. And so, if you see a lot people talking, then it’s a bad sign. The crowd has to be smiling and interacting with the DJ, and the DJ has to return the warmth and love, making the people feel as if they are the stars of the night.

elrow’s musical ethos is very simple: underground music, with vocals, melodies, it can be more house or techno, but it has to be ‘happy’ and groovy music. The crowd doesn’t need to know that you are mad at the world, or that you had a bad day, that’s not what they’re there for. In elrow, from the time you enter the club, you need to know that things will always get better the day after.

For a long time the resident DJ was overshadowed by the headline act but the scene has come to appreciate and acknowledge them again with many club nights adopting well known residents for series. Why do you think it's changed?

I agree with you, you are totally right. The resident DJ is retaking its key role in the party. For me, I don’t just like to be in the stage, mixing for the crowd and telling a story with my musical selection, I also like to go to parties that I’m interested in, that I know are real and legit.

When the residents are a group of artists with the same philosophy, you see everything is harmonic. The craziness grows exponentially and that directly reflects onto the dancing crowd, and clubs are starting to realise this once again. I think DJs are remembering to forget their status and just join the crowd and become part of that great family.

What track in your collection always sets the tone for the night at elrow?

‘Garden Route’ is a track that came straight out of my soul. It has a life of its own and I always feel it from beginning to end.

How do your sets differ from when you're playing as a resident to when you’re playing headline gigs?

It would be a mistake for an artist not to adapt to the venue or country he or she is playing. I always try to keep my line, but at the same time I try adapting it to the crowd.

For instance, in Italy, in general, the crowd are more into techno and it works for me to raise the BPM from 125 to 128, you gain character without losing your personality. Or if I’m in the UK, normally, a more house-y line works better.

What has been your favourite moment playing as a resident DJ for elrow?

I enjoy each and every session like it is my last, I can’t make my mind up about just one moment in particular. I just want to keep learning along with this great family and to give a little of my craziness to each one of the elrow parties. I feel very lucky living this experience.