Ricardo Villalobos

Born in Santiago, Chile, but raised and based in Germany, DJ and producer Ricardo Villalobos’s sound is a perfect mix of inspirations from his heritage and from the dance music-heavy culture of his adoptive home. Indeed, his name is synonymous with minimal techno and microhouse—both of which have come to be regarded as his signature—that weave in influences as disparate and wide-ranging as Villalobos’s early childhood heroes Depeche Mode, in addition to Daniel Miller, Baby Ford, Thomas Melchior, and, of course, the conga and bongo drum music the artist has been playing since he was a young boy.

Villalobos released his very first tracks in 1993, under a slew of monikers including Minta Spacew, Bispeed Black and Chirurgie Boutique—the latter being a collaboration with fellow musician Tobias Menguser. Since his first release under his given name in 1995, Villalobos has been behind a discography that is nothing short of prolific, spanning full-length albums—most notably 2003’s ‘Alcachofa’ and 2004’s ‘Thé Au Harem d’Archimède’—in addition to an almost innumerable amount of singles and EPs. The DJ and producer is known for his extended tracks (some of which run for up to fifteen minutes) and for his collaborations with the likes of Max Loderbauer, Seth Troxler, Jay Haze, Social Being, and many more.

In addition to building a multigenerational fan base through his many acclaimed releases, Villalobos has been behind the decks at a variety of legendary venues in dance music, including London’s fabric, Ibiza’s Amnesia, and Miami’s Club Space. Villalobos has also graced the lineups at festivals such as Chicago’s ARC Music Festival—alongside Carl Cox, Ben Böhmer, Adam Beyer, and more—in addition to Croatia’s Sonus Festival, Awakenings Music Festival, and Time Warp USA. Villalobos is also frequently selected for Resident Advisor’s coveted Top 100 DJs list and has been the subject of features in Wire magazine, Mixmag, and more top publications.