Mar Y Cel: Thrill me Intrerview

Q: Hi Mar, Hi Cel. Where are you right now and how are you spending your day?

Mar: I am based in Barcelona, Spain and my days are music oriented with my various music activities & projects.

Cel: I’m in Ibiza, where I live. Most days start with a coffee on the terrace, then I’m either in the studio or out walking by the sea. I try to keep a balance between creating and just soaking up the island’s energy - it really feeds into the music.

Q: Can you tell us a little about how you chose your alter egos and why you choose to remain anonymous?

Mar: We met through friends in Ibiza and the place we met was a beach side bar called Mar Y Cel so it seemed appropriate to call our new project the same name. We want the music to do the talking like back in the old school days, there is so much content and in the face content that we want our community/fans to connect via the music first rather than if we are ‘viral’.

Cel: “Cel” means sky in Catalan - it felt right for the kind of dreamy, open sound I gravitate toward. We both liked the idea of stepping into something new with this project, and keeping things anonymous lets the music take the lead. There’s already so much noise out there - we’d rather people connect with the sound first.

Q: Your fantastic debut release Thrill Me is a reworking of a house music great. It takes guts to touch a track like this, but you’ve smashed it. What inspired you to rework this classic number?

Mar: We want to stay true to the original, yes the amazing Junior Jack bassline has gone but we still feel it has the authenticity of the original just brought a bit more up to date. The killer riff is still front and centre. We think it’s a cool update and tasteful new version.

Cel: That track has always been a big one for me - it brings back so many memories from nights out. We didn’t want to just remix it, we wanted to give it a new life while still keeping the spirit of the original. It was about finding that balance between nostalgia and something fresh.

Q: Irish trailblazers L.A. Dysto have released a power remix of Thrill Me. Can you tell us a little more about how you chose them for the remix and how it differs from the Mar Y Cel mix?

Mar: This one actually came from Cel, he knows them personally. They did an amazing job of taking it to another dancefloor with their cool chugging house workout.

Cel: I’ve known the L.A. Dysto guys for a while - they’ve got a really unique sound and a great instinct for the dancefloor. I sent them the track and they came back with something that just hit differently. It’s darker, more driving - perfect for those late-night sets. It complements our version really well.

Q: With such a strong start to the Mar Y Cel project, can you give us a sneak preview into what we can expect next?

Mar: If we did that, we would have to kill you. Ha! Follow us on @marycelmusica on IG to find out more.

Cel: We’ve got a few things in the pipeline - some new originals, a couple of collabs we’re really excited about. We’re just getting started, and we’re taking our time to make sure everything feels right. Best way to stay in the loop is to follow us on Instagram at @marycelmusica - we’ll be sharing more soon.

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