Beatport Hype Release of the Month: V/A - "Moraga" (Aterral Records)

Hailing from the hills of Andalucia in Spain, Berlin-based DJ/producer Carlo continues to ramp up his conquest of perfectly refined house grooves with his buoyant and refreshing Aterral Records imprint.

The newly minted music label has been turning heads around the scene for the better part of a year now, pushing out delightful, deep, and funky releases such as Black Loops’ Homesick EP, Lis Sarroca’s Chamomile EP, Retromigration’s Early Pale EP, and two extraordinary EPs from the label head himself — Estasi and Mediterraneo.

For Beatport’s Hype Release of the Month, we shed some light on the next great release to come out of the Aterral Records camp, Moraga — a five-track V/A debut featuring Carlo, Black Loops, Dan Be & Techniscje Loef, Bass Toast, and Niccolò Turini. Tune in below!

We caught up with Carlo to learn more about his increasingly exceptional imprint, the tracks and up-and-coming talent that features on Moraga, and his plans for the label moving forward.

Hype is your destination for new music from up-and-coming labels and artists on Beatport. Learn more here.

Hey Carlo! Thanks for joining us. To start off, can you tell us about Aterral Records, your vision for the label, and why you decided to start the imprint in 2020?

My pleasure, thanks for having me. It’s been a while since I wanted to create a platform to display my very own taste of house music and release music that I like and I can not find so easily. The pandemic was the straw that breaks the camel’s back, and I decided to start with the project as I had more free time to work on it. Maybe 2020 wasn’t the best year to start a club music label, but I’m very satisfied with how everything went so far. On the label, I’m open to any quality material, but I would love to keep things warm and lightly. Also, I want to reach a balance between artists that are already a bit established and give some opportunities to new talents.

What’s the story behind the five-track EP’s title, Moraga? After five fantastic solo EPs from Aterral Records, what made now the right time for a V/A compilation?

To be honest, this was a bit of a last-minute decision. I’ve been receiving a lot of demos since I started the label, and I thought that a V/A was the perfect occasion to showcase the music from some upcoming artists together with Black Loops and me. In Spanish, ‘Moraga’ means a little get-together with friends on the beach, with plenty of drinks and food overnight. This was the message I tried to convey on this release

Tell us about your relationship with Black Loops, his previous EP on the label, and the track he provided for Moraga, “Cheesy AF.”

I have known Riccardo since he moved to Berlin almost a decade ago. We have always been pretty close to each other since then. We share our studio together, and we both are residents of IPSE’s Koffäin as on my night at Watergate. His previous EP on the label, Homesick, had a pretty good response, and I loved the fact that vibes were slightly deeper than what he is usually releasing lately. When I asked him for a track to this compilation, “Cheesy AF” was a no-brainer because I already had it under my radar from his previous demos.

How did you approach the production for your contribution to the V/A, “This Song Will Age Terribly.” And also, why so cynical?! We love it!

Lately, I’ve been very focused on getting a more timeless sound on my productions, learning how to texturize and give a special color to my music. Trying to add a lot of old-school flavor is something I would like to reach, and of course, I want to avoid any trends. I used some samples from ‘Inspector Gadget’ and vocals from a very well-known “spicy” UK band for this track.

The name of “This Song Will Age Terribly” was born as I was never fully satisfied with the last version of the track, and every time I opened the project, I had something to change. That’s the main reason why I named it like this, because I know one week later I would find something that I would have changed. It’s just a little reminder to ourselves that we don’t need to be perfect, just to finish things as close to perfection as we possibly can.

The rest of the record features tracks from new, up-and-coming talents. Can you tell us a bit about each of the other artists on Moraga and how you came across their music?

Dan Be and Techniscje Loef are both from Andalucia as I am. I feel really proud to have them on board as there is not much going on in the south of Spain with house Music. It feels excellent to promote such talents from there. They reached out to me with some demos a while ago, and when I heard “Missing Piece” for the first time, I knew I had to release it. I think they both have a bright future, and I hope we can continue working together.

Niccolo Turini is a young fella from Italy that has his life revolving around house music 24/7. He has been sending demos since I started the label, and “Frangia” was a very special song he wrote for his girlfriend. This track touched my heart as it’s very rare to find an artist with such a driven passion as he has. I’m excited for what he has to say in house music in the future.

Last but not least is Bass Toast, originally from Belgium. This guy has been doing very sweet stuff for a while. I think I’ve played every track he has released. I don’t know how I got a promo from him a couple of years back, and since then, I have always been in touch. Bass Toast is a super impressive producer that is just at the beginning of an extraordinary path.

What are your plans for the rest of 2021, and what are your hopes for the label moving forward?

Right now, I just wanna keep improving my sound and see if we can finally get back on the DJ booth sometime in the next few months. I have a couple of records scheduled on Shall Not Fade, Lovedancing, and a new single coming at the end of July on Aterral with my brother Baloo. As for the label, I would love to keep the quality of releases and start making label nights as soon as clubs are open.

Cameron Holbrook is Beatportal’s Assistant Editor. Find him on Twitter.