14 FAKTS INTERVIEW WITHFREEDOMB

Q: Please introduce yourself

Hello everybody. First of all, I wanted to thank you for the invitation. My name is Alberto Arranz, artistically FreedomB. I'm from Madrid but the last 12 years I've been living in Berlin where I've basically developed my career as a DJ & music producer. I started playing in 2008 in a small collective in my hometown but it wasn't until 2014 where my career really took off and since then I dedicate myself to travel everywhere and above all to do what I like the most. Playing music, HOUSE MUSIC and its derivatives.

I have always defined my music as fun and above all danceable. Those two adjectives would be the perfect ones to define a DJ set of mine. I have returned to Madrid to live and I am very happy with the decision taken. The balance of Berlin is very positive and I am very grateful for all the goals achieved and the people I have had the opportunity to work with. 

Q: One person you'd dream to have a coffee with?

Without any doubt it would be Quincy Jones. He is an example to follow when it comes to music and I have total and absolute admiration for everything he has done, with all the artists he has collaborated with, including my favorite artist, Michael Jackson, and if you dig into his life, I recommend the Netflix report on his career, you realize the passion, effort and motivation since he began his life and how music gave him a choice and opportunity in life. It is incredible his learning process and his evolution as a professional in the industry. 

Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

When I was a child, in Spain there was a Japanese cartoon series called “Doraemon, the Cosmic Cat”. Does it ring a bell? I'm sure it does. It was very famous all over the world. Basically, Doraemon had a magic pocket from which he took inventions from the future that helped solve the problems that the characters of the series had, especially Nobita, the main character with whom he lived. Well, one of his inventions was the “magic door” that teleported them wherever he wanted. It would be incredible to be able to be where you want and when you want just by turning the doorknob. It would save me so much time. 

Q: If you would have been given the chance to do a film score, what movie would you choose and why?

This is a tough one since I'm from the 80's and I have enjoyed in my childhood very good movies that fascinated me since they told us about what was going to happen in later decades. And as I have always loved people with privileged minds, Robert Zemeckis is one of those geniuses, and the second part of “Back to the Future” is a movie that blows my mind. It seems to me that the story, the actors, the sequences, the script, the soundtrack.... I think there are few films that have liked so much world wide and that brings together the perfect elements to create a full-fledged masterpiece. Little more to add :) 

Q: Who has been the most influential in your music career? And why?

I have always liked to be influenced not only by the artistic quality of the person but also by his quality as a human being. I don't care if he is the best DJ or the best producer in the world if, when it comes down to it, he is an idiot as a person. I have been lucky that the person who has influenced me the most ended up being my neighbor for many years in Berlin and became over time one of my best friends. He is Norman Weber, 50% of the duo Luna City Express. I don't know anyone, but absolutely no one, who has a bad word to say about Norman. As a DJ he is one of the best I have ever seen in action, and believe me when I tell you that I have seen many people since my passion for electronic music began. His technique, his musical selection, his musical knowledge and above all how he moves/handles the dance floor. It's something I've always had as an example. But what has united me the most to him, is his quality as a human being. His kindness, his ethics, his morality and how he treats people. I am very happy that he has crossed my life. And also, very happy to have had a remix of LCE in one of my releases “Bambaataa” and to have made a collaborative EP with Norman for Kenny Dope's label, Dopewax. 

Q: Tell us about your journey, what got you to where you are today?

I have always said that to work in this industry, which except at the highest levels, I consider quite unprofessional, you either have to: be crazy about music and have it as your true passion or you have to know that it is going to be a difficult journey where patience, perseverance and dedication are key to reach the final goal. There is no other way.

My story as I mentioned before, begins in Madrid in 2008 where I started to collaborate with a small collective which began to give my first dates. At the same time, while I was at university, I studied business & marketing, I worked in two music agencies, in the morning in underground electronic music and in the afternoon in commercial music. At the same time, since I couldn't study journalism at the end and I always liked to be able to communicate, I was collaborating with several online electronic music media: DJ Mag Spain, Beatburguer, Klubbers, etc...

In 2012 is when I decided to emigrate to Berlin where I started to do events, “Wakeful”, and to produce music in a more continuous way.

In 2014 is when I can finally live from being a DJ and twelve years later, after numerous adventures, in many parts of the world, I have returned to Madrid to continue my project but this time at home, close to my people, my family. I am very happy about it.  

Q: Everyone goes through ups and downs, what’s one habit you adopt to push through the downs?

Music, talking to myself a lot and above all personal work to take care of myself physically but above all mentally. In a society in which we are in continuous comparison with others, much to blame for this are the social networks, it is important to get away from the noise to see things clearly. Another thing to which I am very subject especially in bad times is the love of my loved ones. Luckily, I have wonderful parents who are still alive today and support me constantly both in good times, but especially and more consistently in bad times. I am privileged in that respect. 

Q: Can you recall a DJ set or performance of yours that remains unforgettable to you? Where did it take place, and what makes it stand out among all others?

Moodymann at Prince Charles, a club in Berlin. It was an event that started in the evening, I went with one of my best friends which made the evening more special and although I have to say that I didn't like the mix of records, a lot of fade in / fade out, the musical selection was amazing. The audience was quite select, I mean, the people who were there were house music lovers, there were no intruders looking to pretend more than enjoy the mix of all the elements of the event was wonderful.

Something I will never forget. 

Q: How has your music style evolved over the years?

I have to say that I have always been quite loyal to my sound. I may have listened to or even played some minimal-tech in the mid 2000's, but generally speaking I've always been loyal to the house sound and its variants. I grew up with a lot of disco & funk and therefore, once introduced to electronic music, the destination would be easy aka HOUSE MUSIC ALL NIGHT LONG, as a DJ.

It is true that as a music producer, tech-house has positioned me more, that is to say, my sound as a DJ does not represent my sound as a producer 100%, but it is something that from now on will change because I'm tired of the tech sound, it doesn't make me happy anymore. So now I've decided to stop making music, I've already released a lot over the last decade, and I want to focus on learning the techniques to be able to do what I really love.

Sometimes you need to stop, think and have the patience to reach the following goals. Quality and not quantity. That is vital for me. 

Q: If you were to venture into another music genre, which one would you choose and why?

Soul & Jazz / Blues. They seem generous to me, so rich musically speaking, with so many musicians from whom you can learn so much. A history, each genre, with so many roots and elements that have influenced so many people and so many genres. It's honey to my ears and whenever I have the opportunity, I listen to them. It's a pleasure to be able to attend a concert when I have the opportunity. I was recently playing in Thailand and I had the opportunity to go to a jazz bar in Bangkok and it was one of the highlights of the trip. Me, my beer, good company and those geniuses on stage filling that place with magic. 

Q: Could you name 3 tracks that got you into electronic music and why?

1. Teddy Pendergrass - You Can't Hide (Dimitri from Paris Remix).

2. Moloko - The Time Is Now (Francois K Main Vocal Mix).

3. The System - You're in My System (Kerri Chandler Atmospheric Vocal).

I don't have much to say about them. You just have to listen to them to appreciate their beauty and the good musical taste of their creators. For all of us who like house music, I would say that they are three indispensable tracks in the soundtrack of our lives. 

Q: Can you recommend a hidden gem in your home country that would be perfect for a rave?

More than a place, I would recommend an event that no longer exists but that has marked a before and after in the night of Madrid both to the Spanish people and to anyone who had the opportunity to attend. It was called Goa and although its origin was in a smaller club, where it became strong and recognized worldwide was in Fabrik Madrid. Not to be confused with Fabric London. Goa was more than an event. It was a musical and visual proposal in which everything was possible, everyone was welcome and above all tried, one Sunday a month, to bring the best of the national and international scene for us to enjoy but above all to learn. I have lost count of the number of times I have talked to DJ friends from Berlin who had the opportunity to play in Goa and the smile from ear to ear that they had every time they remembered the moments lived in that event. It was something magical and unrepeatable. 

Q: Could you tell us about your upcoming releases and plans for the year?

I just released an EP titled “Unique”, on Demuir's label, Purveyor Underground which has performed very well both in charts and in support from people in the industry. I am very happy to have been able to work with Demuir as he is someone I respect a lot as an artist but most of all as a person. His values and work ethic are TOP. I wish there were more professionals like him in the industry. We would all be better off.

Regarding the rest of the year, I have nothing else. As I said before, I've stopped making music and I don't think I'll release anything until I reach the sound I want. I'm in no hurry and the market is already saturated with music. I'm tired of being just one more and I'd rather release little and good than a lot and bad. It's a total and absolute priority right now for me as aproducer. 

Q: Can you share a fun fact about yourself that most of your listeners are probably unaware of?

In 2010, Coca Cola Spain launched a nationwide contest, with its brand Fanta, called “Robertus Fanta” where there were three categories: DJ, Community Manager & Surf. Three winners per category and the prize was a scholarship in San Francisco, for ten days with all expenses paid. I entered the DJ category where the first step was to make a video creating a track using the different Fanta bottles: glass, crystal, plastic, etc... I made it through the first round. The second round consisted of getting votes from the people to position your video as one of the most voted and the final pass was in the hands of a jury that decided the three winners. I got the first place, I was the best at national level, and I got the scholarship to travel to the USA where I was receiving the scholarship and had the opportunity to play in several places in the American city.

On the other hand, television came with us, a major television network, which was working all the trip to later broadcast it. They still show the programs from time to time and some friends of mine write to tell me that they have seen me on TV. Unfortunately, I cannot claim image rights since 2010, I'm sure I could have earned a few euros. Joking aside, it has been one of the best moments of my life. I will never, ever forget it.