From Sept 15th to October 15th the United States observes a time officially known as “Hispanic Heritage Month” also known as “Latin Heritage Month”. According to the official government website, the purpose of the month is to celebrate, “the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.” The website also states that, “The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.”
6AM recognizes that perhaps the official name of the month isn’t fully encompassing, but with so many impactful US based or US born artists coming from this wonderfully diverse heritage, 6AM wanted to give its proper shout-outs to many of the house and techno artists that have helped pushed the scene. With the plethora of artists that can be represented, we focused on the heavy hitters as well as local hometown heroes & 6AM friends for you to get to know for this occasion.
We tried our best to highlight the greats in the house and techno world. But if there are other US based or US born pioneering and impactful artists that you feel should get included for celebrating Latin Heritage Month, feel free to drop a line at info@6amgroup.com
By definition, Truncate means to “shorten the duration or extent of.” But when LA underground legend David Flores is on the decks, the crowd only wants the opposite, looking to be slayed by his sounds all night long. After being bitten by the electronic music bug back in the late 90’s, David started off DJ’ing locally at various warehouse and desert parties across Southern California. Once he got his skills on the decks locked down, he started to venture out into the world of music production and began making music under the moniker ‘Audio Injection‘, releasing tracks off of labels such as Monoid, Stimulus, 4 Track & LA label Droid Recordings. It wasn’t until 2011 when David took up the ‘Truncate’ project, going in deep on the more raw side of techno. The project quickly gained traction as he started to garner acclaim from techno super stars by the likes of Modeselektor, Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann, Chris Liebing, Speedy J, DVS1, Luke Slater, Ben Sims, Josh Wink, East Everything, Jooris Voorn, etc… Fast forward to 2022 and Truncate is a super star in his own regard, having played at some of the most prestigious venues in the techno realm such as Berghain in Berlin, Fabric in London, Concrete in Paris, The Movement Festival in Detroit, Womb in Tokyo, Dimensions Festival in Croatia, Awakenings in Amsterdam, Output in New York, and he continues to crush it at various underground events in SoCal still to this day.
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source: https://www.facebook.com/drumce11
Founder of Droid Recordings and co-founder of Droid Behavior, Moe Espinosa AKA Drumcell has been making noise for many years, and hopefully for many more to come. Moe was trained as a classical musician in his youth, which is where the seed for his love of sound was planted way back when. As he grew older, Moe would go on to play the guitar and sing for various bands in the industrial and punk rock scene. It wasn’t until he discovered the. 90’s rave scene in L.A. and got his hands on his first synthesizer for him to start his journey in the world of electronic music. After years of producing and experimenting with sounds, Moe has found his style that suits him as Drumcell: raw, suspenseful, and hypnotic. With much success with this sound, his style has caught the attention of techno heavy weights such as Luke Slater, Speed J, Chris Leibing, and more, which has also landed him gigs at famous techno venues like the infamous Berghain, the main stage of The Movement in Detroit, nightclubs like Output and Stereo to festivals across Europe, Latin America, Japan and Australia. The future is now with Drumcell and we can’t wait to see what else the future holds for this ambitious sound-scaper.
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source: https://www.facebook.com/SilentServantMusicOfficial
Apart of the foundation of the Jealous God label, Silent Servant has been not so silently tearing it up in the techno scene. Born in Central America, John Juan Mendez grew up in Los Angeles where he was exposed to industrial and post punk music, inspiration which can be heard in music of his own. Avant-garde and sometimes experimental, Silent Servants live sets are deep and forward thinking, beckoning you to look not only into the music, but into the depths of yourself at the same time. A key word of his being discipline, Silent Servant uses his discipline to curate a musical adventure of freedom and expression, and will continue to take us on these adventures for many more times to come.
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source: https://www.facebook.com/DeveloperModularz
Adrian Sandoval has been developing techno way back since the early 90’s, and still continues to do so to this day as Developer. He’s the owner of the label Modularz, and is a solid techno talent who has played alongside the likes of elite DJ’s all cross the globe. Developer gained much of is legend from his marathon sets and quick programming skills, as well as being able to play 50 tracks per hour on 3 turntables with an effect processor and sampler. Aside from being a crazy mixmaster, Adrian runs his label efficiently, constantly cycling in both established and emerging talent into the mix. He’s an act not only focused on the evolution of techno, but technology itself.
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source: https://www.facebook.com/sneakthedj
In 1983, Carlos Sosa AKA DJ Sneak, moved to Chicago from Puerto Rico, and thus became one of the OG House heads in the beginning stages of rave culture. With his musical experiences and influences rooted in salsa, meringue, and famous Latin orchestras, you can most certainly hear it in his tracks as he’s been making the dance floor bounce for decades, and still is to this very day. After working at a record store for a few years while exploring his style, and doing some graffiti here and there earning him the nickname ‘Sneak’, Carlos soon became a house icon and made himself a regular at the island paradise of Ibiza and the entire worlds club circuit in general. With a storied performance career under his belt, these days Sneak focuses on his booking agency “All World Entertainment’, but don’t get that twisted; you can still find Sneak hopping on the decks if you want to revisit that legendary 90’s sound.
Connect with DJ Sneak: Facebook | Instagram
source: https://www.facebook.com/themartinezbrothers
With Puerto Rican descent coming out of The Bronx, NY, The Martinez Brothers are one of the most prolific duos in house music history. Releasing their first EP back in 2006, since then the duo has risen to astronomical heights, landing regular residencies in Ibiza, headlining clubs and festivals around the world, throwing their own crazy events, and even having their music featured alongside the famous Nike RT Air Force 1 Collection. With a crazy career in the rearview and so much more in store in the pipeline, when asked about their most prized achievements, the only thing the humble Chris and Steve say is “We are so blessed!”
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Source: https://www.facebook.com/johntejadaofficial
Originally born in Vienna, Austria, John Tejada moved to Los Angeles with his Austrian father and his Mexican-American mother, both of which being classically trained musicians. After learning the piano and drums at a very young age, John then discovered hip hop and was soon given his first turntable and mixer at the age of 12, and was even getting booked for gigs shortly after. With DJ’ing under his belt, John then went on to produce his own music, releasing a single with Adrian Leviste by 1994. He began playing internationally in 1994 and hasn’t looked back, since then playing in 25 different countries, and playing at some the worlds most renounced events such as Detroit Movement Festival, Sónar, Dance Valley, and has played at famous club spaces such as Berghain in Berlin, Fabric in London, Yellow in Tokyo, and even twice at the Walt Disney Hall in his home town of Los Angeles. He’s also had lots of noteworthy collaborations, such as The Postal Service, Télépopmusic, The Field, Bomb the Bass, Way Out West, Kevin Saunderson, Darren Emerson, Gui Boratto, and even the legendary Reggie Watts, leaving John as a legend in his own right.
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Raised in Dallas and Miami, Eric Estornel, better known by his stage names Maceo Plex, Maetrik, and Mariel Ito, is a Cuban-American DJ, techno music producer, and DJ Awards winner. Style-wise, Eric is best known for his production of house, techno, electro, and tech-house. As a longtime performer at Ibiza’s top clubs such as Space and America, it’s no surprise that he decided to host how his own club: Mosaic by Maceo — a nightclub that he has hosted since 2016 that takes place through the summer months in Pacha. Eric has also gone on to create his own electronic-based imprint Lone Romantic. As of recent, he’s remixed Melawait’s Slow Pulse alongside AVNU, and the project was just released on September 23rd. Currently, Eric resides in Barcelona with his wife and children.
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Source: https://www.facebook.com/djdavidmorales
As a globally revered American DJ, a Grammy award-winning record producer, songwriter, and businessman, David Morales has produced and remixed over 500 records for all-star and multi-platinum artists, including Mariah Carey, U2, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, and Whitney Houston. In 2018, he launched his own imprint DIRIDIM Records — a label that focuses and celebrates all kinds of dance music, from the classic sounds Morales is known for to straight-up electronic. This native New Yorker has transcended musical genres and his music productions have appeared in popular films and television shows, including The Devil Wears Prada, Ninja Turtles 2, Don’t Mess With the Zohan, and Star (TV Series).
His DIRIDIM radio show can be heard on Ibiza Global Radio and numerous other stations around the world which is streamed to millions of listeners around the world. Since the 1980s and ‘90s, David has honed his prolific productions with an unstoppable force as seen when he was nominated for his first Grammy Award in 1996 as a Producer on Mariah Carey’s album, Daydream for the hit track “Fantasy”, and In 1998 when he won a Grammy Award for “Remixer of the Year.” What can be said about David is that he doesn’t stray from growing alongside music. From regularly exploring new music, new artists, and new sounds, he happily embraces the future of music.
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Source: https://www.facebook.com/xiorrodj
Now based in Berlin, the Boston-born and first-generation American with Afro-Puerto Rican heritage has become one of the brightest DJs within the American techno scene. With his Puerto Rican heritage, his namesake also takes reference from the African revolutionary Marcus Xiorro. Having co-founded ALKHEMY and Black Hole in 2016, a collective that’s dedicated to spreading diversity in techno and giving space for the marginalized, people of color, and women, his Black Hole parties have helped redefine the landscape of New York’s emerging underground scene.
By DJ Mag, Xiorro has also been referenced as a force to be reckoned with as well as charting in Magnetic Magazine’s 15 Best Techno Tracks of June 2020. His DJ Sets and live recordings have been also graced over to Boiler Room, United We Stream, Beatport, DSNT, and podcasts from Lobster Theremin and Monasterio Moscow. Overall, Xiorro’s DJ style and sound are primarily influenced by brazen rave elements, and it’s through this sound that he found his label Whirlwind Trax.
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Source: https://www.facebook.com/LittleLouieVega/
A leader in global dance music, Louie Vega (aka Luis Ferdinand Vega Jr. and “Little” Louie Vega) is a Grammy Award Winner and seven-time nominee with a musical palette of house, salsa, afro-beat, jazz, hip-hop, gospel, and soul music. Born in the Bronx with a musically gifted family — his father is a jazz saxophonist, and his uncle The Salsa King Héctor Lavoe, Louie had the ability to create a musical landscape at a young age. Ironically, his moniker “little” became befitting as he was DJing at clubs that he wasn’t old enough to attend, as well as holding residencies at Studio 54, Devil’s Nest, Hearthrob, Roseland, and playing at the Palladium, Area, 1018 and other seminal New York City Clubs.
In 1991, he began recording at Atlantic Records, which in turn, boosted his mainstream artist image. Throughout his career, Louie has refused to be boxed into any one category, and these unique and varying styles have helped him matain abundant collaborations with fellow artists across many genres and platforms — specifically, his club-hitting collab single with Marc Anthony where he produced “Ride on the Rhythm” that was also co-written with India and Derek Whitaker — eventually, leading them both to open for Tito Puente at his 100th Album concert at Madison Square Garden.
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Source: https://www.facebook.com/Kennydopemusic
Also sometimes referred to as K-Dope, the four-time Grammy-nominated Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez is known for his prolific work of fusing house, hip-hop, Latin, jazz, funk/soul, reggae, alternative pop, and broken beats for 20 years. Born in Brooklyn, Kenny became influenced by hip-hop, local block, and house parties at the ages of 11-12. From the ages of 15-21, his knowledge and love of music broadened from digging for records at the local record shop WNR Music Centre in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. From this passion for record searching, he has accumulated a collection of over 50,000 records. Eventually, Kenny would soon become friends with the Brooklyn DJ-Producer Todd Terry.
After Kenny started his own label Dopewax Records — a label that ended up releasing numerous underground hits of his own, Todd returned the favor by introducing Kenny to Little Louie Vega. Since Louie was also influenced by various genres as Kenny, the two decided that they were a great fit, and began their partnership that became dubbed the “MASTERS AT WORK” (aka MAW) — MAW became sought after, and eventually started remixes for artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Daft Punk, Barbara Tucker, India, Luther Vandross, BeBe Winans, George Benson, and Tito Puente. Others included Stephanie Mills, James Ingram, Eddie Palmieri, Debbie Gibson, Bjork, Dee-Lite, Soul ll Soul, Donna Summers, Puppah Nas-T, and many many more. As a purveyor of sonic masterpieces and established reputation, Kenny has constantly shown himself as a beat master that knows how to deliver a myriad of music that’s colorful and energetic to its core.
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Source: https://www.facebook.com/DjOscarG305
Back in 1991, Oscar G was blowing up the dance floor along side partner Ralph Falcon as the Murk Boys with hits such as ‘Some Lovin’ and ‘Together’ off their Murk label. Tearing it up since way back in the day, Oscar G has remixed superstars such as Madonna, Seal, Donna Summer, Jennifer Lopez and Pet Shop Boys, and has been played by renowned DJ’s like Danny Tenaglia and Junior Vasquez. Since gaining residency at Club Space Miami back in 2001, Oscar G has gained legendary status with routine 10 hour sets, packing the club with 3000 people on a weekly basis. Aside from that, the legend has played at legendary venues like Ministry of Sound in London, Pacha in Ibiza, Yellow in Tokyo, Echoes in Italy and Twilo and Vynil in New York. He was awarded “BEST RESIDENT DJ” by D.J.TIMES and CLUB SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL in 2003, and is now regarded as “one of the most exciting DJs in the world” by Mixer magazine.
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Source: Magnetic Mag
Since the early 90s, John Beltran has been dedicated to producing ambient electronic music, techno, Latin, and many more for 30 years. Growing as a respectable artist, John began his early work, a Detroit classic on Carl Craig‘s co-owned Retroactive imprint, and followed up on the label Peacefrog with his most sought-after classic “Ten Days of Blue”. After focusing on techno and ambient music throughout the 90s, he began to focus on creating different styles including two Latin albums for Ubiquity Records and a drum n’ bass track for LTJ Bukem‘s Earth series compilations.
His music has also been heard through various works in movies and television, including “Collage of Dreams” in the Miramax film Human Traffic and HBO’s hit Six Feet Under, to commercial bumpers from Oprah Winfrey’s show. Recently, 2020 saw John do his first full major soundtrack with the sci-fi movie Doors. John’s love for real instrumentation has aided in him becoming a master engineer and mixer, and as he focuses more on creating soundtracks under various monikers, there’s no doubt that he will continue to prosper as an in-damned remixer.
