INTERVIEW: Alonso Mendez

Peruvian-born Alonso Méndez is a name synonymous with forging the party, working in electronic music since 1999. He was previously one half of Stereo Martini, a duo that provided countless dance hits and club anthems that remain timeless today . Alonso has proudly returned to the forefront with an authentic sound that instantly represents his roots.

We have had the pleasure of interviewing him and this has been the result.

How would you present your work to someone who doesn’t know you?

I would just play it really loud and not tell them it’s my work.

What message would you like to convey to the public?

Get on the dancefloor and start moving!

 

How was your last project born?

Get Out was born as a collaboration with Christie Nelson who I collaborate with regularly.  It was a song that we did during the pandemic and we didn’t have access to studio time together so we created it fully remotely.

 

What do you want to convey in this work? What is the concept behind it?

The lyrics are inspired by personal experiences and the need to uplift, empower, and have fun with music.

As for your studio, what is it currently composed of?

My laptop, my Macbook, a keyboard/midi controller, lots of software, some mics, and because I work with different engineers, whatever they got that I need, including live instruments that you will hear in some of my upcoming productions.

What is the one instrument you would never get rid of, no matter what?

That is a tough question.  I have a few favorites that I love equally.  I like voices because I enjoy songwriting, a good bass and a kickass drum because they drive the dancefloors and pianos are always special.

What was the last record store you visited? And what did you save from there?

The last physical record store I visited was Tik Tak in Curacao and I picked up an original Oscar D’ Leon vinyl.  Prior to that I had gone to Play De Record in Toronto and Eugene always hooked me up with great vinyls back in the day. I bought some of my favorite vinyl records from there.  Make sure to check out their documentary on Amazon Prime.

Do you have hope for the future of music? How would you like the future of the music industry to be?

I do have hope for the future of music.  I think the way that it has evolved has allowed for people like me to be able to skip the gatekeepers at the major labels. In the future it would be great for the music industry to be more fair with its artists that depend on their art to make a living as the current system doesn’t quite make it an even playing field still.  

Can you reveal some future projects to us?

Absolutely, but I can’t reveal too much.  I have a track coming out with Canadian Singer “Giuliano Solis” titled Muse.

I am also reworking some older projects I co wrote and produced throughout the Stereo Martini years and those will be starting to see the light of day during 2024 – this is very exciting!

What makes you happy?

Harmony and a good cheeseburger with fries! hahahah

What bothers you?

Bad DJs that only do it for the wrong reasons and not for the love of the music.

Can you tell us a bit about your experience? Where are you from / how did you get into music?

Of Course!  I was born in Lima, Peru.  I got into music later in life when I decided to put on hold my pursuit for an acting career.  I stumbled upon the opportunity to do work for Universal Music Canada, which led to also becoming a part of the Toronto nightlife scene from my very early 20s.  That evolved to me becoming a DJ and throwing our own events during a 15 year period of working in event management and creation and as a resident DJ for a lot of the big Toronto Nightclubs.    One thing led to another and I started dabbling in music production without any prior musical training and years later I am finally releasing music I am proud of that I hope people enjoy.

How is your sound evolving? What artists and genres do you like to mix at the moment?

My sound is always an eclectic mix of different influences.  I grew up listening to a lot of Latin Music and Alternative Rock and pop music.  It was in my early 20’s when I got exposed to electronic music and fell in love with the ability  it has to mesh with all different types of sounds.  The music I like to mix or produce, mash up really reflects on what I am feeling at the moment.  it tends to be all over the place, as I don’t believe it has to be just one particular style.

How do you feel your music influences or impacts your listeners?

I feel that my music can be part of the listener’s life soundtrack.  Some songs are happy, some are hopeful, some feel angry…it all depends why the listener connects to a certain song.  

What projects are you working on right now? 

At the moment I am working on many different projects, a radio show titled “In Music We Vibe” which is available on itunes as a podcast. I’m also working on about 10 different tracks to be released next year including the revamping of some of the unreleased Stereo Martini projects.

Has that sound changed much in recent years? What is your musical criteria?

It has, I am producing more from my heart then from my head.

We all know that the digital revolution has affected sales, but has it affected creativity?

I believe the digital revolution has given a bigger platform for independent artists.  Creativity can’t really be affected by accessibility, the secret is in the sauce.

What’s next for Alonso Mendez?

Working on new music and collaborating with amazing people, continuing to establish Underbite Records and the radio show as well as possibly going on tour in the summer.