Hector

With residencies at Londons Dig Your Own Rave and Kubicle nights (as well as the now defunct SONIC party) and regular slots at Fabric, Bar Americas, Regine and Watergate, Hector is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most exciting young producers on the planet, effortlessly balancing his will to experiment with commitment to the founding spirit of house. Mixing up styles and moods but always focused firmly on the dance-floor’s needs and desires, Hector’s selections nod to house music’s past but engage fully with its future; his sets have energy, precision and soul. He’s no slouch in the production department either: his breakthrough 12-Inch “La Raza” was released on Dinky’s Horizontal imprint last year, and he has forthcoming records on Crosstown Rebels, mobilee, 8-Bit and Cecille, as well as the inaugural release for Phonica Records.

His tunes have found his way into sets by the likes of Ricardo Villalobos, Onur Ozer, Dinky and Appleblim, the latter recently remixing “Tension” to stunning effect. Hector hails from Guadalajara, Mexico and began DJing at the age of 16 when he heard visiting European DJs play on their rare trips to his city. Inspired by the sounds of Carl Craig, Moodymann, the Timewriter & Terry Lee Brown Jnr., Hector soon came to realize that his future lay in music. He headed for England, fell in love with the capital’s music scene and has remained there ever since. Spinning in Ibiza, he befriended Simon Rigg, boss of Phonica Records (the nucleus of London’s house and techno community), and started a part-time job at the Soho store upon his return to London. Hector’s knowledge and infectious passion for cutting-edge music has transformed him into one of the shop’s most recognizable faces, fitting for a man to be the first producer to release on its eponymous new label this spring. 2009 is shaping up to be a big, big year for our man: in addition to a slew of 12” releases and a continually hectic DJ schedule, Hector is working on a new transatlantic party concept with Detroit natives Seth Troxler (Crosstown Rebels, Circus Company) and Sean Reeves. Keep your eyes open and your ears peeled.