We cornered Borja Iglesias of DIM3NSION fame, and good news: he spilled the beans on… well, you’ll have to keep reading to find out. (Spoiler: it’s good stuff!)
Nabil: Hey Borja, we hope you are doing well today. Thanks for joining us here. You have taught at a Mini Soundcation in Amsterdam at ADE in 2023. Can you describe the vibe at the retreat and anything else that’s memorable?
Borja: Hello guys, thanks a lot for having me in this interview! For me, the Soundcation during ADE 2023 was an amazing experience. The vibe, the place, the people… I found myself surrounded by a group of people pure passionate about music production, sequencers, plugins and everything related to the music industry and music production. For a few days, it felt like we were in our own little world.
Check out the fun: Past retreat highlights
Nabil: You have collaborated twice with Dennis Sheperd already (on Amigos + Sublimity) and remixed him once. Anything you would like to share about the relationship with him?
Borja: Dennis is a fantastic guy. We became friends in Berlin back in 2017, when he booked me for the celebration of his 10 year career. We also did a collaboration together there in his studio. The track was called ‘Amigos’, released on Coldharbour Recordings and with huge support from all the biggest trance names like Markus Schulz or Armin Van Buuren. He has huge technical knowledge and a great business mind, so it’s always a pleasure to spend time with him, have a good conversation or work together on music!
Nabil: With over 40 million Spotify plays, what’s one track you’ve produced that you still secretly hum to yourself in the shower?
Borja: That’s a good question! I’d probably say ‘Bocanegra’, which was released on Flashover Recordings back in 2015. It’s a simple melody that maybe didn’t make much noise online, but every time I play it live, everyone ends up humming along!
Nabil: Every producers knows writers block! What’s one tip of yours to get out of it fast?
Borja: It really depends on the track I’m working on. I think I’m lucky because I’ve never had a real writer’s block or a complete lack of inspiration. There are always moments in your career when you need to evolve your sound, try different things and keep fresh so at this point, I sometimes ask myself “What the f… can I do now that still fits my sound and the way I produce?”
If at some point I don’t know exactly what kind of music I want to create, I just keep going and listen to a lot of different music. Step by step, the track starts to take a direction I like more and more, and eventually I find a way to finish it.
Sometimes I can get stuck on a track, trying to find the best melody or figure out how to make it better, adding background elements, rhythms, or little details. For me, that’s not really writer’s block, it’s more about giving the track some rest until the right idea comes. Often that idea appears while listening to the track with fresh ears, or even from hearing something in another artist tracks that inspire myself.
Nabil: Being a melody master, what’s the most unusual place or situation where a killer melody has popped into your head?
Borja: I dream a lot with melodies or songs which I never heard before but never remind that when I wake up!
But it can be anyplace. I need to be thinking on music, if that happens, then melodies appear constantly. I have my phone full of ridiculous audios of myself humming!
Nabil: What’s your studio looking like these days? Any favorite software, go-to gear, or even weird-but-it-works habits you can spill?
Borja: After lot of desperation troubles with FL Studio latest updates, I´m now into Ableton 12 so I´m discoverting a new world and I´m enjoying a lot this moments. As favourite software is probably Nexus 5. Is now much more complete tool than some years ago but still really friendly and the sounds are amazing.
I love play keyboards and few years ago I´ve bouth Native Instruments S61 MK2, it´s my first top notch keyboard so I also enjoy a lot put my hands on it!
And last, It’s not a really weird habit, but lately, to avoid back and neck issues, I make sure to stand up and stretch every 30 to 60 minutes. I also play a lot of online chess between production sessions. It helps me disconnect, refresh, and come back more focused.
Nabil: You’ve played everywhere! What’s the wildest fan interaction you’ve ever had after a set at a place like Tomorrowland or Space Ibiza?
Borja: Festivals are always really cool because everything is huge, stages are massive, but small intimate clubs for me are the wildest and funny thing. I remember when I play in Paris in 2017 I believe, I met a crazy but fantastic group of people and it was really fun enjoy the night together!
Nabil: If you had to pick one non-electronic genre to produce for a day, what would it be, and what artist would you work with?
Borja: It’s a hard questions because I only listen electronic music more than ever lately. But maybe some of those guys like Ed Sheeran where a piano and a vocal is enough. I would really enjoy that.
Nabil: What’s a production “hack” or quirky habit you have in the studio that most people wouldn’t guess?
Borja: Work with full focus for 30 minutes (or longer if you’re still productive). The moment you notice yourself just hitting play and pause without making any real progress, it’s better to stop and switch to something else. Being aware of your own focus time is key if you really want to be productive!
Nabil: If you could go back in time to your first day in the music business, what’s one piece of advice you’d give yourself?
Borja: I’d tell myself to be patient and to enjoy the process but never forget is a business to. So don’t rush things, build strong relationships, stay true to your own sound, personality and remember that consistency is more powerful than chasing shortcuts. Everything comes at the right time if you keep working hard and stay passionate about what you do.
Nabil: What’s the most challenging track you’ve ever worked on, and what made it so tough?
Borja: ‘Dopamina’ was definitely the most challenging track I´ve produced. Ferry’s team asked me to create a special track for his Gouryella – From The Heavens album. I had about a month to finish it and I was in the middle of a breakup with my girl, my mind was not at its best and just a few weeks before the deadline, I still didn´t start to work on the project. It was a real challenge.
Nabil: What’s one track by another artist that you admire so much you wish you had produced it?
Borja: Probably System F – Out Of The Blue 😛
Nabil: Beyond music, what’s a surprising hobby or interest you have that helps clear your mind and spark creativity?
Borja: I play chess online but also love simracing games and sport of course to keep mind and body healthy!
Nabil: What’s one “old-school” piece of gear or software you still love to use, despite all the new tech out there?
Borja: Unfortunately I don´t have any old school gear. I would love to have some analog synths but are quite expensive but I would love a Roland JP‑8000 or Access Virus!
Nabil: And the most important question that we ask everyone here: Would you come back and teach at another Soundcation if we invited you again? 🙂
Borja: You already said it! If I get invited once again, I will definitely do all possible to come back! It was a nice experience so far!
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Thanks again for the interview!