MAD Club boss Igor Blaska opens up about the legendary venue and his FLAMENCA Records release ‘Timbaleros’
FLAMENCA Records’ latest single ‘Timbaleros’, as the name suggests, is an unadulterated celebration of percussion and rhythm, “timbaleros” referring to musicians who play the shallow “timbales” drums heard throughout Latin music at the limit of ‘samba’ vibes. The cut is an uplifting, energetic slice of rhythmic production, peppering beats with infectious trumpets and driving, flamenco-inspired melodic runs in electronic moves.
The man behind the single is none other than legendary promoter, producer and DJ Igor Blaska, the man behind one of the world’s most iconic nightlife venues, Lausanne’s MAD Club. I House U caught up with him on the tail end of a whirlwind Asian tour to find out what makes one of dance music’s most prolific entertainers tick…
Hi Igor, welcome to I House U. Tell us where you are in the world right now and what you’re doing…
I’ve just returned from Asia. I played five sets there — in Phuket, Koh Samui, and finishing in Bangkok.
Congrats on the new single TIMBALEROS – what inspired you to make the track?
I drew inspiration from Cuba, a magnificent and colorful island that I’ve had the chance to visit several times. I added trumpet over an afro-based beat for a festive vibe and to get the biggest dancefloors in the world moving.
The single has a very strong Latin vibe, is that why you decided to release it on the FLAMENCA label?
For Timbaleros, Flamenca naturally stood out to me as the essential label. I knew the spirit and identity of my new track would be perfectly respected. Not to mention that the people at Flamenca are long-time friends.
You’re probably most well known as the man behind the iconic MAD Club in Lausanne, but you got your start putting on “mega-raves” in Switzerland. Can you describe that time to us and talk about which DJs you bought in and what the crowds were like?
It was at the beginning of the ’90s, with the rise of electronic music. It was at the beginning of the ’90s, with the arrival of electronic music. I had just turned 17 years old at the time. I was already a DJ, but no club wanted to book us — my partner Olivier Fatton and me. So we decided to organize our own parties instead: increasingly large rave events, gathering up to 25,000 people, under names like Atlantis and Sundance. In the ’90s, we booked artists such as Carl Cox, Laurent Garnier, and Derrick May, then in the 2000s, David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, and Avicii.
Comparing those early times of the European house scene to clubland now, what are your thoughts on how dance music and clubbing has evolved?
Since 1995, electronic music has been evolving every two or three years. In my opinion, that’s not a bad thing — it’s actually positive. Another major change is that music used to be very compartmentalized. For example, it was unthinkable for trance fans to listen to minimal. Today, those categories have exploded. Everything has fused together.
When you think about MAD Club, how do you feel?
Running a club means dealing with problems and egos. But when the night begins, we forget everything else. That more than makes up for it.
MAD Club has been around for 31 years, which is a crazy achievement. How do you ensure that the venue stays relevant and keeps its place as one of the most popular clubs in the world?
MAD Club is a family business. My son already works there. He organizes his own events, which are successful. He’s on the right track ! He’s both a DJ and a painter. He attends the prestigious École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) to equip himself with all the tools he’ll need to take over one day.
You don’t just own MAD Club, you’re also a resident DJ. What’s your DJ style like and what are your top three current singles to get the dance floor going?
I’m a resident DJ who has to master all styles, even though I have a clear preference for electronic music. It’s up to me to adapt to the crowd, because what matters most is making people happy and ensuring they have the best possible night.
Is there one thing in your career that you haven’t achieved yet that you still want to?
Stay MAD, stay alive.
Finally, what three people (alive or dead) would you invite to a dinner party, and why?
I would invite one of the Pissenem brothers — the owners of UNVRS in Ibiza — a philosopher who would put history back into proper perspective, and… God.
