Bebbo sits down for an exclusive interview with EDMHouseNetwork to discuss his latest release, ‘Conga’, on Armada Music, the underground electronic music scene in Guatemala, his evolving sound and what’s next for his career.

Guatemala’s underground might be small, but Bebbo is determined to put it on the map. The producer has just dropped “Conga” on Armada Music, a modern dancefloor take on a classic with D. Lacrux, and has a new release, “Say Less”, and a Miami residency on the way. We sat down with him to talk volcano sets, finding his sound and why he wishes the industry would put the music first.

Hey Bebbo, great to meet with you 🙂

Hey!! Great to meet you too! Thanks for having me! 

Guatemala isn’t necessarily the first place people think of when they talk about the global house music scene. What do you think the rest of the world is missing by not paying more attention to what’s happening there?

Yes Guatemala has a very cool underground dance scene. It’s small but it’s great because people really enjoy going out, listening to good music, dancing and having fun. We have some pretty cool venues too. 

You’ve spoken about seeing deadmau5 perform in New York and realising how powerfully a DJ could move a crowd. If you could go back to that version of yourself for five minutes, what would you tell him about where this journey would take you?

Yes, that night was very special. I would tell him to follow his dreams. No matter what, always work hard and believe in yourself. 

Your music travels between house, tech house, Afro-influenced rhythms and deeper sounds. If your sound had its own passport, which country would it be stamped in first, and where would it refuse to leave?

I think my sound has evolved through many different stages. I’ve always had a very open taste in music. I think right now my passport would definitely be stamped with house music all over. 

You’ve played to different crowds across Latin America and Europe. Can you tell within the first few minutes what kind of night a dancefloor wants, or do you sometimes deliberately give people something they didn’t know they needed?

Yes for sure. Sometimes even before starting my set, seeing the dj before me play I can get a sense of what the crowd wants. I usually let the crowd guide me. Once I get the feeling that I am in control of the crowd I start taking them on a journey with my music selection.

Some tracks make people dance, while others seem to take over their entire body. What’s the one ingredient in a groove that makes the difference between a track people enjoy and one they absolutely lose themselves in?

I feel like this is different for everyone. Some people prefer a stronger groove and others prefer a nice vocal or melody. I think what really makes people lose control to the music is the connection made with the DJ through the music. 

With your last release “Conga,” on Armada Music, you’ve taken a song with a huge cultural footprint and given it a new life on the dancefloor. How do you strike the balance between respecting the DNA of a classic and making it sound like something that belongs to the future?

This is very important because sometimes there are tracks that are too good to try and remake them. But sometimes there are tracks that need to be brought back, especially with a dance floor version so we can enjoy them at parties. That was basically what D. Lacrux and I wanted. To bring back a classic and give it a modern groove and energy. 

When you’re producing, do you ever have a moment where you know a sound technically shouldn’t work, but your instincts tell you to keep it anyway? What’s the most unexpected idea you’ve trusted that ended up making a track?

Producing is a lot of trial and error. Sometimes a certain idea doesn’t sound good to start but once I try stuff it works. It sometimes happens to me that after I release a track, I start playing around with the project and end up doing something I like even more. 

You’ve played sets in some extraordinary outdoor locations in Guatemala, including dramatic volcanic landscapes. Does playing somewhere that feels almost otherworldly change the music you choose, or does the setting simply amplify what you were already trying to communicate? 

Yes 100% the location influences the music I play for that set. I like my sets to tell stories and every venue or location has their own energy. 

If someone listened to your entire catalogue from beginning to end, which track would surprise them most, and which is the one that reveals a side of BEBBO they probably wouldn’t expect?

It would be a very interesting journey and it would show all of my different stages as a producer and artist. Something that would definitely stick is my need to make you feel certain things when listening to my music. I always try to play with peoples emotions with the music I make and play. 

What’s one thing about the electronic music industry that people romanticise from the outside, but that you’ve learned is very different once you’re actually living it?

Something that I always liked about this industry was that it’s a very free and authentic space. I wouldn’t say it’s different now that I see it from the inside but the industry does have a certain way of working now. I feel like it has become less about the music and ability to play good sets and more about the numbers and social media. I wish it goes back to being all about the music. 

Every DJ has a different personality behind the decks compared with their everyday life. Who is BEBBO at 3am in the middle of a set, and how close is that person to who you are when the music stops?

The same person. This is something that I decided when starting my project Bebbo. My nickname since I was a baby has been Bebbo. That is why my personality has always reflected in my music and the energy of my sets. 

If you had unlimited money and one year to put Guatemala on the global electronic music map, what would you build? A festival in the mountains, an underground club, a label, or something nobody has thought of yet?

It would definitely be a mix of everything you mention. A festival in our incredible locations, parties on top of volcanos, clubs in our beautiful towns like Antigua Guatemala and a record label to showcase the many great artists we have in Guatemala and Central America. 

After years of producing and experimenting with different sounds, you’ve spoken about feeling that you’ve finally found your artistic identity. Now that you have a clearer sense of who you are musically, what’s the track you’re still chasing, and the one that you haven’t quite managed to make yet?

Every track I make and release is made with the intention of sharing what I like, sharing what I feel, and trying to connect with as many people as possible. I don’t feel like I haven’t managed to make something I wanted, maybe something that is missing for me is to collaborate with artists I’ve always looked up to. 

You’re given three records to tell the story of your life: one for where you came from, one for who you are now, and one for the person you want to become. What are they, and why?

If you are talking about my records I would say “Mmewere” is where I come from, with a good groove, high energy and hypnotizing melodies. I would say “Conga” describes who I am now, a fun and happy person. And for who I want to become I would choose my new record called “Say Less” coming out very soon because it’s new and fresh. 

Forget streams, bookings and big-name collaborations for a moment. When someone hears a BEBBO track ten years from now, what do you hope they feel, and what would make you think, yes, that’s exactly why I started doing this?

If it is my more recent records I would definitely want them to feel happy and want to dance. That would make me very happy. 

And finally, what do you have coming up for the rest of the year that you can share with us?

I am about to announce a new party and residency in a club in Miami that I really like and also my next release called Say Less that I can’t wait to share with everyone. 

Thanks for the interview. I really enjoyed it!