Igor Blaska interview discusses his new single ‘Timbaleros’ and the creative philosophy that has kept MAD Club at the forefront of global clubbing since 1985.

Igor Blaska, the man behind one of the world’s most iconic nightlife venues, Lausanne’s MAD Club, makes his FLAMENCA Records debut with new single ‘Timbaleros’, out for global distribution today via FLAMENCA partner Toolroom Records.

The track, 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, Blasko peppering his beats with infectious trumpets and driving, flamenco-inspired melodic runs in electronic moves. 

Shot on location across Wynwood and Calle Oche, the track’s official video celebrates the vibrant Latin community that forms the heartbeat of downtown Miami. It may be a world away from the colder climes of MAD Club’s Swiss setting but the heat and energy of ‘Timbaleros’ is something FLAMENCA Records boss STBAN has experienced many times on the venue’s iconic dance floor.

“MAD Club has been like a second home to me,” STBAN said, “so to have Igor bring his music into the FLAMENCA family is a real treat and something I’ve been looking forward to releasing. We’re steadily building the label into a real home for music inspired by Spanish culture and ‘Timbaleros’ absolutely falls into that category. I’ve been playing it out for a while now and the reaction from the dance floor is always huge. Big thanks to Igor for trusting us with his work.”

EDM House Network managed to catch the MAD Club legend as he returned from a whirlwind tour of South East Asia, and managed to pin him down to find out more about the new single, and what it’s like to run one of the world’s most infamous dance music venues…

Tell us about your new single Timbaleros – what was the inspiration behind it?

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.

You’ve been releasing music since ‘Embrace’ your 2009 release on Sirup Music. How has your sound evolved since then and where are you at musically now? 

Sounds, trends, and new musical movements change very quickly—about every two or three years. It’s essential to constantly adapt to new generations and emerging electronic cultures.

Timbaleros is coming out on FLAMENCA Records, who’ve been carving out a fierce reputation since they launched last year. How did your involvement with them come about and why did you decide to release Timbaleros with them? 

For Timbaleros, Flamenca naturally stood out to me as the go-to 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.

As well as producing music, you’re the owner – and resident DJ – of the mighty MAD Club in Switzerland. For any of our readers who haven’t been to MAD Club yet, why should they visit? 

MAD Club is one of the best clubs in the world. We’ve been featured in the prestigious DJ Mag TOP 100 for years. In 2025, MAD Club ranked 49th! We’ve been offering four different atmospheres across our various floors since 1985.

What’s been the best party you’ve ever thrown at MAD? 

Every night at Mad Club is unique and like no other. We’ve hosted everyone from David Guetta to Karol G. The secret is to never let it become boring.

The club is constantly ranked in the DJ Mag Top 100 club list – how important is it for you to be on it? 

Being ranked in DJ Mag’s TOP 100 is extremely important for a club today. But there are only 100 spots—and they’re highly competitive! It represents worldwide recognition for all the work accomplished. It’s an immense source of pride for us, our staff, and our customers. It’s also very important for internationally renowned artists who otherwise might never come to perform at our venue.

How do you build – and maintain – a club that stands the test of time like MAD Club has?

We’re constantly re-evaluating ourselves.

What’s the secret to throwing a great party?

The secret is to never stop believing.

Is there one DJ who you haven’t had a MAD Club that you really want to get down there?

It’s difficult to answer that question: the best DJs in the world have all played at MAD Club at one time or another. We would love for some of them to come back, but today it’s no longer possible due to our capacity (2,000 people) and economic considerations.

What’s next for Igor Blaska?

What’s next for me? To keep feeling the same passion and enjoyment.

Chrispin interview about his most ambitious project to date, a live set and cinematic short film captured at 15,000 feet in Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit region.

High above sea level and far away from a traditional DJ booth, Chrispin has unveiled one of the most ambitious projects of his career, a live electronic set filmed at 15,000 feet in Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit region, reimagined as a cinematic short film. Blending years of original productions and remixes with sweeping Himalayan landscapes, the project merges music, storytelling and raw natural grandeur into a single immersive experience. Nine months in the making, the film-set hybrid captures Chrispin’s desire to challenge himself creatively, fusing his signature sound with narrative depth and visual symbolism. In an exclusive chat with EDMHouseNetwork, he opens up about the inspiration behind the concept, the challenges of bringing it to life, and how this mountain-top performance marks the beginning of an even bigger artistic chapter.

Hey Chrispin, your brand new live set is out now. How excited are you for the world to see this project?

I’m really excited and kinda nervous a bit as I’ve never put myself out there like this. This is a culmination of all the foundational phases of my work. Basically, years of experimentation in terms of sound and the imagery behind it. The project is about destiny and the sacrifices we make for the things we love.

It’s a unique concept that we’ve not quite seen before. How did the idea come about and did you encounter any challenges along the way?

Before coming up with something this specific, it was about how I can use the music I’ve made those years in a meaningful way. Then the whole cinema aspect came along very naturally along with the mountains as I love doing those things even if there was no project associated with it. The easiest thing was imagining combining them and the hardest part was spending months editing and fine tuning everything, figuring it out along the way as I had no exact blueprint for it. The story was always changing with the editing and the process was highly educational. The actual shoot itself was very challenging as it was just me and my friend trekking and carrying all the gear amidst the intense weather but I have nothing but deep appreciation for the place without which it was definitely not possible. 

How happy were you with the finished product, and the response it has gotten so far?

I could have always changed and added more things but I think I stopped when I was happy with the quantity of narrative layers I managed to squeeze in and when I noticed I was spending a few days on just 4 seconds of the film or a bar of music. People initially thought of it as just a regular set somewhere and completely overlooked the entire vision but are slowly discovering the cinema aspect attached to it. I am really proud of what the project is.

You mentioned that you previewed the film in an actual theater. How was that experience and what made you choose it?

This was a personal move in what it meant watching all the hard work on a big screen. Definitely left me hungry for more and re-affirmed me in all the things I am planning to do next.

As a growing artist, how important is it for you to step outside of your comfort zone and do something unprecedented?

It is definitely important to do those things and I did it to stand out of course, but that completely disappeared when I was actually making the project and it was made out of pure love for the craft. I am a curious guy and I do not know how to explain it but I lose interest very quickly if the task is not challenging. It was also about the things I’m passionate about coming together which served as glue to those prolonged experimentations. 

The blending of elements, sounds, styles, and genres was a massive part of this film, how important was it for you to get that message across for your artistic vision?

I crafted the whole film aspect on top of the musical layer of the set I already had. I had to make a lot of tough decisions in terms of leaving a good musical piece when the visuals and the story aspect did not align with it and also leaving behind good plot lines and visuals when I have no exact musical moment in the set to back it up. All the genres in the set came about as I try to start every musical project on a fresh slate and is a product of years of research and combining bits and pieces from everywhere. The editing process also took that long because of the constant edits I was making to the music as well. For example, in my reinterpretation of RAM by Daft Punk, after the second progressive drop, I had to transform a whole section with a lot of tempo changes, rhythm changes, huge reverbs, crazy distortions, different gates, a bunch of automations in every imaginable aspect, etc. before the faster, more intense drop to match the plot and take you into this void where the mystic zaps the protagonist into an alternate reality to confront him. That was the only way to add to the nervousness and otherworldliness in the character’s situation.

Do you plan to work on any more projects similar to this?

I am finishing up an album that has long been due and am developing several other things on the side like visuals, plots, shows, etc. The way I work is to keep doing the things I love individually just for the sake of it and when an opportunity or a major idea reveals itself, I glue all the ideas I had from every sector to one project and as long as it is genuine, it always sticks together perfectly. My debut single titled “Zephyr” will be out soon as I am actively leveraging the set/film to link up with the right people that understand my vision and I can’t wait to present what comes as a byproduct of that. I am really excited to release more music and add more to the world-building started by ZEPHYR 11 and one thing is for sure, it will surprise everyone, the people I work with and hopefully, myself too.

Watch the full set below.

Tracklist:

1. Thomas Bangaltar – Chiropetra, mixed with Human Sadness by The Voidz and Julian Casablancas
2. House Of The Dragon – Fate of The Kingdoms – Ramin Djawadi (Chrispin Remix)
3. Sebastian Ingrosso, Steve Angello, PARISI – Speak Up, mixed with The Nights By Avicii
4. ZEDD, Bea Miller – Out of Time (Chrispin Remix)
5. Swedish House Mafia, Niki & The Dove – Lioness (Chrispin Remix)
6. Daft Punk – Love is the Answer (Chrispin’s RAM Reinterpretation)
7. Fred Again – Places to be ft. Anderson .Paak & Chika (Chrispin Remix)
8. Justice – Audio, Video, Disco (Chrispin Remix)
9. Chrispin – Whispers (ID)
10. Martin Garrix, Third Party ft. Declan J Donovan, Winona Oak – Carry You (Chrispin Remix)
11. Steve Angello, Modern Tales – Darkness In Me (Chrispin Remix)

With debut single “Zephyr” out soon, keep up to date and follow Chrispin below.

Instagram / YouTube / TikTok

How did the collaboration with Martinho da Vila come about for “No Embalo da Vila,” and what was your first reaction when the idea was proposed?

The collaboration with Maz and Martinho da Vila started from a very simple and organic place. We rediscovered the original track while digging through our personal archives of Brazilian records and vinyl. It was just before Carnival and we were already in a strong Brazilian musical phase, with the Gilberto Gil remix in the pipeline. We made an early demo, a samba-influenced electronic sketch that we really loved, and we sent it to Maz as a friend, just to get his opinion. He immediately connected with it and suggested turning it into a proper collaboration. From there we decided to go all in and develop the record together. That’s how the idea was born.

Martinho da Vila represents a very specific era of samba and MPB; what did his involvement mean to you personally as French producers working with Brazilian musical heritage?

Martinho da Vila is an artist we deeply respect. We own several of his records and his music is strongly connected to our experience in Brazil. We spent a lot of time in Rio and São Paulo, going to small samba bars, learning, listening and trying to understand the culture from the inside. Being able to officially work with material connected to that heritage, alongside Brazilian artists, felt like a bridge between generations and cultures. As French producers, it was an honour and we are extremely grateful for that opportunity.

The press notes mention guitar motifs as a core element of the track; was that musical idea present from the start, or did it emerge later in the process?

In the original track there were already guitar elements, but when we started working on our version we focused first on the vocal and the rhythmic foundation, pushing the samba energy through percussion and drums. The melodic guitar idea came later. Maz suggested adding a stronger melodic layer, and he recorded a Brazilian guitarist in his studio in Rio. That live performance brought emotion and musicality and reconnected the track to MPB traditions. It was the final touch that gave the record its full identity.

You are known for Afro, Latin and Brazilian influences in your catalogue; what makes this release different from your previous work in that direction?

This release is different because it is built around a samba and MPB classic and it is a true collaboration with Maz and Martinho da Vila. It is not just a Mozambo record, it is a shared project shaped by a strong Brazilian heritage. Compared to our previous work, it leans more toward samba and carnival energy while still keeping our house foundation. Each collaboration is about exchange, and this one carries a very specific cultural weight.

Maz (BR) is deeply connected to the Brazilian electronic scene; what did he contribute creatively that shifted the track in a way you would not have reached alone?

Maz brought an authenticity we could not reach alone. His biggest contribution was the live guitars recorded in Rio, but beyond that he helped shape the structure, the energy and many details of the track. We exchanged versions constantly, reworked the bass, adjusted percussion and tested different arrangements. His perspective, combined with ours, is what made the track become what it is. It was a very fluid and inspiring collaboration.

Dawn Patrol has positioned itself around Afro-house with Brazilian identity; why was this the right label for this collaboration?

Dawn Patrol is a Brazilian label founded by Maz with a strong identity around Afro house and Brazilian culture. We have respected the label for years, not only for the music but for its positive and human energy. Since this is a Brazilian record made with Brazilian artists and rooted in Brazilian heritage, releasing it on a Brazilian label felt natural and respectful. It was the obvious home for the track.

Your music often moves between underground imprints and larger labels like Sony and Spinnin’ Deep; where does “No Embalo da Vila” sit within that wider journey?

The track sits on a label that still has an underground spirit but is growing fast and becoming a key reference in the Afro house scene. We don’t think in terms of underground versus mainstream. What matters to us is coherence. This release fits naturally with our recent journey, from Dawn Patrol to our own label Jungle Disco and other collaborations. Our goal is simply to release music for the clubs and the people while staying free and consistent.

The track connects house music with classic Brazilian musicality; when you look at the finished record, what feels most faithful to its Brazilian roots?

What stands out most in the finished record is the emotional energy of Brazilian music. There is something in MPB and samba that speaks directly to the heart. That sense of warmth, hope and positivity was the most important thing for us to preserve. We added our rhythm and our vision, but the core remains the emotion and the human feeling of the original.

Follow Mozambo:
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