SPIN SETS Presents: Azzecca
Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, DJ/producer Malóne has made it a mission to lift up artists who represent his Latin American roots by bringing them into his WHYNOTUS label and event series. But the major Afro-house x tech-house force isn’t leaving himself out of the equation. With over a residency at Miami’s legendary Club Space, frequent sets at Hi Ibiza, multiple AfroHouse #1’s on Beatport and over 1,000,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, Malóne’s passion and work ethic are paying off.
His new track “Rhythm Guide” – a collaboration with emerging artist Ky William – is a true testament to Malóne’s community-driven ethos.
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“It’s been an amazing opportunity to be able to collaborate with Ky, who I think is one of the best up-and-coming talents in the industry. We were really able to fuse both of our styles together to make a dope track for the dance floor. Expect more collaborations like this in the future for WHYNOTUS.” -Malóne
We connected with Malóne to talk about what he stands for, how he developed his signature sound, what’s on the horizon, and more. Stream here and check out his SPIN SETS below. Want more SPIN SETS? Head over to SPIN TV to keep up with all the latest and greatest DJ’s/producers pushing the boundaries of electronic music.
Who is Malóne and what do you stand for?
Malóne is a fighter. Someone that has had to work for every single thing. Someone who stands up for all the up-and-coming artists that were told they weren’t original enough, but that never quit. And with hard work, dedication and perseverance was able to make a name for himself and realizes that, more importantly, that he’s just getting started.
Tell us about your sound – where does your style originate from and what have been your biggest visual, social, and sonic influences?
My sound is groovy. It’s Afro, it’s sexy, and it’s vibey. Afro/tech that’s inspired by growing up in Miami. Listening to a lot of salsa and disco/retro growing up. Anything from The Bee Gees to Hector Lavoe to Frankie Ruiz and many more Hispanic greats. Music that will always be for the dancefloors.
Was there a definitive turning point to your success?
When I started to understand who I was as an artist, the music I wanted to make and play out, and not caring what people thought about me, I became more confident in myself and with the music I was making. My hard work, networking, respect and pushing others forward has given me great return in my success as an artist.
When did you realize the magnitude of your impact within the industry/community?
I think once I was asked to become a resident at Club Space, it really hit me like, “Wow, we’re doing something special here.” Starting multiple labels and having so many artists from all over the world send me their music and trusting me to sign their music and put it out is a huge thing for me. It really means a lot that other artists see me in that light and want to share their art and confide in me to support their music.
Where do you want to go next with your music and what can your fans expect from future releases?
Honestly just depends the way I’m feeling at the moment. I have a lot of big club groovers coming out this year but just recently I went back to making more melodic Afro beats. That’s the type of music that got me going in the first place a couple years back. I love it all, andI play it all in my sets. I’ve never been about a single genre, and don’t want to be defined by one.
Where have you not performed yet that you want to perform?
There’s a couple of festivals that I’ve always dreamed of playing! EDC Las Vegas has always been a huge goal of mine. Ten years ago, I went to my first EDC and was blown away and promised myself I would play that festival one day. The other festival is Ultra Miami. That has been one of my biggest goals since I first started and can’t wait to hopefully play it one day.
In what ways have you pushed yourself beyond existing self-imposed limitations?
Leaving the label I had started and going out on my own, where I started my new label a year later called “WHYNOTUS.” It was a major challenge in my career. I’m excited to put all this music under my own imprint and be fully in control of everything but also sign music from other artists and throw really dope curated events all around the world.
What’s next for Malóne?
I’m playing EDC Las Vegas in May, and then I’ll be heading to Europe for a couple weeks where I will be playing with The Martinez Brothers at their Hi Ibiza residency. I’ll also be playing BLOND:ISH in Mykonos.
There’s a lot of new music coming down the pipeline for the rest of the year. I have at least ten more releases and collabs that will be released before the end of 2024.
I’ll be going back to Ibiza for closings, and going to continue to developWHYNOTUS and showcase activations all over the world.
What do you wish for the future of electronic music? In what ways would you like to see it evolve?
I wish for the scene to continue to grow and flourish. I feel like it’s in such an amazing state right now. It’s such a beautiful thing for artists to keep developing, and for fans to continue finding new talent that they love. I hope the music continues to evolve and get better and better. At the end of the day, it’s all and always has been about the music.
Any last words for the SPIN universe?
I appreciate you guys having me on. I hope you enjoy a piece of my live set from the first ever WHYNOTUS party at Jolene Miami. I hope to see you all around the world on the dance floors vibing and grooving to this beautiful thing we call house music. Much Love!
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