Projections—La Patilla

Upcoming Event

Cosmic Gate (Open To Close)

Projections is an ongoing DJ mix series dedicated to showcasing Discovery Project alumni who continue to push boundaries with their music.

At last year’s EDC Las Vegas, La Patilla, née Ariel Sanchez, made his Insomniac debut by warming up the crowd at cosmicMEADOW on Sunday evening. Opening is an art that only the most seasoned professionals can wrap their head around. With years of DJ experience under his belt, Sanchez clearly demonstrated he knew how to read a room, or in this case, the ginormous stage facing the grandstands.

As Headliners shuffled into their third night of partying, he got straight into offering up the housier side of his persona, which got the energy flowing and helped put those weary feet right into dancing mode. As the sun began to set behind the largest stage he’s ever touched in his career, there was no question that La Patilla belonged behind those decks.

For his Projections mix, however, we get to see an entirely different side of the versatile producer from what he showed us at EDC—one that is rooted, at least in part, in his background as a hip-hop DJ from the highly competitive Manhattan Latin club scene. Although we pegged La Patilla for his four-on-the-floor grooves, he couldn’t help but express his command over soaring synths and warbling pads of future bass, which he owned on the recent self-released EP Yes to All. Throughout his mix, his love for emotionally charged beats is expertly put on display. It swings and swerves through an hour of dizzying highs and hip-swinging lows and is bound to raise the hairs on your arm at least a few times.

Before you jump on in, though, La Patilla wanted to open up with a few words about his wild journey here:

I started playing music when I was 14 years old in Uptown Manhattan. I played all kinds of shows: birthdays, baby showers, parties, etc. Basically, any form of house party was my specialty. When I was 17, I played my first club: Series 56 at a Latin nightclub. At that time, almost all of the music in my arsenal was Latin/urban music (e.g., reggae, dancehall, reggaeton, bachata and hip-hop). I used to play a lot of electronic mashups, but nothing too serious when it came to electronic dance music. I played every Latin club you can name in Uptown Manhattan.

I garnered a solid following within that scene. It seemed like everyone loved my sets, but my heart wasn’t there. I did not want to be a local uptown DJ forever, so I decided to try something new. I wanted to explore new places, new crowds, and effectively expand my brand.

I moved to Chicago, where I was introduced to some real underground house music parties. The first DJ I saw live was Carl Cox. At that time, I had no idea who he was. Where I came from, all people cared about was which DJ had the most liquor bottles, best clothes, and best looking girls at their VIP tables; it was never about the music. It was so amazing for me to see how everyone could vibe to this guy’s music, no matter what he played. That’s when I discovered the real world of electronic dance music.

I became more and more obsessed with the scene. I started watching YouTube videos about how to produce music and asking producers I knew for tips. I even tried to pay people to teach me. Learning how to produce was really hard. I started by making mashups and bootlegs, like every other producer out there. After a year of learning, I had the opportunity to release my first song on Beatport under a small label run by a close friend. He loved my music, and it was a big deal for me at the time.

Creating my own music and sound is all I ever wanted to do from that point on. Last year, I had the opportunity to play my first festival. I was so fortunate to be on the roster at EDC Las Vegas. I cannot describe how much the experience meant to me; I don’t think I will ever be able to fully explain the feeling. It has been six years of nothing but hard work, and the journey doesn’t stop here.

Track List:

Intro
DF5k “Kioto”
ZES “Memories”
La Patilla “ID”
All This “Point Point”
La Patilla “Last 13th”
Medasin ft. Joba “Daydream”
Sam Vin “Vibes”
Hermitude “Seru”
ID “Can’t Believe”
La Patilla “Just What You Wanted”
Khamsin “Maelstrom”
Benau “Aether”
Foria “Ashes”
Basenji “Speak With a Doffin” (Sable Remix)
Marshmello “Walking out”
Armnhmr “Fallen” (Danthan & Fransis Derelle Remix)
ID “In My Heart” (La Patilla Remix)
Tarro “Wave Board”
ID “ID”
Codeko & E. Clark ft. Raphaella “Walking With Lions”
Porter Robinson “Sad Machine” (Cosmo’s Mightnight Remix)
Shore ft. Milk & Bone “Hoodies at Night” (Black Ivan Remix)
La Patilla “R.U.B.Y”