At the heart of Argentina’s progressive house scene lies Emiliano Folgar and Martin Kazez aka Interaxxis. Famed for releases on Nick Warren’s Hope Recordings and Guy Mantzur’s Plattenbank Records we catch up with them on the cusp of a new release.

1. Hey Guys, thanks for joining us today, tell us a bit about yourself, how old are you, where are you living and how long have you been producing music and DJing?

Martin Kazez: Hi! First of all, thank you very much for the invitation! I’m 34 years old, live in Buenos Aires. I started deejaying when I was 15, in parties among friends, and then organised a couple of small ones as well. On the production side, I started doing music around 5 years ago.

Emiliano Folgar: Hey! thanks for the interest in our music and our roots! I’m also 34 years old and live in Buenos Aires. I started making music around 10 years ago and deejaying around 5.

2. How did you discover electronic music and what led you down the path of wanting to be a DJ and producer? What were some of your early inspirations?

Martin Kazez: My dad is a huge music fan and always had a huge vinyl and cd collection. Ranging from pop to rock,  I always loved to record mix tapes with tracks I got from his collection in the order I would imagine with a “central track”. I always loved new wave bands and their influences, some Argentinean bands such as Virus or Soda Estereo and international artists such as Pet Shop Boys, Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Michael Jackson, Stieve Nicks, Blondie, Maddona. When I discovered a local radio (NRG101.1) that only played electronic music, I knew that was what I really liked.

Emiliano Folgar: Electronic music came into my life through bands that used synths and rythm machines as resources. Depeche Mode, New Order, EMF to name a few, the mix between the sound of Manchester and Chicago house. On the electronic music side with not as much rock influence, I got initiated with bands such as Underworld, Faithless, Letfield, Way Out West, Swayzak.

3. So how did Interaxxis come to be? Where did you guys meet and how did the relationship evolve into a studio partnership?

Emiliano Folgar: We met in a place I worked in through one of those synchronicities that life brings upon. We first became friends while each was doing music of their own but soon decided to join forces because our similarity in taste and the strong belief that we could get the best out of each other.

4. Do you have different roles in the production process?

Martin Kazez: It varies a lot from track to track. We always have a premise to build from an idea that one of us started and from there eventually get together to close it. What doesn’t get discussed is the mixing, Emiliano’s specialty!

Emiliano Folgar: Each one brings something to the table, one starts and the other continues and viceversa. The final decision is always a two person job of course.

5. Who was the first big Dj to support your music and how important was that moment in terms of inspiration as well as being validated as an artist?

Martin Kazez: With no doubt, Hernan Cattaneo from his radioshow “Resident” gave us a lot of exposure form the start and was a very important boost for us that showed us we were on the right path. Also a great moment was our track that got released in Guy Mantzur’s Plattenbank, “Natural Fear”. It got remixed by Sahar Z & Khen, Martin Roth  and Bounder from Soundexille. It was something really huge for us to the support of such artists all at once.

Emiliano Folgar: from the birth of Interaxxis, Hernan Cattaneo and Nick Waren where a fundamental support. We had the luck that one of our first releases was in a Hope Recording compilation and from there, our relationship with Nick grew stronger. Guy Mantzur, as Martin said, was also a fundamental part of our growth.

6. You’ve got a new remix of Li-Polymer out now on Movement Recordings. Tell us about the inspiration behind the remix.

Emiliano Folgar: the general premise for this year was to try doing something more lineal than before, putting more importance on the groove than the melody.

Martin Kazez: We decided to use elements from the original track as FX, and the melody as support for the groove, which is as Emiliano said, what we are looking for nowadays.

7. This is your second appearance Movement, what is it that’s so great about working with them?

Martin Kazez: Both works on movement were remixes, from which the original parts where very good! Its a label we like, that always has an interesting approach on sound and a lot of times takes chances. We like being part of it !

8. You’ve also just a had an EP come out on Cid Inc’s Replug imprint, ‘Kicking Problems’ is a track that Hernan Cattaneo has been playing for well over a year, tell us a bit about that one and the companion piece ‘Nothing Is Useless’ and how they found their way on to Replug?

Emiliano Folgar: Kicking Problems is one of my favourite tracks. We used it from some time and made some adjustments. Eventually I showed it to Orsen that works with Cid Inc in Replug and they both loved it. We decided to make an EP and created Nothing is Useless as a partner.

9. Progressive music seems to be bigger than ever in Argentina at the moment, to the point where smaller progressive house DJs are selling out venues and larger international talents from the house and techno world are not. What is it about Argentina and progressive music that meshes so well together?

Martin Kazez: I think one of the best things in Argentina is its very rich scene in a lot of different genres. There are big DJs in all the categories, with events of all sizes and first-level line ups in House, Techno, Trance, etc. It first started in Buenos Aires, but now Rosario and Cordoba have been very strong for a long time. In the last couple of years, DJs and clubs have been growing all across Argentina. With respect to Progressive, in my case, and the same as a lot of producers, DJs and promoters, the first national DJ that marked us was Hernan. Me and a lot of people grew up listening to him and his growth was at the same time the growth of the scene. The same time that the scene exploded in Argentina, especially in Pacha Buenos Aires, was the same that Sasha, John Digweed, Nick Warren, Sander Kleinenberg, and all the current form Cream, Renaissance, Global Underground were on top. And that left a very important mark in a whole generation. Nonetheless, by the time DJs like Danny Tenaglia, Carl Cox, Justin Robertson were visiting Argentina, that’s the reason Hernan’s residency in Pacha and his later international growth where such important factors.

Emiliano Folgar: I think that Hernan Cattaneo’s international growth put Argentina in global scene. A lot of young kids got inspired by him as a role model and got identified with his music, which gave place to a lot of new producers.

10. Who are some up and coming artists from Argentina to look out for?

Emiliano Folgar: Ezequiel Arias, Bruno Caro, Nico Bruno, Pablo Cetrini

Martin Kazez: Ezequiel Arias also, Matias Chilano, Exe Bunge, Kevor, Lucas Rossi.

11.You’ve collaborated a with fellow countryman Mariano Mellino in the past, might we see something from the three of you again?

Martin Kazez: when we got together with Mariano, the proposal was to start with three ideas, and since we where three people, finish three tracks. So there are two more coming!

Emiliano Folgar: We are very good friends with Mariano. The tracks stated as a project interchange and ended up in three tracks, 2 more to come .

 12. What kind of stuff have you been playing in your DJ sets recently? Who are some of your go to artists?

Martin Kazez: we are trying to use as much tracks of our own as we can, sometime adapting them and doing reversions depending on the time of the night we are playing. Fortunately, there is so many good artists that is difficult to choose just a few, but I think our sets have always something from Pablo Bolivar, Facundo Mohrr, Chicola, Khen, Patrice Baumel, Monoplay, Danito & Athina.

Emiliano Folgar: For me, Pablo Bolivar and a lot of releases from his label Seven Villas can never be absent. I love Modd, and for a main time slot the groove from Cid Inc, Third Son, Solee and Chicola.

13. What release or achievement are you most proud of and why?

Martin Kazez: The track “Ghost” was very special for me. It was born in a very special moment and was our first release in Hope. Truth is that everything that happens is unique and I find it difficult to choose just one. Im very happy to do music and be able to reach someone.

Emiliano Folgar: Two releases I’m very proud of is Every day is Like a now, because I love the vocals and Kicking Problems, that came in a time my mother had health issues, hence the name.

14. Lastly, what can we can expect for the remainder of the year from you guys?

Emiliano Folgar: A second visit to Europe during ADE and a lot of new releases 🙂

Interaxxis has new music out on Movement Recordings, you can purchase the release: here