If you’ve ever gotten lost in one of Kalamarico’s tracks, you know exactly how it feels: like drifting through an electronic soundworld where every pulse is both familiar and uncanny. Hailing from Madrid, he’s the Co‑CEO of Beta‑Time Records and has been crafting music since his FastTracker days nearly 30 years ago!
Kalamarico’s music lives in the space between minimalism and movement. There’s a strong sense of structure in what he does and his grooves are clean, his atmospheres carefully shaped, but there’s also a kind of emotional distortion running underneath, like ghost data slipping through the beat. You’ll hear that in The Gravedigger, where dense rhythmic detail meets eerie, low-lit ambiance. Or in Federado, a track that creeps forward with subtle confidence, all restraint and hidden pressure.
Kalamarico is not just making music, he also curates sonic experiences, overseeing Beta-Time Records, guiding creative projects, and leveling up composition and mixing day by day. He’s the kind of artist whose tracks often get labeled “unique” or “so Kalamarico,” because there’s really no easy comparison. And that’s part of what makes him so compelling: he’s built his own lane, one beat at a time.
You can dig into his universe over on:
🌐 SoundCloud
🛒 Bandcamp
🎧 Apple Music
🔊 Beatport
Now, here’s a little window into Kalamarico’s mind. I asked him some questions, and as always, he answered with full‑on honesty and humor. Enjoy! 😊
How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it before?
I honestly have no idea how I’d give an exact description… I’d just say it’s Techno! Since there’s no such genre as “Kalamarico,” which would actually be the most accurate 🤣. I’m pretty used to reading comments like “Unique style” or “This is so kalamarico”… The takeaway for me is that, just like a picture is worth a thousand words, the same goes for music!
What track or project are you most proud of and why?
That’s not fair!! Just one? Haha! Well, over time I’ve been doing this, three different projects have taken the “favorite” spot at different points. I’ll go with the one that currently holds the number one spot: “Federado.”
Why? I don’t know… Maybe the motivation behind it, how different it is, or that feeling of having taken a big step forward after releasing it.
My friend and the CEO of Beta‑Time Records said (literally) this when he heard it:
“This is 100 times above anything I’ve heard from you so far.”
That line hits both ways, right? On the one hand, it’s pure hype and pride… And on the other, it’s kind of a slap in the face too, isn’t it? Hahahahaha!
Which artists or genres have had the biggest influence on your sound?
When it comes to direct influence from specific artists, I can’t really name any, because honestly, I don’t know. I’ll go back to a comment someone once made about one of my tracks, “Interrumption 24h.” They said: “This is very Sven Väth.” And yeah, that’s probably true, since he’s always been one of my all‑time favorites.
In terms of genres, that’s where I can give you more of a clue. Within Techno, Minimal or Minimal/Deep Tech is what I’ve been listening to the most in recent years. Before that, besides classic Techno, I’d say Detroit‑style as well, and because of the region I’m from, Techno House and Dance were what I listened to most when I was younger.
So yeah… I’d say it’s a mix of all that!
Was there a defining moment that made you say, “I want to make music”?
Hahaha, this one’s a good one, you’ll see! At the time, I was working as a fully remote Software Engineer. I usually didn’t ask the company to buy me monitors, keyboards, or gadgets for home use, even though that’s pretty common in our industry.
Now, I was one of the people who had created what we called the “meme culture” at the company, meaning that, even working from home, we prioritized team communication and keeping a fun, positive vibe. One of the many things I used to do was silly videos and songs that only made sense to people in the company. Thanks to that, I ended up being part of the “company party committee,” so to speak.
So here’s where it gets good: I had a moment of clarity and went straight to the big boss (the guy with the money 😉), and told him I wasn’t going to ask for a monitor or some fancy keyboard for my Mac. I told him I wanted him to pay for my Logic Pro license instead!
And… it worked! I paid for the license myself, and he sent me the money via bank transfer. And that was the moment! Once I had the hardware and software to start making music at a, let’s say, “professional” level, I really dove into it full throttle.
If your sound were a place, color, or emotion, what would it be?
The place is crystal clear to me: it would have to be an outdoor electronic music festival, with a great vibe, good energy, and packed with people. The color? All of them except pink? Haha! And the emotion? I’d say all emotions except one: deep, cutting sadness. I just can’t deal with that. Any song that makes me feel that kind of emotion goes straight to my blacklist.
Do you have a ritual or habit that helps you get into a creative zone?
I have to be in my spot, kind of like Sheldon and his couch. My spot is the corresponding room in my house, of course haha.
What’s a surprising song/track you like?
Toxic by Britney Spears!
How do you handle creative blocks?
Well, many others have told me about those periods of creative blocks and such, but I don’t really see it as a problem or something to worry about. Besides making music, this whole music thing involves other tasks, and during those times, I just dedicate more time to those. But I think it’s the opposite for me: I have more creative time than the time I actually have to bring it all out!
Delay or reverb: one has to go forever, which one?
Well, I don’t know… both, really… But if you’re making me choose, then I’ll say Delay.
If aliens landed and said “play us one track or we vaporize Earth,” which one are you sending?
Well, if that happened, I wouldn’t really have much hope that they wouldn’t massacre us anyway, whether they liked the song or not. Besides, I don’t think we’d have any idea about their musical tastes, maybe they’re completely different from ours. So instead of trying to pick a good song to save us, I’d go for the loudest, most annoying track possible to mess with them as much as I can. Since they’re going to annihilate us anyway, why not annoy them a bit, right?
The first thing that came to mind is Cradle of Filth… I think any of their songs would do. We’d put on some headphones, crank the volume up, and with a bit of luck, their brains might explode!
Big thanks to Kalamarico for sharing his world so openly! If you haven’t yet, I really recommend spending time listening to Federado or The Gravedigger, maybe even with headphones, lights low, and no distractions. Let the patterns speak for themselves!
— Spacey Panda
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