Ten years ago, Loco Dice became one of Ushuaïa's first underground residents with his Used + Abused party. At the time, Ushuaïa was new and still out with a point to prove. Today, things are very different.
This summer Loco Dice is back, albeit for one date, taking over ANTS on Saturday 12 August. With ambitions to conquer the world of fashion, much as he has done music, Loco Dice sat down with us to discuss everything he is juggling this year.
If you weren't familiar already, his Serán Bendecidos brand transcends generic merchandise standards, placing quality, design and trends at the forefront of its range.
Fitting into that niche of being a fashion authority, low-key personal shopper and passionate electronic music fan myself, to speak to an artist that sees them as going in hand in hand was life affirming.
We could've spoken for hours, had we both had the time. But it felt like our presence was in danger of delaying Loco Dice's fast approaching DJ set. Truthfully, we had designs on being on the dancefloor ourselves, so a fast-paced chat it would have to be!
Lissy Lü x Loco Dice
Loco Dice, welcome back to Ibiza. You were one of the first underground DJs to hold residency at Ushuaïa ten years ago and now you're back this summer for a special ANTS takeover. What was Ushuaïa like back then, compared to today?
"Back then, it was the new thing in Ibiza, which a few people were sceptical of. Ibiza tended to push back against anything new. For me, it was perfect because this is what Ibiza needed. When they asked me to do a residency, I was really happy.
It's a huge venue to fill, especially as an underground artist. The team is lovely and everyone is super amazing. I think the season went very well, because we all knew it was going to be work and a bit of an experiment, because you're battling against an outdated mindset.
I've been in Ibiza through all the changes. When the autopista came, and even like new hotels, people were like 'oh no, it's going to destroy the island', and it's been the opposite. Ushuaïa has become an institution. I created a hell of a DJ line-up with Used + Abused."
Your love for music began with Hip-Hop. Is this why you've invited Skepta and Mas Tiempo to your ANTS takeover this summer?
"I am hip-Hop! That's where my journey started. Me and Skepta have only met once, but I have a long relationship with Grime and UK Rap. I did a track with Giggs for my album Underground Sound Suicide.
Then I did an amazing project with BURN, where I rented the BURN studios in London and invited underground artists. We made an EP together with my project called FKD, which turned out very well. So, its just been a matter of time.
I met Skepta and we clicked. I was happy to invite him to one of my parties."
What do you make of his transition from Grime to House music?
"I look in the mirror! I know exactly how he feels. I know exactly where he wants to go and I'm more than happy to help him. Although I don't think he needs it. He should enjoy the ride.
It will be difficult, because you always have critics stuck in the past. It's hard to convince them 'I'm not selling out, I'm just building bridges and I'm taking you on a journey. I'm making something new for you.'
Do you ever see yourself having your own Ibiza residency again in the future?
"I'm happy the way it is. There was a time where I stayed away from Ibiza for a couple of years after my Ushuaïa residency ended. Now I enjoy coming back to the island. I love it. I have all my friends here.
Every year a residency is there in the head, but I don't know. It has to make sense. I can call grace and say, 'look I want a residency, make it happen', but it has to be right."
You went back-to-back with The Martinez Brothers at the Hï Ibiza Opening Party last month. What is it about your styles that match so well?
"Looking at us, you'd think we were raised together! We have the same interests, whether it's sneakers, baseball caps, whatever it is, we can talk about things for weeks. It's the same with music.
Generally speaking, DJs don't talk about music - I don't know if you know that? Especially the ones I play b2b with. There's never any preparation. Sometimes we don't see each other for half a year.
Sometimes we try to impress each other, maybe try to compete a little, but all in all, it's just about having a good time.
Myself and The 'Bros follow the same style. We like the same things, yet we're still different. That's the amazing thing about electronic music, you can serve it on a plate, different dishes. It tastes good and people vibe off it."
Can we look forward to any surprises from you this summer?
"I don't know. There will always be surprises. With my name, you can never rule out surprises."
You've got two dates with FISHER as well. Would you say your sets change sonically when playing with The Fish compared to TMB, for example?
"Never, no. I only change depending on the time, people and venue. Nothing else. Of course when you play b2b you have to work your way, but that's why i play with people that i know.
It's never a case of 'this is a different Loco Dice to this Loco Dice', even if the dancefloor knows there's always something unpredictable. There's just my style. You don't know what I might drop. It might even be a Hip-Hop track? This is what Loco Dice is all about."
You've recently launched Serán Bendecidos as an official label to complement the existing party series. How will it differ from Desolat?
"Very simple. Serán Bendecidos is a lifestyle brand - a clothing line, a party, a way of life. I realised I needed to turn it into music. It's colour, a lot of laughing, friends, it combines the diversity of Loco Dice.
I'm signing music, not the artist. Desolat used to be artist focused. The difference between the two, is that Desolat will go back to the club, the small dark clubs. Slowly people will see that they are two different things."
How did you decide that VLTRA and Francis de Simone would be the first release on Serán Bendecidos?
"That track was in my pocket for a long time. The artists know, they have to be very patient with me. I never release a track right away. The track always sits with me for up to half a year. It needs to be approved by the people.
This is how I see it. With Serán Bendecidos, when we had the pandemic, everything took time. Flowcito is a Latin track, perfect for the Ibiza summer. I had to knock it into the brains of the people and the DJs and that's why it's a big hit. Now everyone is playing it.
Like i said, I don't care too much about the artist's profile, I care about the music. Most of my artists are bedroom producers. They produce with their headphones and possibly even with unlicensed software?
Sometimes I ask them things and they look at me like, 'errrr, I don't understand.'
You stopped producing for a while, why was this? Was your remix of Flowcito your official comeback?
"During the pandemic, I had another label called En Colour, which had five to six releases. It wasn't really for the dancefloor, but it was more me in the studio making music with no pressure.
Now the pandemic is over, En Colour is over. I don't want to confuse people. I did a remix for Meduza and a few others. Now everything is back on track, the remix for Flowcito is like my comeback, I guess."
Who else can we expect to see release on the new label?
"A lot of young, unestablished artists, newcomers. There's this one artist, a friend of mine, who I really like. He's a Colombian kid called Cortez from Miami. He's a really cool artist. He's going to release something soon on Desolat.
Then we've got the usual suspects: Chicks Luv Us, Yungness & Jaminn - the new generation."
How did your journey into the fashion world start?
"From Hip-Hop culture. From day one, for me fashion and music belong together. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fashionista, but it's always been a part of my life. When I feel like I want to design, I'll design. Then I'll go back to just music.
Right now, I feel like a 21 year old kid who wants to do everything."
What is your goal with the clothing line?
"To see people wearing it with love. But more importantly, seeing people wearing the same t-shirt five years later. The quality of my merch is very important to me.
Last time I saw someone and it faded away, I was like 'what have you done? How did you wash it?' It's impossible that it looks like this. He was like, 'I washed it wrong. I didn't follow the instructions. I'm so sorry.' I was like, 'bro, you're killing me.' (laughs)
I had to send the prototypes back six times, because I didn't like the stitching. And now with Serán Bendecidos, I have a great team, great producers, great materials and I'm pleased. There's more to come, wait and see."
Which brands do you mostly wear day to day?
"Always the designs of my friends. I like to wear my friends' brands and support them. On a daily basis, it's LFNY. I also love what Virgil Abloh has achieved, may he rest in peace. He was amazing."
In what way does Ibiza provide a source of fashion inspiration?
"Ibiza provides everything. In the summer, the whole world is here. Fashion people, journalists, politicians… and if you're not blind and you open your eyes, you can walk through Ibiza and be inspired by many things. It's the same with music."
Let's do a quick fire round. How would you describe your style in three words?
"Loco, sexy, cool!"
Favourite club to play?
"Space Miami."
Best DJ to go b2b with?
"Tricky one. Okay, I'll give you one. But only because when I play with this guy, we always battle each other: Carl Cox. We hate each other when we DJ. We play the most difficult record to play after each other, it's not, 'I play for you', it's 'I play against you.'
If you weren't a DJ, you'd be?
"I think a rap superstar. (laughs) That was my dream from day one. I wanted to be like LL COOL J."
Favourite country to play?
"Italy. The country that made me famous."
Favourite genre to listen to in your downtime?
"Reggae."
One item you can't live without?
"The devil right here, this piece of shit." (points to his iPhone)
Loco Dice takes over ANTS on Saturday 12 August, when he is joined by Skepta (DJ set), Yaya and Mahony. Tickets for that date and the rest in the ANTS' calendar can be purchased below.
For tickets to his appearance at The Martinez Brothers, please head here. For his FISHER dates, please visit this page.
You can find a full breakdown of all his 2023 Ibiza appearances by clicking here.
PHOTOGRAPHY | by La Skimal
