Mia Moretti’s 2023 track ‘Tambor’ showcased a fresh direction for the Los Angeles-based DJ and producer, paying homage to legendary Colombian vocalist Totó La Momposina and singers from the Colombian-Caribbean coast.
Photo credit: Mia Moretti – Facebook
Now, Mia demonstrates her A&R skills by inviting two new names to Spaghetti Moretti Records to remix her original, dynamic Cuban duo PAUZA and emerging minimal/deep tech talent Gio Lucca.
In this exclusive interview, Mia Moretti sits down with EG to discuss the inspiration behind ‘Tambor,’ her process for selecting remixers, and the fusion of modern dance music with traditional sounds. Join us as we delve into the creative mind of Mia Moretti and her musical journey.
EG: Hi Mia, welcome to EG! Where are you currently based, and how has the year been treating you so far?
Mia Moretti: Thanks for the invite! I just returned home to Los Angeles from Ibiza. It was my first time spending the season out there – got a chance to play Solid Grooves at DC10, Wild Corner at Hi Ibiza, Playa Soleil, and Bedouin’s Saga at Pacha. Now I can’t wait to get in the studio and put down all the ideas that came to me. Really excited to make some new music!
EG: For those who don’t know you, could you tell us how you first got involved with music and how you would define your current sound?
Mia Moretti: I’ve been in music for over a decade. I started DJing on vinyl at the Standard Hotel on the Sunset Strip. They let me play anything, and I took that liberty and ran with it – my record collection at the time ranged from Brazilian Tropicália, New York Latin Funk and Boogaloo, No Wave, Post-punk, and eventually French electro.
This was when Ed Banger Records was coming to Los Angeles a lot, and Justice was blowing everyone’s minds. It was an exciting time to be around. Steve Aoki had a little tiny night at a bar called Cinespace, and there was a community of musicians that always came through. Everyone was excited because something new was happening, and you could feel it.
From there, I moved to New York and started playing out at real gigs. I met a lot of people, and lucky for me, it seemed like everyone always needed a DJ. I produced runway music, I directed deconstructed symphonies in empty buildings, and I played at shitty happy hour bars. I took any job I could, and it informed me everything I know about music today.
Eventually, after 10 years on the New York grind, I realized I wasn’t going to be able to focus on the music I wanted to make unless I dipped out and took some time to properly process everything I had accumulated. I moved back to Los Angeles and spent the better part of the last 4 years trying to understand what and why I do what I do. I knew it was because I love connecting to people, but deeper than that, it is because music brings us back to our bodies and back to the earth. I now aim to make music that does that.
EG: Congratulations on launching your record label Spaghetti Moretti! What made you decide to launch your own imprint, and what have been the best and worst parts of being a label boss so far?
Mia Moretti: Thank you! It is really exciting to actually see that written out. It still feels like an idea; sometimes I forget that it’s a real thing. It was really a simple decision starting the label – I wanted to put out my music. I was sending one song here to a label and another song there, and I was waiting to hear back and waiting on different release schedules and politics and whatnot – but in the end, with these songs, I didn’t want to think of them like a business or a product. I just wanted to put them out, in the order I had made them, and start telling my story. I didn’t need a lot of bells and whistles; I just wanted them in the world, so I decided on a name and started a record label, and that’s it. I’ll save the laborious bits of being a record boss for another day. For now, I’m just excited that people get to hear the music.
EG: Can you tell us about your travels to South America, and how they influenced the creation of the original ‘Tambor’ release?
Mia Moretti: My best friend and bandmate, Margot, moved to Colombia with her husband and invited me to come record with them in Medellín. Margot and I had dozens of songs in our heads that we had never put down, so we gave ourselves a month to write and record them. On one of my days off, I went record shopping – I was on the hunt for Bullerengue and Cumbia records. That’s when I went into a deep dive into Petrona Martínez, Totó La Momposina, Martina Camargo, and more. I fell in love with the story of these women and their communities – with how their music is passed matrilineally through the younger generations. I wanted to pass their stories and their music to my communities and to the next generation to come.
“I fell in love with the story of these women and their communities – with how their music is passed matrilineally through the younger generations”
EG: How did you decide on PAUZA and Gio Lucca in particular to create ‘Tambor’ remixes? Do you have any A&R advice you can share with other artists hoping to launch their own labels?
Mia Moretti: I met PAUZA when I was traveling in Cuba about 5 years ago. As soon as I arrived on the island, my hosts immediately told me about the girls and were excited to introduce me. I went to a party they were DJing and got to know them and their music. Every time I’ve gone back to Cuba, I’ve visited them. I have been watching them grow as DJs along the way and have always wanted to collaborate with them. ‘Tambor’ is such a special record to me, as it samples Totó La Momposina, who is such an icon – I thought it was the perfect record to have them put their Cuban touch on.
EG: PAUZA’s remix brings rich Latin rhythms to the table, while Gio Lucca’s version blends tech house with minimal and funk elements. What do you think each artist has uniquely contributed to the essence of ‘Tambor’?
Mia Moretti: I met Gio Lucca at Miami Music Week this last year, and we instantly hit it off. I wasn’t thinking of him remixing ‘Tambor’ originally, but that’s what I love about it – it brings a new side to the record, and it’s something that worked perfectly this summer at DC10 and Saga.
EG: Katy Perry was photographed on stage with you during your Coachella performance this year. Do you two have a collaboration in the works?
Mia Moretti: She actually just called me up when I was in Ibiza and said she was coming to town. She stopped by my gig at Pacha, and we dropped her new single, ‘Lifetimes.’ She was also filming the music video for the song, which came out today. I can get behind pop stars making dance music. I think we need more dance music in America.
EG: Looking ahead, what are some of the releases and shows you are most excited about? What should we keep an eye out for?
Mia Moretti: My next release is a ’90s house record that I re-recorded with the original singer – she came out to New York from Baltimore right before I left for Ibiza. It was my last studio session before the season. While we were in the studio, we freestyled a few other tracks. This will be the first thing to finish this week – I can’t wait to share it with the world.
Mia Moretti’s ‘Tambor’ is now available via Spaghetti Moretti Records. Stream and download here.
Follow Mia Moretti: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram | Facebook
