The Daily Swarm

Not a fan of the previous Administration? Join the minimal techno club. German-Chilean producer-DJ Ricardo Villalobos, to many the greatest minimal techno DJ in the world, swore he wouldn’t play the States while the Republicans were in power. While Villalobos routinely plays gigs all over the globe, he hasn’t visited the US since an ill-fated trip through LA seven years ago. According to an August ‘07 story in The Wire, Villalobos was “severely interrogated” by US customs officials shortly after 9/11, who grilled him as to reasons why his family fled Chile after Pinochet’s CIA-backed military coup in 1973.

But there’s reason to think that Ricardo Villalobos might just engage in some literal shuttle diplomacy sometime soon. In this Q&A in XLR8R Villalobos says, “My whole life changed because of American politics, so my way of protesting… is not to go to America. [But if there was] a formal invitation for me to present at [a] cultural event, then I would go to America, when I wouldn’t [feel] like a criminal for coming to the country only because I have a metal box with me. I really would like to come.” With the Dems at the helm and signs of progressive policy-making underway in DC…well, we hate to speculate. But reserve a spot for him on your dance card just the same—we feel like he’ll be here sometime in 2009.

Links:
Resident Advisor’s #1 DJ of 2008
Biography and Discography via Wikipedia

Listen:
Easy Lee
Enfants
Fizheuer Zieheuer Pt.1a