We caught up with Altrigo to talk about the launch of his House-driven alter ego, the creative mindset behind the project, and how his sound has evolved from Trance into groove-led club music.
Now based in Los Angeles, the classically trained producer opens up about identity, inspiration, and the emotions he aims to spark on the dancefloor.
From production habits to future goals, Altrigo takes us inside this new chapter in an honest and forward-thinking conversation.
Read the full interview below.
Hi Altrigo, how are you?
I’m doing great!
To begin can you tell us, who is Altrigo, and what inspired you to start this new chapter under that name?
Altrigo is my House alias, which I felt was the right fit for the type of music I was producing. The name literally comes from the idea of an alter ego, especially since I had just been releasing only Trance.
How would you describe the musical identity of Altrigo? What sound or feeling are you chasing?
The idea behind the alter ego is that when you’re listening to my music, whether it’s my own tracks, remixes, or a DJ set, your body should not stop shaking and moving to the music. You should feel a huge bassline in your chest and the groove in your feet and not stop moving.
Was there a moment when you realized it was time to launch this new project?
At first, a couple of years ago, I just wanted to try and remix my own tech House track, which was a cover of “No Diggity” by Blackstreet, and honestly, it was not meant to be released. I just wanted to send it out so DJs could play it, but a record label loved it and wanted to release it.
Since then, I’ve been really focusing more on Trance and a little more on House. Now, after playing all my House gigs, I feel that I really want to focus on that, because that’s where I feel my sound is taking off.
What kind of sonic or visual influences are shaping the Altrigo project right now?
There is nothing specific that is shaping Altrigo. Whenever I hear other DJs play a certain record, it just inspires me to make more music in different ways, and sometimes to create different remixes of something that has already been released, but in my own style.
Sometimes, when I’m just listening to music, I feel like I want to remix a track because I think it would work great for my music and for people listening and dancing to it. Visually, I would say there’s nothing that influences me as much as I influence myself with my own music.
Are there particular emotions or moods you’re trying to capture with your music?
Right now, I’m aiming for a darker, cinematic feeling, sometimes with a little bit of nostalgia. I want everyone to experience music in their own way and feel their own emotions, not just what I’m feeling, because that’s the power of music. Everyone interprets a track in their own way when they hear it for the first time.
How has your creative process changed (if at all) with this new identity?
My sound has definitely changed, especially as I’ve been playing more commercially driven DJ sets lately. It still makes me want to produce music I wish I could play more often, but sometimes I have to meet in the middle, balancing what makes the crowd happy with what makes me happy.
While Trance allowed me to focus more on emotional breakdowns, that approach doesn’t correlate as much into tech House. What I love about the tech House I’ve been producing recently is the groove and movement, it creates its own emotion, the kind that keeps your feet moving nonstop.
Can you give us a glimpse into your production setup? Are there tools or techniques you find essential?
My production setup is very basic. About 99% of the music I produce, and use as reference, is made on my laptop using only its speakers. Then, I’ll do a car test and listen on AirPods, other speakers, or even my phone.
I know my sound system so well that I can get everything right just using my laptop speakers. I focus on simple sounds and light processing, the simpler the track, the more impact it has.
What’s your approach production more from a musical perspective, a rhythmic one, or something else entirely?
With each track it’s different. Usually, people like to say, “Oh, I like to start with the drums, or the bassline, or the melody.” For me, each track already starts with a different emotion of me wanting to create it, because I just love creating music when I get inspired.
Sometimes, if I’m not inspired, I won’t make music, because just making music for the sake of it will not always result in the best ideas. Some ideas I just put down because I have to get them out of my head, even if I’m not going to do anything with them. You never know, later down the line I might just open up that project and continue working on it.
But each track is different. Sometimes it’s a vocal that I’m trying to use, sometimes it’s a bassline that’s stuck in my head, sometimes it’s a drum pattern that I’m focusing on. But that’s how I dive into my production.
What kind of experience do you want people to have when they hear Altrigo for the first time?
I want them to feel like, “Wow, I can really listen to this all night and dance to it all night.” No matter if they’re in the car, in the gym, or in the club, I just want them to have a good time and feel that no matter their age, they can feel young again and actually want to dance to the music. That’s the most important thing for me.
What’s next for you? Any goals, collaborations, or ideas you’re exploring with this new project?
I’m just focusing on my music and trying to get more gigs where I can play more of what I really want to play and have people hear what I want them to hear. I would love to do more collaborations with anyone, especially some of my heroes in this industry, like Chris Lake and other great artists out there. But you’re just going to have to wait and see.
From his early starts as a DJ to producing progressive Trance and House in Los Angeles, ALTRIGO has evolved his sound while staying true to his passion for music.
