10 iconic Ricardo Villalobos moments

Ricardo Villalobos is a gift to dance music that keeps on giving. He's provided the world with hours and hours of mindblowing sounds, his DJ sets are consistently triumphs, and on the rare occasions that we get an insight into the man behind the music it's usually an enthralling experience.

Although he doesn't use the internet, his presence across it is considerable. We've scoured all corners of the web to compile 10 iconic moments starring the Chilean-German maestro. Check them out below.

Ricardo is one of the most enigmatic figures in dance music, and something that adds greatly to the mystery is something that should have demystified it. In 2009 the filmmaker Romuald Karmakar shot a documentary titled Villalobos, which is described on IMDB as “a look at the life and work of Chilean DJ Ricardo Villalobos”, but the film isn’t available to watch anywhere, and doesn’t appear to have been shown outside of a screening at the Venice Film Festival. There’s an intense clamour online from people desperate to see the film, but it’s yielded no results, and it seems like we’ll never get the pleasure.

A few reviews exist online, which are mixed, to say the least. Spanish website Otros Cines labelled it a “masterpiece” and Sight & Sound described it as “a brilliant journey into the soul of music and rhythm.” However, one IMDB user called it “one of the clumsiest and most amateurishly created films in recent years,” and on a similar tip, Rich On Film said it is “possibly the single worst thing I have ever seen at a film festival,” asserting rather strongly “do not see it! Please! For the love of God let me do you a favour.” Either way, we’re definitely intrigued.

As a rule, film premieres are quite formal affairs, marking the occasion when all the hard work a cast and crew have put in is debuted. Naturally, when the Villalobos-featuring If I Think Of Germany At Night documentary aired for the first time at the Berlin International Film Festival last month he rocked up wearing a cloud-patterned jumpsuit and bumbag on his waist, with a black blazer adding that classy finish. The blazer makes the outfit for us. The way it’s hanging open, unbuttoned, gives it the look of being thrown on last minute. We’re imagining Ricardo scurrying out his front door, then catching his billowing reflection in the mirror and thinking: “Perhaps I should be smarter for this international film premiere? Fuck it, wrapping a blazer round these glorified pyjamas will do.” We love you Ricardo.

We couldn’t not include this photo. It’s the iconic Ricardo Villaobos photo, depicting Ricardo Villalobos in full Riccy V mode. Without wanting to glorify the dangerous state he seems to be in here, the levels Ricardo gets himself to while still managing to kill it in clubs is somewhat impressive. If you’re a promoter looking to book him, just make sure there’s plenty of water on that rider.

We could watch this clip for hours. The range of facial expressions on display makes us think that if, Heaven forbid, Ricardo ever does hang up his turntables, a career in Hollywood could be a viable alternative. Basically it’s someone handing Ricardo a can of Red Bull which he graciously turns down in a flurry of pouting air kisses, then after this polite refusal has taken place he pulls a sly face of pure disgust. The combination of outward gratitude and the deep inward revulsion that slips out is classic Ricardo. He’s not one to keep his body movements reserved. See this Green & Blue video interview where he starts sat upright and gradually slides down into delivering his answers while lying flat out with his legs spread for another example. And watch the rejection on loop forever below.

Ricardo’s not for everyone, as his set at Leeds’ Cocoon In The Park in 2015 made abundantly clear. Stepping up after the force of nature that is Carl Cox, the Leeds crowd didn’t take too kindly to Ricardo’s more leftfield selections. Abuse streamed and poured into the event’s Facebook page, and organiser Sven Väth quickly pushed in and took control. The video from the festival is quite something to behold. It shows Ricardo prancing around with flamboyant abandon while an entire field of people either stand still miserably or boo, save for one bloke in a vest fully going for it at the front of stage. The finest moment arrives when Ricardo turns around and pulls a massive shit-eating grin at the camera. Perhaps the feeling between DJ and crowd was mutual.

A good counterpoint to the Cocoon In The Park video above is this footage of Ricardo and Luciano sending Berlin’s Love Parade into absolute overdrive in 2006. The duo unleash relentless, pacey selections while the thousands of people lining the streets around the Victory Column lose themselves. Love Parade sadly ended in tragedy four years later, but this footage shows Ricardo right at centre of the party’s glorious peak.

Watching DJs play back-to-back can often be a thrilling experience, as they push each other outside their respective comfort zones. It’s made more of a spectacle when Ricardo Villalobos is involved, when the mere passing of the headphones takes place in a swirl of pomp and circumstance. In the above 2006 clip of Ricardo playing with an (even more) baby-faced Raresh, he twirls with the grace of a Swan Lake performance when handing over the cans at the 3:25 mark.

Ricardo takes some flak from the non-believers about his mixing skills. We all know he’s liable to drop a bit of a clanger every now and then (which we secretly love him for), but when you mix in such an experimental, idiosyncratic style as Ricardo it’s inevitable everything won’t always go to plan. If you ever hear someone complain that he can’t mix then point them towards the 26 minute mark of this recording of his set at Kristal Glam Club in Bucharest. He’s in the midst of a blend and the timing is out, and then with a casual movement of the hand he pulls the record back to a near-perfect position by sight alone, lightly taps the edge of the platter, and the mix continues in perfect tandem. He makes it look easy but it’s a masterful move.

Those rave moments where you completely lose yourself and start getting freaky with your moves are the best and should be cherished. This recording from Russia’s Outline festival in 2015 sees Ricardo tearing it up in typical fashion, and Nina Kraviz is cutting some chaotic shapes behind him, causing Nastia to look on in astonishment. Meanwhile Zip quietly sifts through his record bag. We’d have been on Nina’s level.

Sleeping: there are plenty of times in party mode where we do everything in our power to put it off. But in general we’re pretty into it. Its wonderfulness is ingrained into the human condition. It’s refreshing, relaxing, comfortable, helps aid recovery, and all manner of good things. To dislike sleeping you’d have to be from another world. Like Ricardo Villalobos then. In this video interview (conducted by rising artist Julia Govor) he outlines why he’s afraid of dreams, while gently spinning back and forth in a chair that looks like a bisected flying saucer.

Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Staff Writer, follow him on Twitter