“Living in the moment”: How Paco Osuna has stayed at the forefront of dance music for 30 years

2024 marks Paco Osuna’s 30th year as a DJ. But despite numerous past achievements, he’s always looking ahead.

From his early days as a resident at Ibiza’s Amnesia, when the then-fledgling DJ played an instrumental part in introducing the island to techno, to playing at some of the world’s biggest music events and venues including fabric, The Warehouse Project, Coachella, Sónar, Elrow and Marco Carola’s Music On, Paco Osuna has remained at the forefront of electronic music throughout his career.

“Music has changed and so has the audience. The generation that listened to me when I started doesn't go out to party as much anymore, so I can't keep playing that music,” he says. Moving with the times and refining his style to evolving music tastes, Osuna stays relevant to the next generation, while maintaining his identity as a DJ through a consistent mode of mixing.

This flexibility and open-mindedness has led Osuna to work with a number of different artists over the years. Founding his Mindshake label in 2006, the Spanish-born musician has released productions for the likes of Cuartero, Eats Everything, Andres Campo, and Melanie Ribbe. Over time, the label has become a staple within the techno scene, pushing the genre forward by encouraging musical experimentation and self-expression. In more recent years, Paco Osuna has expanded his club setup, enhancing his sets with the use of samplers, drum machines, and additional music gear as a tool to develop his creativity and continue on his high-flying trajectory.

Read this next: Paco Osuna is on a Hï right now

But in 2022, Osuna’s desire to live and think in the present moment found a different outlet, via a series of events dedicated to the very concept. “NOW HERE is not just a party but a philosophy of life”, he tells Mixmag. “Living in the moment without thinking about anything else; there is no past or future, there is only what we experience at that moment.”

Now in its third season at Hï Ibiza’s, NOW HERE established itself as a popular party on the White Isle, taking over the Club Room every Tuesday, with two full club takeovers also planned for September 5 and 19 where Paco Osuna will helm the main Theatre dancefloor. The party has also earned a following further afield, with Osuna taking it on a world tour stopping off at Miami, New York, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Tulum, Medellin, Phuket, and more, this year.

Since its start, NOW HERE has hosted a range of world-class DJs spanning the spectrum of techno, house and tech-house. Previous line-ups have included Marco Carola, Loco Dice, Melanie Ribbe, Dennis Cruz, Solardo, Chris Stussy and Mason Collective.

In June, Mason Collective returned to play alongside Osuna himself at the season opening party, a night that set the pace for the next 15 parties. With a month left until the season ends, DJs blk., Latmun, Charlie Sparks and Sara Landry are still yet to step up at the famed party's Hï Ibiza takeover in September, bringing their top-tier selections to the club.

After 30 years at the top of his game, Paco Osuna never fails to bring the heat to Ibiza's dancefloors. Three decades in and an abundance of parties later, Osuna wants to spread his motto far and wide: to enjoy life NOW and HERE. Check out an interview with Paco Osuna below, and grab your tickets to NOW HERE's forthcoming takeover at Hï Ibiza here.

30 years is a long time - do you find your style has changed much over the years? How do you keep the passion and keep yourself excited?

Of course, my style has changed, because music has changed a lot in 30 years. What I haven't changed is my way of mixing, I think that's one of the traits that most identifies me as an artist. It doesn't matter what genre I play, I always try to stamp my style by mixing.

What got you into dance music? And who were your biggest inspirations in music that influenced your style?

The passion I feel for music and the art of mixing is something that still excites me and makes me happy even after all this time.

The biggest inspirations I have had have been Richie Hawtin and Marco Carola, but there are many other DJs who influenced me at different stages of my life. At the beginning, the one who made me love music was Raul Orellana, resident at Studio 54 in Barcelona, then Luis Bonias, Christian Marti and Jorge Zamora were the ones who influenced me the most in my beginnings as a DJ, either because of their great knowledge of music or because of their great technique when it came to mixing.

People often regard you as one of the first DJs to introduce techno to Ibiza - it’s now a trademark sound of the Island, how does this make you feel?

Well, hearing this makes me very proud, actually. It's true, when I started as a resident at Amnesia in '99, all the music compilations from Ibiza and its clubs were more focused on house and the Ibizan sound. I created the 'Amnesia Ibiza Underground' compilation that was focused on techno and tech-house, a more underground sound. So yes, it's something I'm very proud of having started.

Is there a particular set from your career that you can remember as a standout?

I have a lot of special sessions that I have done throughout my 30-year career, but perhaps the set that made a substantial change was the first time I did an all-night-long in Madrid (for eight hours). It was something that will always stick in my mind because it was a great boost in my career.

Read this next: Paco Osuna's NOW HERE debut was a technicoloured celebration of the dancefloor

How has Ibiza changed since you first arrived in 1999? And what lessons or life experiences has that time given you that you have now applied in your residency NOW HERE at Hï?

Ibiza has changed a lot, life evolves in all aspects and Ibiza is not indifferent to change. There are things that I miss a little from the past, but you don't have to live in memories, you have to live in the present and enjoy it.

What I have learned is that Ibiza has its own personality and you can't change it, it's the island that changes you. And that is something that I always had very clear with NOW HERE, 25 years on the island have made me see and understand that.

When did you make the transition to your current set up (Model 1, Taktor, Ableton Live, a sampler and a drum machine)? How did it impact your ability to control a crowd?

A lot! Now I have many more tools to create a unique DJ set by adding my personality. Technology is there to make us more CREATIVE and it is something I have always wanted to do since the beginning of my career, to evolve and not settle for the basics. The set up I have now is very important to me, I would say it is 35% of my show.

You're reflecting on three decades in music this year, what has been your biggest "pinch me" moment across this time?

As a DJ I have had many amazing moments and experiences and I have enjoyed them very much, but having your own party in Ibiza with a brand and a philosophy that is supported by the audience - they really are and feel part of the concept - is something very special. I think that since I started NOW HERE I am experiencing a moment of maturity and satisfaction that I have not had before. NOW HERE is like my child and seeing your child grow is something that is always EXCITING.

Your Mindshake label has gone from strength to strength since its 2005 inception … what is the deciding factor for you in what makes the cut for the label?

For me it is essential that they are tracks that I can use in my DJ sets. Mindshake is a label created for the dancefloor and if I didn't play the tracks from my label I wouldn't feel identified with the sound and I wouldn't be able to release it on my label. As the top exponent of a label you also have to be its biggest ambassador and supporter.

What do you think the secret to longevity is for a DJ? Is it constantly upgrading your set up? Finding new music?

I think the secret is to understand the musical moment you are in and what that generation likes. As I said before, music has changed and so has the audience. The generation that listened to me when I started doesn't go out to party as much anymore, so I can't keep playing that music. You have to understand and connect with the audience, but very importantly, ALWAYS WITHOUT LOSING YOUR IDENTITY.

While you are celebrating 30 years in dance music, you are also celebrating three years of your NOW HERE residency at Hi Ibiza – can you let us know one of you favourite moments from the residency’s run?

Every Tuesday I go into the Club Room is like entering paradise, the place where I forget all my problems and enjoy the moment. I have done very special sessions - like openings or closings - where there are long sets, but every Tuesday has been special for me, because the connection I feel with the audience in that room is unique.

Read this next: Paco Osuna's NOW HERE residency runs rings around Ibiza's mainstream club nights

What can fans expect from your full club takeover at Hï Ibiza?

Well, the best of me. Both will be nights with two different initiatives. On September 5 I have invited the new generations of DJs and on September 19, I will be with artists of my generation who have been part of my history in Ibiza and in general. It will be very special for me and I want to do my best to make them two incredible nights.

You’ll be taking NOW HERE to Amsterdam for ADE and New York this coming Autumn, Did you ever envision the party would become international? How will the party format change for US and Netherlands crowds?

Yes, from the beginning I thought that the party would become international. NOW HERE is not just a party but a philosophy of life, living in the moment without thinking about anything else, there is no past or future, there is only what we experience at that moment. I have always said that you cannot change the past nor can you predict the future - the only thing we are clear about is the moment we are living in now. NOW HERE was born from that way of thinking and that's why we try to give our best so that the audience enjoys the music every minute they are with us, so that they live the now intensely.

Wherever we go with NOW HERE we try to ensure that the identity is not lost - neither musically nor aesthetically - because wherever they call us it is because they like what we do in Ibiza, which is where the concept was born, so it wouldn't make sense to change and bring a different atmosphere.

Can you explain what ‘Live Atope’ means, and how it has influenced your career and life so far?

Living Atope means living to the fullest, living life and enjoying it to the fullest, we only have one life and this is it, so we have to enjoy it ATOPE. Just by knowing the meaning of NOW HERE, you can imagine how much this motto has influenced my career!

Has having a child affected your DJ lifestyle and the way you DJ compared to those early days?

Having a child has changed a lot in the way I live my life, but not in my music or in my way of DJing!

Congrats on the release of the ‘Beat Heat’ EP - what’s next? Can you see yourself working on another full-length album in the future?

Well, I hope so and I really want it. I just set up my studio at home again and that allows me to not have to invest time getting there and to be able to produce whenever I want without leaving home, hahaha. Between all the travelling for gigs, when I get home I'm really tired and I don't feel like going to the studio, apart from the fact that as a father I have some obligations that I can't put aside. So now everything will be easier and I'll be able to produce more regularly.

Paco Osuna will play in Hï Ibiza's Club Room on September 3, get tickets here

NOW HERE takes over Hï Ibiza in full on September 5 and September 19. Grab your tickets here, and check out the line-ups below

Meena Sears is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Instagram