Shay de Castro:
techno has given me so much

Radio Intense is happy to present to you our next guest - Shay de Castro!

Hailing from a city with not one electronic music club to speak of, Shay De Castro has beat all odds to become one of the most thrilling techno talents from the United States in the last decade. A musician since she was a child, her love of the genre sprouted quickly and obsessively as a teenager, often hacking her school's computers just to chat with friends in Europe about the music. Now in her 20s, the LA-based fire starter has already made a mark with her potent productions and booming dancefloors.

Staying true to her vision of brazenly thumping atmospheres, she's managed to gain the support of the most high-power names in the industry today. From Adam Beyer at Tomorrowland, to Amelie Lens in The Tunnel, her tunes have penetrated of the ears and minds of countless listeners all over the globe

We talked to Shay about her new release "Let Us Free" coming on Codex and other projects. Enjoy!
— Hello Shay! How are you today? Where are you currently based?
— Hi there! I'm doing fantastic, thank you for asking! I'm currently based in Los Angeles, California.
— Tell us more about "Shay De Castro". How did you start your artistic journey?
— I started when I was maybe 12 years old and fell in love with trance, and later, techno. I saved up money to buy a "How to DJ" book as I wasn't able to get DJ equipment when I was growing up. I started my music project seriously years later, when I realized it was my true passion almost my entire life. I had spent so many years trying to take the "responsible" road and have a more traditional job, but I couldn't avoid it.
— Is techno your main choice among the genres?
— Techno has given me so much, but there are other genres that I love, too. Trance from the 90's – 2000s really has something special about it and I always find myself going back to it. But before I was a DJ I played guitar and drums, so I also love grunge rock, hip-hop, and blues/soul from here in the US. I'm lucky in that the United States has such varied music scenes and I grew up around musicians and people who were just very passionate about it.
— Congratulations on your new release "Let Us Free" coming on Codex in March. How can you describe the release?
— "Let Us Free" is a bit more linear, but ominous. I wanted it to have a kind of brooding feeling, like something is watching over you – that's almost how I felt about the last couple of years with the restrictions. "Flexion" was more experimental and was originally going to be an intro tool, but ended up being fully fleshed out into a track that I personally love.
— Do you have any other upcoming projects worth to mention at the moment?
— I'm working on an EP right now for a dream label of mine. The style is very different from what I've done in the past, and I'm excited to share it. Our label also has some amazing releases coming in the near future, and has already received support from some massive artists.
— Can you tell us a bit about the artists that have influence you in your career?
— Talla 2XLC, The Thrillseekers, Richie Hawtin, and Luca Agnelli have really influenced me and motivated me to pursue music. They all come from different backgrounds and production styles, but you can hear the passion they put into their crafts and that is incredibly inspiring.
— Where can we see you live in the upcoming future
— I am finalizing a couple of tours in North and South America right now with my agency, but am particularly excited about being one of the headliners at Storage Festival in Mexico City, alongside some of my favorite techno artists.
— Thank you so much for chatting with us today and again congrats to you on the release. To finish off, is there anything else you would like to share with us?
— Thank you very much for having me! I'd just like to thank my partner and family for supporting me throughout every day, as well as my friends and fans who are always checking in and offering encouraging words! I think a lot of people get caught up in music being "a competition" when the beauty of music is when it's shared with others. If you focus on yourself and remember why you started, that's the most important thing. That's something I've had to learn personally, over the last few years.