João Maria
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Biografía
- Some DJs are happy to fit into whatever boxes fans, critics or the scene itself, feels appropriate to place them in. Others create their own boxes and carve out their own particular space. João Maria is definitely an example of the latter, in the Portu..Some DJs are happy to fit into whatever boxes fans, critics or the scene itself, feels appropriate to place them in. Others create their own boxes and carve out their own particular space. João Maria is definitely an example of the latter, in the Portuguese scene. Already 15 years in the game, as a DJ, label founder and record store owner, João Maria made his name a respected one, by setting an example through leading instead of just following, trusting his musical vision and cherishing his independence. The results speak for themselves and prove him right. Besides being a regular fixture in Portuguese clubs like Gare Porto and Ministerium (where he has a residence) and festivals like Super Bock Super Rock, Neo Pop and, more recently, FORTE Festival, he´s become a frequent flyer to Berlin, by landing regular gigs at the highly regarded Salon Wilde Renate (including a guest spot at a Hello?Repeat event) and playing at one of the hallmarks of the Berlin club scene, Katerholzig, right before it´s closing in 2013. The culmination of this steady ascent comes now in the form of a guest spot in one of the tINI and The Gang parties in Ibiza in the summer of 2014 and an Assemble Music showcase invitation from the Toi Toi crew in London last year. Not happy with just playing his challenging blend of refined techno and house, he helps bring it out to the music addicts, with his two babies, the Carpet and Snares record store (and its twin, the new Carpet Music agency), in partnership with Zé Salvador and Jorge Caiado, and the aforementioned vinyl-only Assemble Music label, where such minimal techno pioneers as Ricardo Villalobos, Baby Ford and Wolfgang Voight (as Studio 1) have had releases, along with current movers like Daze Maxim, Dorian Paic, Vera, Voigtmann and more. You don´t make lasting and steady connections like these by accident. João Maria does it by setting the bar and then living up to the expectations. Text by Nuno Mendonça.