A Guide to Barcelona's Hottest DJs

Originally from Buenos Aires but now based in Barcelona, Hernán Herrera aka DJ Herr rose to fame in 2010 with his project FACT. A versatile DJ, he picks and chooses from a variety of sources to get the crowds going on the dance-floor. He has a regular night at Pacha Barcelona on Sundays and also makes regular appearances across London, Berlin and Paris. He believes that music is a driving force for socialising and aims to bring people closer together through his mixes, which range from house to techno.

Spanish DJ Sak Noel, real name Isaac Mahmood Noell, made waves on the international stage with his tracks ‘Loca People‘, ‘Paso‘ and ‘No Boyfriend (No Problem)‘ and has collaborated with American rapper, Sean Paul. His most famous release to date ‘Paso‘ (the nini anthem) gathered some 35 million views on Youtube. He’s best known for his EDM sets but also plays around with elements of latin and hip-hop too.

This Barcelona-based DJ has perhaps one of the most interesting stories of all: famous in the Catalan capital throughout the nineties, in 2008 he was arrested for drug-smuggling after having been coerced by a local gang to act as a drug mule. Sentenced to prison, Professor Angel Sound used his time to create new sounds and experiment with music as a way to retain his freedom. Since his release he has continued releasing new tracks and taken up a residency in Ker Club.

Born in Columbia, Bonaventti moved to Barcelona when he was just 13 years old and went on to make a name for himself as a DJ and producer. He has collaborated with a number of other DJs including John Digweed, Technasia and Cadenza Vagabundos group and makes regular appearances during Off Sónar and Hope Fest, as well as having played in most of the city’s most famous nightclubs. He likes to play around with samples and mix complicated rhythms which alternate between smooth and fierce.

One of the biggest female DJs in Barcelona today, Austrian-born Zora Jones is best known for the project Fractal Fantasy which she launched with fellow DJ Sinjin Hawke as a platform for their audio-visual graphics. She recently released her first EP ‘100 Ladies‘, born of a challenge by a friend to create 100 tracks before releasing them to the public. Of late she has shied away from Barcelona’s club scene to focus on her own projects but still makes occasional appearances during Sónar week.

One of Barcelona’s greatest local talents, John Talabot burst on to the electronic music scene in 2010 with the release of Sunshine. His sound is characterised by the presence of a variety of human voice samples, and an ability to build and release tension perfectly on queue. His tracks are the kind of music you want to listen to, watching the sun come up on a Mediterranean beach in the summer, something to bring a smile to your face and your hands in the air.