Review & Interview: Virtual Reality EP - Teniente Castillo - Play Pal Music
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Teniente Castillo has been a busy boy!! As well as recently releasing his ‘Virtual Reality’ EP back on the 6th March he also guested for Numb Brother Prestage on the ‘Funk Junkie Hijack Show’.
To mark not only the release and the mix Teniente also had a chat with Mr P for our avid Numb Magazine readers…. Check out the review and learn a little more about Mr Castillo and what we can expect from Play Pal Music in the near future (while listening to his lovely guest mix from the show of course) 
The title track of the EP ‘Virtual Reality’ is lush (its one of my favourite words, if not dated) it’s pulsing and driven from the start, it only relents momentarily before adjusting its shoe and kicking you firmly in the arse again.
Remix duty on ‘Virtual Reality’ is ably undertaken by ever popular Croatian Squarewave who flips the script and treats us to a dubbed down slow burning beauty (which I must confess is my favourite) dropping the bpms down to a wonderfully head nodding ninety. Excellent stuff. On the original mix of Rephrased Teniente takes you on a brooding journey, never frantic or overly manic the track builds and builds with layer upon layer of lushness. Ever present deep drone with a splash of tasteful guitar and subtle keys binding this into a quality outing. Fellow Spaniard Undo jumps all over Rephrased on his contribution to the EP with a full on 303 laden extravaganza that recreates the menace of Teniente’s original but screams at the dancefloor a little louder. 
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NM ) Welcome to Numb Magazine Teniente and thanks for allowing us to feature your mix also, could you tell our readers a little bit about who you are?
TC ) First of all, I’d like to thank you guys for the support you’ve given me and the label during these years.
Not an easy question this one…. I’ve loved music and it’s been in my life even before I was born, since my mum used to play classical music to me when she was pregnant. I like many different styles, not only within the electronic music, also other styles like jazz or like I mentioned, Classical music. I love of down tempo grooves around 100 bpm and lower.
I live in Madrid (Spain) and have been in the music business, since year 96’, doing all kinds of things related to music, DJing, residencies, venues, running a booking agency, making music and now running a label. I’m focused lately on growing as a producer and learning from many great producers and friends. I also want the label to grow organically… let’s see where it takes us.
NM ) Play Pal music is currently in its 5th year… what drove you to create your own label?
TC ) It’s something I had in my mind for quite some time. I had a clear idea of the music I wanted the label to release, I’d also met a lot of artists over the years, some of which have become great friends, so it was just a matter of time to put things together and go for it.
NM) Can you tell us anything about your future plans… (if you can)?
TC ) I’m releasing a track on Curses vinyl label ‘Ombra International’ after the summer, another on a great compilation from a new label called ‘Dogs & Vultures’. An EP on Play Pal by the end of the year (or the beginning of 2018 at the latest) and I’m currently in conversations with other labels to release some other tracks I’ve done recently, plus some remixes that'll also come out this year.
I’m also back again with a venue we used to run a few years ago in Madrid, called
‘W!cked’, with my two partners in crime, Dynamicron and Alvaro Cabana. We just closed off a monthly residency at a nice club in Madrid so that will definitely take some time too. Basically this year I’ll be focusing on making and releasing music and also quite a lot of great stuff coming up on Play Pal……
NM ) You have a rich variety of remixers & collaborators on all of your releases…who should we be looking out for in 2017?
TC ) Watch out for an Argentinian producer called ‘Skelesys’, we have something coming from him soon! It’s a very special EP and we’re very much looking forward to put it out. It comes with remixes from Damon Jee, Peza and Telesketch. Our next release is an EP from Monoblock & PSLKTR with remixes from Curses and Montcosmik that’s also going to be a big one and after the summer quite a few surprises that I can’t yet reveal……
NM ) Where can we catch you DJ’ing over the summer (time for some shameless plugging!!!)
TC ) I’ll be doing something very special alongside the Argentinian label, Playground, during the Sonar week in Barcelona which will include radio-video streaming, a night club party with a wicked line up, plus some other gigs also in Barcelona and Madrid.
I’d like to take the opportunity to tell you guys it was a pleasure being a guest on the ‘FunkJunkie Hijack’ the other week, I enjoyed it a lot the show has a great vibe!!
TC ) First of all, I’d like to thank you guys for the support you’ve given me and the label during these years.
Not an easy question this one…. I’ve loved music and it’s been in my life even before I was born, since my mum used to play classical music to me when she was pregnant. I like many different styles, not only within the electronic music, also other styles like jazz or like I mentioned, Classical music. I love of down tempo grooves around 100 bpm and lower.
I live in Madrid (Spain) and have been in the music business, since year 96’, doing all kinds of things related to music, DJing, residencies, venues, running a booking agency, making music and now running a label. I’m focused lately on growing as a producer and learning from many great producers and friends. I also want the label to grow organically… let’s see where it takes us.
NM ) Play Pal music is currently in its 5th year… what drove you to create your own label?
TC ) It’s something I had in my mind for quite some time. I had a clear idea of the music I wanted the label to release, I’d also met a lot of artists over the years, some of which have become great friends, so it was just a matter of time to put things together and go for it.
NM) Can you tell us anything about your future plans… (if you can)?
TC ) I’m releasing a track on Curses vinyl label ‘Ombra International’ after the summer, another on a great compilation from a new label called ‘Dogs & Vultures’. An EP on Play Pal by the end of the year (or the beginning of 2018 at the latest) and I’m currently in conversations with other labels to release some other tracks I’ve done recently, plus some remixes that'll also come out this year.
I’m also back again with a venue we used to run a few years ago in Madrid, called
‘W!cked’, with my two partners in crime, Dynamicron and Alvaro Cabana. We just closed off a monthly residency at a nice club in Madrid so that will definitely take some time too. Basically this year I’ll be focusing on making and releasing music and also quite a lot of great stuff coming up on Play Pal……
NM ) You have a rich variety of remixers & collaborators on all of your releases…who should we be looking out for in 2017?
TC ) Watch out for an Argentinian producer called ‘Skelesys’, we have something coming from him soon! It’s a very special EP and we’re very much looking forward to put it out. It comes with remixes from Damon Jee, Peza and Telesketch. Our next release is an EP from Monoblock & PSLKTR with remixes from Curses and Montcosmik that’s also going to be a big one and after the summer quite a few surprises that I can’t yet reveal……
NM ) Where can we catch you DJ’ing over the summer (time for some shameless plugging!!!)
TC ) I’ll be doing something very special alongside the Argentinian label, Playground, during the Sonar week in Barcelona which will include radio-video streaming, a night club party with a wicked line up, plus some other gigs also in Barcelona and Madrid.
I’d like to take the opportunity to tell you guys it was a pleasure being a guest on the ‘FunkJunkie Hijack’ the other week, I enjoyed it a lot the show has a great vibe!!
