In the heart of the electronic music universe, where beats collide with boundless energy, we had the extraordinary privilege of sitting down with the dynamic duo that is Mambo Brothers. Amid the electrifying ambiance of Tomorrowland, a festival that needs no introduction, we delved into the minds and music of Christian and Alan Anadon, the masterminds behind the Mambo Brothers phenomenon.
From the bustling stages of Tomorrowland, they shared their journey – a journey that stretches across decades of evolving electronic soundscapes, unbreakable brotherly bonds, and a profound connection to the iconic island of Ibiza. Christian and Alan, as their fans and friends affectionately know them, unveiled their story, their passions, and their perspectives in an interview that encapsulates the essence of their musical odyssey.
Join us as we explore the exhilarating highs, the captivating creative process, and the intricate interplay between their roles as siblings, musicians, and business owners. From the heart of Tomorrowland to your screens, we present a rare glimpse into the world of Mambo Brothers, offering an exclusive encounter with the rhythmic architects who’ve become a global force in electronic music.
So I will start a little bit from the beginning. Why and how you started making music? As brothers, this is something we can’t see usually. Like, there are people who don’t know each other and somehow met because of their love of music. Instead, you’re real brothers so, how this ended up to be like a DJ and producer duo.
We’ve been around music since a very, very early age. When we were young teenagers, we were already at Café Mambo, surrounded by all the best DJs in the world. So we used to see them in Café Mambo dancing, having fun, you know, in the daytime. Daytime at Mambo was wonderful because back in time we used to have a beach and everyone would be there while listening to the music, and ordering sangria.
We used to come to Mambo after school meeting all the DJs at a very early age; we were surrounded by music and we loved house music. So little by little we became DJs. We loved seeing the skills of Roger Sanchez mixing with vinyl, that was mind-blowing. It was incredible. Back in the years 2000, early 2000. Since Roger Sanchez played with three decks, there was Louis Vega, Frankie doing the long intros… and tons more!
As you’re explaining to me it seems it was another Ibiza at the time. You have seen a transformation of the island, a transformation also of Café Mambo and of the music scene itself. And you guys have seen all of these changes. So how do you describe Ibiza now and back in the days, including Café Mambo?
For sure. I would say the biggest difference between Ibiza now and before is mobile phones. We have to admit they made a big impact in all the parties in the industry. Before it was more, you know, you went to space, you went to Pacha with no phone. And it was a proper rave.
Obviously, now everybody looks for the phone moment or the social media moment. So that’s the change. But I would say Ibiza is still amazing. I think music is as good as 30 years ago because we are playing old music plus really good music from new producers.
I think Ibiza right now is better than ever.
So I would say, yeah, it’s different. But at the same time, I think Ibiza right now is better than ever. Yes, because the venues are amazing. We have new venues; before we did not have Hi, we didn’t have Ushuaia. Pacha had a renovation that made it a much better club. Amnesia had to up the game and it’s amazing.
I understand some people say “Oh, Ibiza before was better”. It was more, more spontaneous. But now it’s different. It’s not so spontaneous, but also it’s really good. And the quality of the party is super high-end. So yes, I like both Ibiza’s and I like the dream is to have a mix of both – Alan concludes.
Besides being a DJ and producer duo, you manage Café Mambo as well. So how do you balance the fact that you have a business besides DJ and producing, which is like managing a company?
You have to plan, I think, what to do and how to do it.
Then, it’s always important to have a good team. Without a team, you cannot make it work. We would not be deejaying around the world if we did not have a good manager, a good second manager, and good people that we can trust to do what they do. Also, thank you for WhatsApp. We can run many things. You will probably see us sorting some table reservations or something while we are deejaying. But life is like that.
And you play an active role in managing Café Mambo, right?
Yes, definitely. We work every day. We create the concept. We look at where to invest and what to watch for our next step. And we are in Café Mambo every day making sure everything happens the right way. So we work.
I think there are not so many DJ and producers that have this wide view of the business.
Yeah, I think there are a few or even no one – they laugh.
Café Mambo is a place where people go in San Antonio and Ibiza, so how are you investing in the venue, and how are you helping Ibiza as an island with Café Mambo and with your brand?
Well, as locals, everything that we do, we do with a lot of love and caring. We make sure that it’s all an evolution of what we think and feel as locals. Ibiza is at the top of its game and so it is the most rural side of Ibiza, authentic Ibiza is very cool and very trendy right now. For approximately the past decade, we’ve been embracing the rustic essence of Ibiza. Observing its current state with flourishing agriculture, rustic ambiance, and even the melodious tunes carrying that rustic flair is truly amazing. It’s wonderful to see because we feel that it’s very Balearic.
Yeah, we love it and we love doing nice venues and it is very important that locals get involved in the restaurant business, the nightclub business, the DJ world because we need locals to be part of it – adds Christina/Alan.
Eric Prydz debut album Opus has been done at Café Mambo studio
You started as DJs, but you are also producers. You have a lot of tunes out. So what’s your creative process? How do you come up with the idea of a new song and how do you produce it? And, do you prefer analog or digital stuff?
Well, we tried in the past to work with a lot of analog stuff, but the evolution of everything is based on laptops nowadays, so it’s much easier. In the studio above Mambo, we have a few analog elements.
You may not know but the album Opus from Eric Prydz was all done there.
So yeah, we have the studio upstairs, and now little by little it’s being more digital, more laptop-based, where you have everything there. And if the day is a good day in the studio in 4 or 5, or 6 hours, you have a great idea. Not a great track, a great idea maybe. And then you go from there. But you have to be in the studio constantly. For us, it’s been difficult to put in the time in the studio that it deserves to get the agility, to get the ideas from an idea to an actual sounding track. So that’s what the process is. We start with kick bass drums and then with filters and say where we take it from there.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mambo Brothers for inviting us into their world, for recounting their experiences, and for offering a glimpse into the minds behind the music.
