New York underground roots, a South American upbringing and years spent between Los Angeles, Tokyo, Berlin, Detroit and Milan have shaped the sound of WhereIsFenix. As a DJ, producer and curator, he brings everything together under one name, with House at the centre of a sound that also draws on Minimal, Jazz and Electronica. On 16 October, he released his debut album ‘Curiosity’ on his own label, Legacy System, presenting 18 tracks across three chapters, with collaborations including Robert Owens, Patrick Mason, Dantiez Saunderson and Boris Werner. We spoke with WhereIsFenix about his heritage, the cities that shaped him, building Legacy System, the structure of the album and what comes next.
Born in Queens to an Argentine father and a Colombian mother, you grew up in a household with roots in two very different places. How did that heritage shape your relationship with music from an early age?
To be fair, there are some differences, but not as many as you might think. They’re both South American, just from different parts of the continent. My father is Indigenous and from Argentina, while my mother is from Bogotá. The traditions and values I grew up with were part of a beautiful South American upbringing.
The music I was exposed to also became a part of me, perhaps subconsciously, from an early age. In Argentina, there’s tango, ballads, and rock ‘n’ roll, while in Colombia, there’s salsa, cumbia, and punk. There was a lot of fusion between both cultures. At the same time, being born in New York City gave me a cultural edge that I’m eternally grateful for.
With all that being said, I believe my heritage shaped me not only musically, but also in the way I listen to and experience sounds from different regions of the world.
The New York underground is where your sound was born. What do you remember most about coming up in that scene, and what did it teach you as a DJ?
One of the first things I remember is listening to the radio stations back in the day. There was a specific station I used to listen to called KTU 103.5. They would have these late-night dance mixes, with DJs mixing live on the radio.
As a younger cat, I wasn’t as familiar with the names of the DJs or the songs they were playing, but I remember hearing the music and discovering new sounds. I was genuinely intrigued by it. I didn’t pay too much attention to it at the time because I was a child and then a teenager, but what I heard and remembered definitely stayed with me.
Years spent moving between Los Angeles, Tokyo, Berlin, Detroit and Milan have clearly left their mark. Did any of those cities change the way you listen to or make music?
Each city has given me a different experience and taught me that the language of music is incredibly powerful. No matter which city, country, or continent you’re in, if the music feels good and sounds good, that’s what matters.
Each city has inspired me in different ways. I have loads of friends in each community, and they’re all amazing artists, producers, and DJs with their own styles. Being fortunate enough to have spent time in all these cities has allowed me to educate myself and recognize specific elements in the sounds of different producers.
Each city has its own signature qualities. That doesn’t mean there’s one specific sound or groove that defines it, but there’s an essence that’s deeper than the music itself. It comes from the surroundings people grow up in and the experiences that shape them.
Milan is now your home, but what drew you there, and how has living in the city influenced the artist you have become?
Being based in Milan has been a new experience for me, to be fair. The only other major DJ from New York City whom I personally know to have lived here was David Morales.
I’m also a bit of a lonewolf. When people usually seek something in common, I tend to split off and veer in another direction. That’s just how I’ve always been. I like doing my own thing.
Living in Milan has taught me how to balance everyday life with my artistry and creative process. It’s taught me to take things one step at a time, stay grounded, stay focused, and not force myself to do things that don’t fully align with who I am, both as an artist and as a person.
But the main reason I moved here was the food, haha.
Curating, producing and DJing all sit under the WhereIsFenix name. How do those roles feed into one another, and does one come more naturally than the others?
Everything sits under the WhereIsFenix name because it’s easy and fun to have everything under one roof. I have several music producer friends who use different aliases, and I respect that approach, but I think it’s easier for me to keep everything together so people can discover anything and everything they want.
Obviously, I have Easter eggs within my artist name and aliases. Since everything is connected, all these different sides of my artistry dance with one another. If I’m in the mood to work on one thing, I’ll put the other aside and focus on it for a while. Then, when I feel that focus starting to fade, I’ll switch back to something else. It’s a nice little mental dance.
What comes most naturally is following my intuition. I’ve also worked with contemporary artists and fashion designers, and being able to explore those aspects of my artistry adds another nice spice to the pot.
Legacy System is the label home for ‘Curiosity’, and the album is its first album-length release. What was the thinking behind building your own platform, and what do you want it to stand for?
In my mind, Legacy System is more than just a regular label. The way I see it, every release and every artist I invite onto the label represents a very specific moment in time.
With that being said, Curiosity is the seed of the label. Hopefully, the artists I invite to Legacy System will become part of this tree, each growing their own branches, which can then create more branches and leaves for other artists in the future. We’ll all be part of something specific, connected through our own legacies within this label.
Curiosity is the first album released on Legacy System, but it’s also an ongoing album. The concept is that I’ll continue releasing music in chapters. The first, second, and third chapters are already out under Curiosity, but I’ll keep releasing more chapters in the future, for as long as I can. It’s essentially my ongoing album.
‘Curiosity’ is described as the moment you stopped looking for a place in the scene and started creating your own universe. Can you take us back to when that shift happened, and how it fed into the album?
I’ve always had this idea of creating something that doesn’t necessarily have to stand out, but instead exists on its own island, if that makes any sense.
Honestly, I can’t remember exactly when the idea started, but it was definitely there from the beginning, when I started making music. It began as a seed, and through time, experiences, DJ sets, and learning about music from different parts of the world, the idea slowly started to take shape and develop organically.
Three chapters, 18 tracks, and interludes that run directly into the music: what made this structure the right way to present the record, and how did you decide where each track belonged?
Growing up in New York City, surrounded by all the sounds and elements of music we were fortunate enough to have around us, I always enjoyed buying a record or a CD and looking at the back before even listening to the music.
I’d read through the track titles and credits a couple of times, trying to connect with the artist and understand why they’d arranged the tracklist the way they had. I wouldn’t necessarily dissect, analyze, or study it, but I’d try to understand the thought process behind the choices.
When I’d finally listen to the music, the tracklist would often feel so fluid that it made complete sense to me. I think the sequencing is a pure representation of an artist’s message when they deliver a project.
I’ve carried that same feeling into my own work. At the beginning of the album, I had all these tracks, but as the project progressed, everything slowly fell into place. I didn’t sit down and plan out exactly how I wanted the tracklist or the concept to be. It just came to me, and it felt perfect.
Robert Owens, Patrick Mason, Dantiez Saunderson and Boris Werner all feature across the album, spanning generations and scenes. How did these collaborations come about, and what did each bring to the record?
All these collaborations came about through direct connections, conversations, and people introducing me to one another. Things developed naturally. I’d meet these artists, we’d talk, and eventually, I’d say, “Hey, I have some songs and ideas I’d love for you to hear.”
They loved the material I was working on and were excited to be part of it. We worked together in different studios and cities, but it wasn’t just about making music. We’d also spend time together outside the studio, having conversations about life and whatever else was going on.
I think all these elements helped everything come together naturally.
With ‘Curiosity’ now out and more chapters promised, what can listeners expect next? We’d love to hear about future Legacy System releases, live shows and anything else planned for the rest of the year.
Just really good music. No radio edits, just the artists’ real DNA, delivered straight from the record to your ears and your two hearts.
The upcoming Legacy System releases are going to be super cool, too. I can’t speak about everything just yet, as I’m still finalizing some music and listening to a lot of new material. I’m looking not only at bigger artists within the underground scene, but also at up-and-coming artists I’ve met personally and have built relationships with over the years.
For the rest of the year, I’m just going to let people enjoy the music and let it marinate for a little bit. Next year is going to be a beautiful year, too, and I can’t wait to share what’s coming.
For WhereIsFenix, ‘Curiosity’ is the result of following his instincts and creating something that exists on its own island. As the first album-length release on Legacy System, it is also the start of an ongoing project, with more chapters planned and new releases from both established and up-and-coming artists to follow on the label. ‘Curiosity’ is out now on Legacy System and is available to stream and purchase here.
