Colectivo Futuro: an authentic project where art forms and people converge.
Authenticity: that’s what Colectivo Futuro and its co-founder Miguel Colmenares stand for. Whether it’s a collaboration with an emergent visual artist or a groove-based DJ, you can feel the purity this extended family of deejays, promoters and visual artists has in it. They’re a movement widespread in between London, Northern Europe, Miami and Venezuela. We are glad to have Miguel sharing some words and some tunes for our Wood’d Vibes series, where we ask artists to translate their idea of wooden culture and craftmanship into music. So, guys, pledge to everything Miguel knows about music, and enjoy the tape!
Ciao Miguel, who are you and what Colectivo Futuro is?
My name is Miguel Colmenares. I’m one of the co-founders of Colectivo Futuro, a cultural node that gives exposure to artists in different disciplines, mostly online, but also through real life events across different cities. I’m currently based in London, but I’m originally from Venezuela. I’m also a record collector and DJ, constantly fascinated and curious about discovering music I’ve never heard of from every corner of the world.
How did you start with music?
Growing up in Venezuela I always had a fascination for sound systems and mobile DJ gigs. Back in high school a friend gave me a mixer and I put together a little gig with my dad’s old speakers, but it wasn’t till a few years later when I asked my parents to buy me a set of CDJs and I started learning the mechanics of mixing on my own. That soon turned into buying records, initially mostly electronic stuff, but then I started getting curious about jazz and other sounds, which I started buying on CD so that I could listen while driving. Reading ‘Last Night a DJ Saved My Life’ back then also change my perspective on what a DJ should strive to do when playing records and it coincided with my curiosity to search for new music every day.
What are the main influences on your sound?
If you ask me as a collector and record buyer, it depends which month you’re asking me on. As a listener, I like variety and I’m driven by curiosity, so I’m constantly influenced by new discoveries and by recommendations from friends. As a DJ there have been many influences throughout the years, but ones that have stuck are Theo Parrish for his now legendary all night sessions at Plastic People, Gilles Peterson for showing that you can be curious about music even after collecting for so many years, and as cliché as it might sound David Mancuso for his constant drive to provide listeners with the best possible sound and experience on the dancefloor (even though sadly I never had the chance to see him at The Loft), but reading about him has definitely inspired my way of putting records together during a DJ set.
What are you currently listening to?
My two most recent obsessions are Brasilian records (but that has been ongoing for a few years now) and heavy latin jazz in its various strains. The latter probably due to the fact that we just released our first records on our new Olindo Records label and it’s by an active Venezuelan band called Monsalve y Los Forajidos. Raul, their bandleader, is a serious music head and we send each other music all the time.
This particular Venezuelan track is one we’ve been going crazy about lately:
These are some of my recent and treasured finds:
Joe Cuba Sextet – Vagabundeando! (Hangin’ Out)
Paulo Bagunça E A Tropa Maldita
Roberto Roena Y Sus Megatones – Se Pone Bueno/It Gets Better
Where you draw your main inspirations for this mix?
Wood’d got me thinking about which instruments are built from wood and naturally that led me to percussion instruments like congas and bongos. So that’s the common strain throughout the mix. This theme actually fit perfectly with the records I’ve been buying lately and with my latest digging obsession which I mentioned previously.
What you have prepared for Wood’d?
The mix kicks off with a track by Brasilian percussionist Nanå Vasconcelos called “Ondas (Na óhllos de Pretonila)” from his Saudades album on ECM Records and finishes with the latin jazz classic “Tin Tin Deo” by Ray Barretto from his Head Sounds album on Fania Records.
In between there’s other percussion heavy sounds by Wali & The Afro Caravan, Sabu Martinez, Domingo Cura, and Guem et Zaka Percussion; all amazing percussionists in their own right.