Vincent Casanova chats new release on Satya

Vincent Casanova’s musical journey is one of evolution and experimentation. Beginning with drums and guitar before transitioning into electronic music, his approach to production is deeply rooted in rhythm and texture. With a distinct sound that balances groove-driven beats and abstract atmospheres, Vincent has been a staple in the underground scene since the early 2000s. From his early influences—Sasha and John Digweed—to his love for intimate club settings and the energy of peak-time sets, his music remains a reflection of both his deep technical understanding and his instinctive, emotional approach. With a string of releases on respected labels like Tzinah and Satya Records, Vincent continues to push boundaries while staying true to his unique sonic identity. Ahead of his latest release on YokoO’s always on-point Satya label, we put some questions to the man himself… 

You started with drums and guitar before moving to electronic music—how did that transition shape your approach to production? Did it actually influence your approach to electronic music much?

Transitioning from playing drums and guitar has for sure shaped my approach to production. I carried over my drum philosophy which is strict, linear and a prominent snare drum as the center of everything. My synths are based on my guitar style which is basically a clean stratocaster with heavy chorus tones, reverbs and delays. Jangly and psychedelic, but also clean, polished and controlled. Emotional. 

Looking back, what was the pivotal moment that made you want to focus primarily on electronic music? 

Hearing how electronic music behaves on a big soundsystem made me realize it was, for me, superior to other forms of music in that there was a massive engineering challenge that could never be surmounted. It was tantalizing and still is.

You’ve been involved since 2000 now. Is the fire still; burning as brightly for music as it ever was? What’s been your proudest moment to date? What’s been the most challenging?

The fire is still burning and the challenge is still there. I never really feel proud of anything I do but I look for signs that I feel emotions and new energies when I create something new. On the DJ side of things, if I see people reacting to the music I’m playing in a way that indicates that it might be a new experience for them, that makes me feel happy that I might offer them a feeling, a bit of magic or mystery for the moment, something that wasn’t there before.

How do you feel the underground scene has changed for the better and worse over the years? What’s something about the industry that you wish more people understood?

I feel all the videos on the internet are a poor representation of the scene and water it down. I prefer still photos, there is more mystery in them. Also the mystery around production is slightly blown out now with all the online content, people talking about plug-ins and gear and how to do this and that, it’s too much in the open now. Of course there are many positive sides to this, people are getting more connected, collaborations, and of course discovering new music and events, so it’s a mixed bag for sure!

Talk to us a bit about your production process. Are you someone who locks themselves in theory studio for a while? Or do you prefer to let things come to you naturally and go from there? 

When I am being creative in the studio I try to nail down as many new ideas as possible in separate song projects, instead of moving forward with the track to arrange and mix it. I save all that type of work for the future. So when the creative energy comes, I just start as many songs as possible. This way I might achieve the main ideas for like 10 songs in just a 3 hour session, which I can finish one at a time later on.

Your first vinyl release was in 2004—what do you remember most about that time, and how has your sound evolved since then?

At that time it was very exciting because the minimal style tracks were rare to find and hear and so it was like this emergent vibe that I was tracking throughout NYC and the different parties that were going on there at the time. Lots of smaller lounges and underground venues downtown, aside from all the big clubs and events. Also the loft parties and afterparties were places where I met a lot of people who knew much more than me and turned me onto so much amazing music. I don’t know how my sound has evolved but maybe I’ve been able to pin down at least a few ideas that I have been chasing, maybe a few decent mixdowns here and there. It’s like being in an infinite labyrinth and where progress comes out of nowhere, once in a while, after a lot of searching.

Who were some of your early influences in electronic music, and how do they still impact your work today?

For sure Sasha and John Digweed’s sets in NYC as they spanned so many genres and were always focused on storytelling with their sets. They taught me that there are no rules, just tell a story, a balance between weirdness and beauty, darkness and light. But really I was always focused on the local warm-up DJs who were playing these restrained beats, keeping the dance floor at a simmer and never breaking out, I thought there was so much magic in holding back like that, teasing. It’s still the hardest thing to do. 

Your productions have a distinctive groove-based yet abstract feel—how do you strike that balance between rhythm and experimentation?

I’m a libra so balance for me is natural and I don’t function well when I get too busy in one zone, I always have to weigh the elements in my mind. 

Your tracks often include dreamy elements and fragmented vocals—how do you approach layering textures in your music? 

I tend to have a lot of tracks in my productions. 50 tracks sometimes, and the goal is to see if random moments can bounce off each other to create strange and tantalizing moments. I love vocal fragments because they work like little melodic triggers, but I usually don’t want full vocal phrases to be revealed as it becomes a bit too much. 

Over the years, you've explored house, techno, and even breakbeat—do you see yourself gravitating towards one sound in the future, or do you prefer to remain genre-fluid?

I do like so many styles so it’s hard for me to stay in one, by the time I finish a track I never want to hear it again so I like moving on to new territory, so I think I will always make different styles. 

‍Talk to us a bit about your relationship with Tzinah… 

I really love working with Dan and Tzinah because I feel there is an open mindedness about the label. I have done quite a few releases and remixes for Tzinah and Dan is always up for listening to a demo and offering me feedback, pushing me forward. I give him a lot of credit for doing so much for so many artists, he’s also a great producer and DJ.

Many of your early bookings were during the more experimental hours of a night—how does your approach change when you’re playing peak-time? 

I realized at some point that people love big sounds at peak-time and you can’t really mess around with experimental or overly deep or minimal works which just don’t carry enough energy, so it’s got to be bangers at peak time and then when the energy settle a bit you can pull out the spacey vibes and get lost in sounds more. 

Your new EP on Satya Records is awesome, and we’re loving ‘Forever; especially —can you tell us about the creative process behind it?

Thank you! I didn’t have access to my studio for awhile, so this Ep is very much based on samples, just trying to let different samples and loops talk to each other, pretty much using a call/response technique seeing if I could build some grooves using bits and pieces and not composing all material from scratch which is my usual method. 

How do you approach selecting labels for your releases? What drew you to Satya Recs for this EP? Is it important you have a personal relationship with the guys running the label, for example? 

Sending demos for me was about wanting to be on labels that released amazing music, to me. I never really looked into status or how big the label was, just basically if I wanted to be with them because of their vision. I don’t send too many demos anymore because I have been getting asked by labels for music, and to be honest I can’t always keep up with all the requests. I do love to give my music to people that I feel a connection with, in many cases people starting labels or asking for a remix,I feel giving music to someone who wants it because they like my sound, is a very happy feeling. 

You’ve been friends with YokoO for a while—how did that relationship begin, and how has it influenced your music? 

I was actually first contacted by another member of the Satya crew Haider, and since then, YokoO and I have gotten to know each other and developed a relationship through the process of chatting and him listening to a bunch of different tracks over the years. He is a great artist and producer and I’m really happy to be releasing on Satya as I feel the vision and meticulousness of the label are really special and contribute greatly to the scene. 

Have you ever considered collaborating on a project with YokoO, or any other artists you admire? 

I would love to make some music with YokoO, I can see this happening in the future for sure…! 

Looking ahead, what’s next for you? Any upcoming gigs, collaborations, or projects you’re excited about? 

2025 will see many releases both digital and vinyl so I’m very excited for what’s coming!

And finally, if you were to introduce your music to someone who’s never heard of Vincent Casanova before, what track would you pick and why? 

Check out the Forever EP on Satya!

Buy/listen to the release here

Keep up with Vincent on Instagram and Soundcloud