Lu Candotta's love for music began at a young age. She launched her DJ career at São Paulo Fashion Week, where she created her own music event and has now been DJing successfully for nine years. She prefers to play melodic techno, techno, tech house, and house – genres that move her the most.
After playing at major gay clubs in São Paulo, Lu went on to perform at well-known clubs like Club Yacht, Lions, Cine Joia, and Club 88 (Campinas). Her biggest achievement to date was playing for an audience of 800,000 people at Agrada Gregos during São Paulo Carnival.
Now based in Dubai, Lu has quickly established herself as a prominent DJ, playing at Baby Q, Knox, Netsu, and the Mandarin Oriental, among other venues. She has also played at global brand events for BMW, Sephora, Tommy, and many others.
Lu's passion for music extends beyond just playing it. She has also produced her own tracks, first inspired to bring comfort during the pandemic. Her first release, Into My Soul on the Tratore label, was followed by Entropy, which she co-produced with Ed Lopes on One Million Records. Her released track, Closer, Sirup Music, defies expectations and pushes the boundaries of electronic music through a genius Tech House beat. With its intricate rhythms and driving bassline, this track is a true dancefloor destroyer that will keep you moving all night long. The driving melodies and expertly crafted sound design draw you in, inviting you to lose yourself in the music and forget the world outside. Whether you're a fan of underground house music or simply looking for a fresh and exciting sound, "Closer" is sure to leave a lasting impression.
For Lu, music is all about connecting people and bringing happiness to their lives. She always reads the crowd's mood and responds with techniques like beatmatching, EQ mixing, and creative transitions to maintain the energy on the dance floor and keep people dancing all night long. Lu's dedication to her craft and love for music is evident in every performance she delivers.
Best of 2023
1-a) Best track(s) from other fellow artists of 2023. Why you choose this particular track, please share with us the reasons?production techniques & crowd reactions on it.
Lu Candotta: Drunky Daniels, ZARO, Msiz'Kay - "I Can Fly"
Great melody and grooves, perfect vibe for 2023/2024.
1-b) Best of 2023 personal productions and for what you reasons you choose these particular tracks, is it because of technical challenges, crowd reaction in the club or was it your most successful single/album?
Lu Candotta: "Closer" was a song unlike anything I had done before. I brought an energetic, sexy, young, and danceable vibe! It's so good to hear people asking you to play your song and see the energy of the dance floor as a whole
2) Best Artist of 2023(DJ & producer). Tell us why you believe he/she is the best, the factors that have influence you to choose this particular artist. What you appreciate the most from that artist.
Lu Candotta: I am a big fan of two friends, Brazilian DJs and producers: Zero and Ed Lopes. Watching the evolution of their careers is beautiful to see, with more and more heavyweight artists supporting their music every day and it being played at major festivals like Tomorrowland Brasil
3) Best Remix(es) from other fellow artists of 2023. For what reasons you chose this particular remix, i.e. production proficiency, technical reasons creativity and imagination of the remixer :
Lu Candotta: Elis Regina - Como Nossos Pais [Ed Lopes, RIKO & GUGGA, Dre Guazzelli Remix] - It's a remix that brings back Brazilian roots, taking a classic to the dance floors again in a vibrant way and spreading Brazilian music through Techno.
4) Best New Talent of 2023 (DJ or producer), for what reasons you choose this particular artist? Do you know him/her personally?
Lu Candotta: Zaro and Coppola are young Brazilian talents who have been collaborating with major figures in electronic music, imprinting their identity on prominent festivals and the electronic music scene. I strongly believe in their potential, and it's not just because they're my friends; it's because these guys are truly outstanding.
5-a) Best electronic dance music album of 2023. Tell us the criteria behind the choice of this particular album and maybe highlight for the readers the best tracks from the album :
Lu Candotta: I'm playing a lot of Afro House and Latin House at the moment, and the artists who really get the crowd going when I play are Manybeat and Hugel. So for me, I would pick any of their albums released this year
Album: Afro Latin From Caracas - Manybeat
Track: Llegate - Manybeat
El Sueno (Matt Sassari Edit) - HUGEL, Cumbiafrica, Matt Sassari
5-b) Best electronic dance music compilation of 2023. Please explain the criteria behind this choice? is the quality and proficiency of the mixing process, imagination/creativity in the choice of the track listing :
Lu Candotta: Defected 2023 - brings the best of house music
5-c) Best artwork about single / album/compilation or promotional campaign of 2023. The criteria you applied to do this particular choice?
Lu Candotta: I loved the art and promotion of the single "Respeita as Mina" by CAMZ. Through the power of femininity, she brought her marketing to showcase why we deserve respect in everything we do and that "no" means "no."
6) Best electronic dance music label of 2023. Please explain the reason behind your choice? what you particularly like or appreciate about this particular label?quality of tracks, great rooster of artists, personal connection?:
Lu Candotta: Sirup Music stands out as the ultimate dance label. They gave me a chance to release with them, treat artists exceptionally well, boast an incredible music catalog, and provide countless reasons to celebrate.
7) Best music composition software and hardware of 2023 with short comment. Why you believe this particular software/hardware deserves to be named as the best? great new features, easy to navigate, compose & produce? The advantages of this particular software & hardware that makes it to stand out.
Lu Candotta: I'm delving deeper into the world of music production now, and I believe that Ableton Live is a user-friendly software. Its interface allows for easier creation, manipulation, and arrangement of clips, making the creative process intuitive.
8-a) Your Best personal DJ Gig & DJ performance of 2023. Where and when did you perform there? any funny incidents happened during particular performance; great crowd reactions. If there is video or sound recording please provide the link.
Lu Candotta: This year, I had two performances that I loved the most—when I played at Secret Room (Dubai) and If You Know, You Know (Studio Club Dubai). The energy exchanged between me in the DJ booth and the people on the dance floor was surreal! Everyone dancing, singing, and vibing to every mix. Unfortunately, I didn't record any of the gigs; I need to learn how to capture all my sets when I play, haha!
8-b) Best DJ set from other fellow DJ (actual or online) of 2023. Why you believe is the strongest and best DJ set? great mixing/track selection/development of the mix:
9) Best technical tips/production skills that you learnt in 2023 in relation to your DJing or music productions:
Lu Candotta: Nowadays, I have gigs six times a week, lasting 4 to 5 hours each. I've always enjoyed creating my sets harmonically. As I delve deeper into music production studies, I've further developed my creative mixing skills during my performances. These days, I can intuitively identify harmonic matches by ear, enhancing the overall experience
10) Best piece of personal or music business' advice you got in relation to your career in 2023 and has helped you to progress even further and can help others who will read this interview:
Lu Candotta: A piece of advice I can offer, which has helped me a lot, is: we are not in control of anything, but what we can do every day is try to give our best. Focus on where you want to go, don't get caught up in other people's vibes, and trust that everything that belongs to you is already reserved
Dimitris: Do you have any concrete plans for 2024 regarding future releases, tracks, albums, collaborations, DJ gigs? Please provide us the juicy details.
Lu Candotta: For the year 2024, I hope to release at least three more songs. I currently have two ready: one with a melodic vibe that reflects a bit of my personal story, my resurgence from the ashes, and my comeback to the music industry – more confident and wanting to share a part of myself through my tracks. The other one is a melodic afro track, created for a special person in my life.
Dimitris: Your message & wishes for 2024.
Lu Candotta: I hope that in the year 2024, the music scene comes together more, and people understand that there is space for everyone. We lose nothing by reaching out to other producers and DJs
Thanks to Lu for her wonderful answers.
Thanks to Sirup Music for arranging.
Additional info:
https://www.facebook.com/lucandottahttps://twitter.com/lucandotta
https://www.instagram.com/lucandotta/