One fateful night in Austin, 1996, a young man found himself surrounded by flashing strobe lights, thousands of sweaty men and a whole lot of fake smoke. He instantly fell in love. The name of the event was Meltdown, and the kid was Roland Belmares. As he joined the crowd in dancing throughout the night, Belmares realized he could never again return to a world without this energy, these people, this music. After years of feeling like an outsider, he ironically felt immediately integrated among smiling strangers intent only on celebrating life together. He knew he had to figure out a way he could give something in return.
That was the night Roland Belmares decided to become a DJ.
"At the time I was working in the computer industry," Belmares says. "But the economic downturn in the business and the threat of losing my job because of it added enough incentive for me to leave the corporate world." So began Belmares' humble origins - playing pool parties and minor venues across Austin, slowly building a name for himself as a DJ who takes his art just as seriously whether there are twenty or two hundred people on the dance floor.
"My first gigs were small, but still nerve wracking." Says Belmares, "But the more intimate settings helped me hone my skills for reading the crowd and adjusting the music accordingly. And since the gigs weren't so big, it wasn't overly intimidating, thus giving me the courage to experiment and learn my own style." It was Belmares' dedicated fine-tuning and attention to such style that eventually caught the ear of Ben Parsley, promoter for two of Austin's biggest circuit events, Perfect Day and, the one that started it all, Meltdown. An expert in the art of identifying talent, Parsley liked what he heard so much that he decided to give Roland a shot at the big leagues. In just one year, Belmares had already achieved his original goal of simply becoming a good DJ. Now it was time to become a great DJ.
The incredible impact Belmares made on audiences at both Meltdown and Perfect Day secured him a position on the discerning partygoer's hot list of circuit DJs. "Those events marked the first time I really had a full night to develop the evening." Roland says. "It was also the first time every mix I did flowed perfectly into the next song. And to hear the crowd applauding for me at the end of the night was truly unexpected. It made me feel like I was finally a "real" DJ in the circuit scene."
Another factor that weighed heavily in Roland's own awareness of his professional arrival was his meeting with Los Angeles based manager Ken Harwood. As often happens in the industry, the two developed a romantic relationship that survived a year in long-distance limbo before Roland finally made the difficult yet strategic decision to leave home for LA. "The only thing keeping me in Austin was my family and friends who always supported me to do what was best for my career. Ken was already taking over as my manager, so after weighing out all my options, it seemed like the natural progression for me to make the move."
Nevertheless, Austin will forever be home to Belmares. "My debut gig at The Forum will always be considered my first major thrill." says Belmares in regards to his now-legendary DJ sets at one of Austin's premier nightspots. "Getting to perform in a real club and seeing the audience react to the music I was playing was true joy."
Since that time, Belmares has been called to play several events outside Austin and LA county lines; unforgettable parties located from the hills of San Francisco to the beaches of Miami. Then, of course, there are those major events that can either make or break a burgeoning DJ D names like White Party, Winter Party (Miami), and Fireball (Chicago) among all of which Roland rose to the occasion, delivering audiences the unique sound they had all heard so much about.
With a growing fan base spanning coast to coast, it was only a matter of time before Belmares received recognition from the industry's leading dance labels, including Centaur (Global Groove), Dance One (Dance One) and 4Play Records. The latter having recently released his critically acclaimed club mix for their best-selling Circuit Sessions CD series, which include previous editions mixed by artists like Barry Harris of Thunderpuss, Abel and Manny Lehman.
Despite such commercials successes, Roland is not the kind to rest on his artistic laurels. Instead, he cheerfully admits to having already made several significant changes to his style, further developing his skills and creating greater distance between any examples that have found their way to a commercially recorded CD. "My current strategy, I would have to say, is to keep the energy level high, and always start off with songs that are familiar or have a familiar tone to them. This, I feel, creates an inviting atmosphere for the first few groups of people to congregate on the floor." He says.
Asked to describe his current sound, Belmares offers his usual blend of genuine humility; with a pinch of the kind of clever secrecy you can expect from most professional DJs. "It's hard for me to single-out any one particular style of music. There are many elements from different genres that move me, and if it moves me, it helps me to move the audience!" he laughs. "But I definitely favor a housier, tribal sound so long as it stays interesting and not just a drum loop. [When it comes to technique], my current strategy, I would have to say, is to keep the energy level high and always start off with songs that are familiar or have a commonly recognizable tone to them. I feel this creates an inviting atmosphere that encourages the first few groups of people to congregate on the floor."
Considering the fast-paced, thrill-based nature of the circuit scene, it's hard to imagine how a kid from Austin has managed to make a name for himself while resisting its darker influences. But Roland, an admitted optimist to a fault, doesn't see the scene in such seedy scenarios. He defends the notorious nature of his community, reminding critics of its lesser-publicized positive aspects.
"There's a lot of good that I've noticed in the scene." He firmly adds. "One admirable quality that I've noticed, for example, is that circuit parties are a way to bring together friends from all around the world. It's a time to reconnect with old buddies and, of course, make new ones." And how does Roland deal with the circuit scene's less inspiring side? "Well, I think there is definitely a heavy dependence on "chemical" substances to have "fun" and, sure, that has shed a dark light on the scene." He sighs. "But being the positive person I consider myself to be, I think I try to create a more encouraging atmosphere with the music I play. When I perform, I always set out to make my sets fun with the music so that before you know it, you've had a party without relying on the now "standard substances" for the good time." Like the dance floor saying goes, music is the drug.
As for the what lies ahead for Belmares, it appears he's dedicated to dance music beyond simply maintaining his status as one of the scene's top rated DJs. "In the future, I see myself changing with the times; keeping an overall consistency of high energy in my DJ sets. However, I also hope to eventually move into production work and follow in the footsteps of such greats as Ralphi Rosario and Victor Calderone." If that goal sounds out-of-reach, just consider how quickly Belmares realized his dream to become a great DJ. Don't blink D Roland Belmares will be a great producer before you know it.
-Mateo Segade, Perfectbeat.com
That was the night Roland Belmares decided to become a DJ.
"At the time I was working in the computer industry," Belmares says. "But the economic downturn in the business and the threat of losing my job because of it added enough incentive for me to leave the corporate world." So began Belmares' humble origins - playing pool parties and minor venues across Austin, slowly building a name for himself as a DJ who takes his art just as seriously whether there are twenty or two hundred people on the dance floor.
"My first gigs were small, but still nerve wracking." Says Belmares, "But the more intimate settings helped me hone my skills for reading the crowd and adjusting the music accordingly. And since the gigs weren't so big, it wasn't overly intimidating, thus giving me the courage to experiment and learn my own style." It was Belmares' dedicated fine-tuning and attention to such style that eventually caught the ear of Ben Parsley, promoter for two of Austin's biggest circuit events, Perfect Day and, the one that started it all, Meltdown. An expert in the art of identifying talent, Parsley liked what he heard so much that he decided to give Roland a shot at the big leagues. In just one year, Belmares had already achieved his original goal of simply becoming a good DJ. Now it was time to become a great DJ.
The incredible impact Belmares made on audiences at both Meltdown and Perfect Day secured him a position on the discerning partygoer's hot list of circuit DJs. "Those events marked the first time I really had a full night to develop the evening." Roland says. "It was also the first time every mix I did flowed perfectly into the next song. And to hear the crowd applauding for me at the end of the night was truly unexpected. It made me feel like I was finally a "real" DJ in the circuit scene."
Another factor that weighed heavily in Roland's own awareness of his professional arrival was his meeting with Los Angeles based manager Ken Harwood. As often happens in the industry, the two developed a romantic relationship that survived a year in long-distance limbo before Roland finally made the difficult yet strategic decision to leave home for LA. "The only thing keeping me in Austin was my family and friends who always supported me to do what was best for my career. Ken was already taking over as my manager, so after weighing out all my options, it seemed like the natural progression for me to make the move."
Nevertheless, Austin will forever be home to Belmares. "My debut gig at The Forum will always be considered my first major thrill." says Belmares in regards to his now-legendary DJ sets at one of Austin's premier nightspots. "Getting to perform in a real club and seeing the audience react to the music I was playing was true joy."
Since that time, Belmares has been called to play several events outside Austin and LA county lines; unforgettable parties located from the hills of San Francisco to the beaches of Miami. Then, of course, there are those major events that can either make or break a burgeoning DJ D names like White Party, Winter Party (Miami), and Fireball (Chicago) among all of which Roland rose to the occasion, delivering audiences the unique sound they had all heard so much about.
With a growing fan base spanning coast to coast, it was only a matter of time before Belmares received recognition from the industry's leading dance labels, including Centaur (Global Groove), Dance One (Dance One) and 4Play Records. The latter having recently released his critically acclaimed club mix for their best-selling Circuit Sessions CD series, which include previous editions mixed by artists like Barry Harris of Thunderpuss, Abel and Manny Lehman.
Despite such commercials successes, Roland is not the kind to rest on his artistic laurels. Instead, he cheerfully admits to having already made several significant changes to his style, further developing his skills and creating greater distance between any examples that have found their way to a commercially recorded CD. "My current strategy, I would have to say, is to keep the energy level high, and always start off with songs that are familiar or have a familiar tone to them. This, I feel, creates an inviting atmosphere for the first few groups of people to congregate on the floor." He says.
Asked to describe his current sound, Belmares offers his usual blend of genuine humility; with a pinch of the kind of clever secrecy you can expect from most professional DJs. "It's hard for me to single-out any one particular style of music. There are many elements from different genres that move me, and if it moves me, it helps me to move the audience!" he laughs. "But I definitely favor a housier, tribal sound so long as it stays interesting and not just a drum loop. [When it comes to technique], my current strategy, I would have to say, is to keep the energy level high and always start off with songs that are familiar or have a commonly recognizable tone to them. I feel this creates an inviting atmosphere that encourages the first few groups of people to congregate on the floor."
Considering the fast-paced, thrill-based nature of the circuit scene, it's hard to imagine how a kid from Austin has managed to make a name for himself while resisting its darker influences. But Roland, an admitted optimist to a fault, doesn't see the scene in such seedy scenarios. He defends the notorious nature of his community, reminding critics of its lesser-publicized positive aspects.
"There's a lot of good that I've noticed in the scene." He firmly adds. "One admirable quality that I've noticed, for example, is that circuit parties are a way to bring together friends from all around the world. It's a time to reconnect with old buddies and, of course, make new ones." And how does Roland deal with the circuit scene's less inspiring side? "Well, I think there is definitely a heavy dependence on "chemical" substances to have "fun" and, sure, that has shed a dark light on the scene." He sighs. "But being the positive person I consider myself to be, I think I try to create a more encouraging atmosphere with the music I play. When I perform, I always set out to make my sets fun with the music so that before you know it, you've had a party without relying on the now "standard substances" for the good time." Like the dance floor saying goes, music is the drug.
As for the what lies ahead for Belmares, it appears he's dedicated to dance music beyond simply maintaining his status as one of the scene's top rated DJs. "In the future, I see myself changing with the times; keeping an overall consistency of high energy in my DJ sets. However, I also hope to eventually move into production work and follow in the footsteps of such greats as Ralphi Rosario and Victor Calderone." If that goal sounds out-of-reach, just consider how quickly Belmares realized his dream to become a great DJ. Don't blink D Roland Belmares will be a great producer before you know it.
-Mateo Segade, Perfectbeat.com
