SHABA — BETWEEN GROOVE AND DARKNESS
From Buenos Aires to Philadelphia, Shaba talks about the music that shaped him, life beyond the booth, late-night creative processes, the dancefloor and the search for identity within his sound.
Origins / Movement
From Buenos Aires
to Philadelphia
Born and raised in Argentina and currently based in Philadelphia, Shaba has been DJing since 2017 and producing since 2019.
His path into electronic music began somewhere between the house music his father played at home, years spent listening to metal and the discovery of Drum & Bass.
Since moving to the United States in 2023, Philadelphia has become part of that story — a new environment feeding both the music and the person behind it.
The person behind the project
the
booth.
I’m also a graphic designer. I’ve been designing flyers for events, album covers and logos for DJs and all kinds of artists.
Besides that, I like art in general. I usually draw or paint different ideas that come into my head.
Philadelphia / USA
First contact
From metal
to the dancefloor
Since I was born, my dad was always playing house music at home, but I never really paid attention to it until I discovered bass music — specifically Drum & Bass.
Before that, I was just a metalhead 24/7. But when I heard that music for the first time, everything changed.
I immediately started going to raves and meeting a lot of people, DJs and others involved in the scene.
The dancefloor
The
dancefloor.
Usually when I play, I notice that people seem happy while they’re dancing, so I think that’s my motivation.
Making them happy and helping them forget about whatever is going on in their lives.
Everyone goes to the club to disconnect and have a good time, so… we just gotta play good music for them, right?
I always try to make them trip while they’re groovin’.
It’s fun for me to be able to play with their minds and help them have a good experience during that moment.
In the booth
Process
I usually make music after midnight.
I like to process all the information that my brain received throughout the day so I can put it into a song.
Normally, I start a track with the drums. They represent how active or chill the day was, and the emotions I’ve been feeling I throw into a synth, a vocal or something else.
A lot.
Philadelphia is such an interesting city. It’s quiet, but it can be very unpredictable too.
When I walk around Center City, there’s always a lot going on. I like to look around and see what’s happening. That usually helps me get ideas for tracks.
75.1652° W
Influences
Three records
that shaped
the artist.
The Black Album
Animals
Hesitation Marks
The culture
Who should we
be listening to
right now?
- Rene Wise
- Philippa Pacho
- Lars Huismann
- Connor Wall
- Aidan Rudd
More of →
Local clubs dedicated exclusively to electronic music.
Less of →
Phones and people talking on the dancefloor.
Right now
Finding
an identity.
I’m trying to find myself in the tracks.
Finding an identity within this music is one of my main purposes right now.
Working on more music.
Faster BPMs and hopefully playing again soon.
A question we’ll keep asking
What part of underground culture do you think is worth protecting?
No matter who’s playing or what type of venue it is… music should always be on top of everything.