Iglesias on His COCO Debut, Signature Sound, and the Future of Tech House
- Tony Allen
- Mar 11
- 5 min read
Iglesias is kicking off 2025 strong with a hyped release on SOSA’s COCO imprint. Known for his infectious, rolling tech-house sound, Iglesias has built a reputation for high-impact, chart-topping productions on labels like Hottrax, Mindshake, and Solid Grooves Raw. His latest single, Take Your Pants Off, is already setting dance floors alight, packed with crisp percussion, driving basslines, and a standout sax riff. Buy/stream it here: http://ffm.to/coco042.
A Natural Fit for COCO
With a deep catalogue of releases on some of the biggest labels in the scene, what led Iglesias to COCO for this latest drop?
"COCO’s a label that cares solely about the music. SOSA has a really good ear for what works on the dance floor. I love that he doesn’t care who the artist is or how many followers they have on social media. It’s all about the music, and that’s exactly how I approach running my own label too."
According to Iglesias, the track’s vibe made it an obvious choice for the label:
"The tone and vibe of Take Your Pants Off fits the style of track that SOSA plays in his own sets, so it was a no-brainer to send it to him first. COCO’s back catalogue is full of driving tech-house with interesting sample choices, so it felt right."
From Studio to Dance Floor
With Take Your Pants Off already causing a stir in clubs, Iglesias explains how the track came together:
"It’s hard to pinpoint an exact moment of inspiration for this record, but I knew that this year I wanted to avoid using the same style of sample that I keep hearing in promos. I wanted to write something that wasn’t based around a vocal sample at all."
As someone who plays hybrid-live, Iglesias often removes vocals from tracks in his sets. This influenced his approach to production:
"If I’m doing that with other people’s records, it only makes sense to create one without vocals for me to release! I wanted it to be really playable – something you could open or close a set with, or even just use as a filler deep into a long set."
The Hooky Sax Riff
One of the track’s defining elements is its infectious saxophone riff. But was it always part of the plan?
"I actually wrote the track first as just a straight roller. I wanted something I could play and mess around with during my sets – whether that’s adding more drums, synths, or acapellas on top."
It wasn’t until later in the process that he introduced the sax:
"I realized the groove was too good to leave it as just a DJ tool, so I started exploring new elements to add. I got pretty lucky when I found this saxophone riff that fell perfectly in key with the track. I’d love to say I had someone come into the studio and, over a few hours, we wrote this beautiful sax riff, but that wasn’t the case! It came in much later, but it completed the record."
Staying True to His Sound
Iglesias has built a signature style of rolling grooves and high-energy beats. But how does he keep it fresh?
"Every time I start a new track, it’s with a completely blank canvas – that way, not every record sounds the same. That said, I do have a certain tone and specific scales I like to work in, which I guess is what makes an Iglesias track recognisable."
His sound is also shaped by a few signature production choices:
"I love a big snare – it’s something people know me for! So, as long as I’m using one of my kicks (…I have a massive library of Iglesias kicks), writing in a key I like, and using a chunky snare, I can be fairly free with the style."
And when it comes to playing live?
"It naturally ends up rolling and high-energy because that’s the kind of electronic music I like! I don’t want to be standing on a dance floor waiting for a one-minute breakdown to finish…I want to be moving until I leave the club."
COCO’s Vision and Beatport Recognition
SOSA has been shaping COCO into a powerhouse for club-ready tech-house. How does this release fit in?
"I’ve known SOSA for years, and he’s become a good friend. Because of that, I think the fact that he trusts my music means it doesn’t really matter whether it follows COCO’s previous release history."
Beatport has also played a big role in Iglesias’ success. As one of the platform’s best-selling tech-house artists of all time, does he think it still holds weight?
"I think it’s pretty cool! Those who really know me, know that I don’t give a shit about numbers and stats, but it’s still a nice accolade to have."
His priorities have shifted over time:
"When I first started, hitting numbers and milestones felt really important and I chased them for a long time. But now, I’m just happy that people play my music – as long as I can share my music, I’m happy. If it gets some recognition through numbers, even better!"
Studio Setup and Testing Process
When it comes to production, Iglesias has streamlined his setup:
"Over the years, my studio setup has been stripped back a lot. I used to have loads of synths, drum machines and hardware processors, but I sold virtually all of it when I added a Trinnov ST2 Pro to my signal chain. It’s an insanely accurate room EQ unit that essentially inverts the frequency curve of my speakers, applying filters to fix any acoustic issues in the room."
His current essentials?
"My PSI monitoring setup (which is hands-down the best I’ve ever listened to), my Trinnov, and a Mac – that’s all I need."
And when it comes to testing new music?
"Because my monitoring system is so accurate, my music translates perfectly across all types of listening environments – whether it’s AirPods or a massive L’Acoustics line array in a club!"
His usual process:
Play it in the studio.
Check it on phone speakers – because for some reason, I get production ideas this way.
Check it in the car – because I listen to so much music there that I instinctively know if it stacks up against other records.
"If it sounds good in all of those places, it’s going to sound good in the club."
The Future of Tech-House
Iglesias has strong opinions on where the genre is heading:
"Tech-house is making a comeback. A lot of other genres feel soooo slow-paced to me and they’re often way out of key, which makes it hard for me to connect with them. A lot of tracks don’t seem to have a journey, just random sounds from Splice thrown in."
So, what’s next for tech-house?
"I think we’ll see a new version come through. My prediction? It’ll have more of an electro spin – like what the guys in the states have been doing."
What’s Next for Iglesias?
With Take Your Pants Off making waves, what else is in the pipeline for 2025?
"I’ve got loads of new music coming this year. I know it sounds cringey, but I can’t say too much yet. What I can say is that Chula finally has a release date and will be dropping this summer! I know a lot of people have been asking for this one ever since Bibi played it at his No Phones Policy show at DC10 last summer – it’s coming."
"I’ve also got a huge remix of an iconic record and multiple collabs lined up for this year. So yeah… sorry for the bland, swerving response but I can’t spill all the details just yet!"
One thing’s for sure – Iglesias is set to keep dance floors moving all year long.
Iglesias
Σχόλια