Valencia has emerged as one of the most vibrant European scenes in recent years. I had the privilege of sitting down with David (Pin) and Pau Pérez, the driving forces behind Oven Club, for an in-depth conversation. Oven Club, a prominent clubbing project in the city, stands as a focal point for local electronic music enthusiasts in Valencia. However, it's essential to recognise that the passion for electronic music and the region's rich tradition in this genre date back several decades. The electronic music scene in Valencia took root in the late 1980s, famously known as "La Ruta" or "The Route."

In your opinion who were the pioneers of electronic music in Valencia? 

Pin: Well, in my view, I believe that the father of electronic music has always been, and probably to most people, Fran Lenaers. Because he was the one who sort of changed the entire scene and the direction the music in the city was heading. Mostly because when he started DJing, there was still no beat matching, it was more like cutting between tracks and more directed towards disco. but he started importing a lot of different music from Belgium and from Manchester, so I think he's the one who changed the city. In fact, you ask anyone over 40 or 50, and everyone who went out on the circuit will agree.. There were other DJs who were at his level, I know them, and they are very good, but it's like he set the trend. And then there's Christian, who is a less known DJ than Fran because he wasn't a resident of a big club. ‍

Pau: Also a bit younger. 

Pin: Yes, Christian is a bit younger, and it's a different school, the people who started mixing and already had Technics with pitch control. Fran actually built his own turntables and his pitch controls to modulate the speed. I'm talking about something crazy. He was the first person to mix in Spain. That was madness. Imagine, endless mixes with classical music, with guitar hits. 

‍Pau: He also did something else very interesting; he took two copies of the same record and put one in a little later than the other, creating a sort of delay effect with the same song on two different turntables. I haven't seen anyone else do that. And besides, at that time, not as much 4x4 music was being played here; it was a very different type of electronic music from now. They were mixing 80s bands. Imagine all those kinds of drums, all those percussions, brought into a session so that it had coherence. He's a pioneer in my opinion. 

‍Pin: A pioneer. Yes, it can be said that every time he played, he told stories and created moments. One of the things that impacted me the most from that time is that people know Fran's mixes. I mean, they know what mix he's going to do when a track starts. 

‍Pau: I mean, that's crazy. 

Pin: Furthermore, something that amazed me recently is that I got on YouTube, and there were Tributes to Fran Lenaers, with the mixes he used to do. I mean, people who know the mixes he used to make, create sessions and upload them to YouTube with his mixes. That's really something. 

‍Pau: Because, in reality, he would take two songs and make them into one. So, if you listened to the song on its own, it would sound strange until you heard it with the other. Starting with mixing and then, as David mentioned, finding a story. And that was something typical in the past. The DJ's mix, which was like their signature, and everyone knew it, that's the very beginning of being a DJ.

‍How do you think “La Ruta” began and what were the main characteristics? 

Pin: I believe that in Valencia, during the 80s, everything was coming out of the transition that Spain had gone through with the death of dictator Franco. So, I think the  moment Franco died, was a moment of freedom and where everyone was liberated.
In Valencia, a subculture began to develop in small places. The first place was Barraca, and I think it's been almost 45 years since it started, imagine how long ago that was. Even though it's 50 kilometres from Valencia, it was where something strong gradually emerged. Over the years, people like Carlos Simó and others from there made it a place to go and liberate yourself. That's where urban tribes began to form, where people considered "deviant" at the time went to feel free, dance without inhibitions, things that were still impossible during the transition after Franco's death, you know? 

‍Pau: Yes, i think it was a different urban tribes mixed. It's like if someone who listens to reggaeton now, mixed with someone who listens to techno and someone who listens to rock, you know? Imagine all of that mixed together in a sea of subcultures, people with different ideologies, dressed in different ways... And of course, this was a breeding ground for what happened later. All of this happened in a short span of time, from the early 80s to the mid-90s, when the decline began, although for us, it was the best time because that's when we experienced it, and everyone experiences it differently. 

‍Pin: I don't think it was just about the dance floor and dance music. I think it was about culture in general, about fashion, design etc... it was like an explosion for them to express themselves culturally; it was an explosion of freedom. 

‍Pau: And of course, everyone mixed, all the creative people, actors, designers, and celebrities in general, the part that Franco's regime had repressed the most. 

‍Pin: Imagine what came out of there. Truthfully, it created a breeding ground for freedom above all, and for wanting to express oneself, to be the trendiest, to create the coolest posters, to bring the coolest bands, because at that time, it was all about the bands... In Madrid, it happened more with the bands, with the "Movida Madrileña," but in Valencia, it was more about the club scene. 

Pau: For example, in Barcelona, there was the Rachdingue by Dalí, you know? And then there were other clubs called El Cel and Blau. It was happening simultaneously elsewhere, just like what was happening here, there was a unique scene in other places as well, like in Manchester or Belgium.

‍“The Route” or “La Ruta” in Spanish, where does this name come from?

‍Pau: The route was because if you look at the map, you started at one point and ended up at another. You started in one place on Friday, and then you knew that on Saturday morning, another place would open, on Saturday afternoon another one, and then on Sunday during the day, another place would open, and so on until Monday. 

‍Pin: Even among clubs that seemed not to get along, there was a good vibe because they all filled up, and in the end, they somehow agreed on when to open. “La Ruta” started on Friday afternoon at El Torero, then they went to Spook, after that to Heaven, from Heaven to Barraca, and by Monday, they were already at ACTV. Well, imagine the madness. And I'm talking about the most important ones, but there were many others. Smaller clubs that weren't as well known or bars where people from the towns would gather before, they'd pick them up in a bus, and they'd go on the route. 

To give you an idea, in my time, I'm 41 years old and when I was young, around 12 years old, instead of collecting football stickers, in Valencia, we collected flyers from nightclubs. My room was full of posters from clubs. I would also ask my cousins to record or bring me tapes, which you could buy at Chocolate or Barraca. When I was 10-12 years old, I was already listening to club music. I think this is a bit unthinkable now, but at that time, the route was heavily marketed, everyone had t-shirts, stickers on cars, flags. 

‍Musically, the route started as a more avant-garde movement, with new beat music coming from Belgium, and it gradually evolved into what is known as "bacalao” or “música makina”. Why do you think this evolution happen?

‍Pin: In my opinion, in the late '80s, the route reached its peak, and in the early/mid-'90s, it began to decline slowly. I believe that the music scene in Valencia changed because of the influence of local record labels. 

‍Pau: We started making our own music instead of importing it. 

‍Pin: There was a business within the city itself that they created, and they started copying music from abroad. They even began producing it in Valencia so that all the money stayed here. I'm not sure if I'm explaining it well, but importing music was very expensive. So, they thought, "If we create it ourselves, we'll make more money." I think that's where the musical scene began to deteriorate... Labels like Blanco y Negro, Contraseña Records, there were many distributors that controlled it all. That's why I don't think it was just about mescaline, running out,as many say, and ecstasy pills coming in... I don't think that was the real reason. 

‍Pau: I think it's closely related to music. “Música makina” is not the same as "bacalao." I believe the term "bacalao" was used before; it's just that "bacalao" was referred to as: "Hey, look at that 'bacalao'" something good, in record stores. But before machine music became a thing, I think the term "bacalao" was already around. I think “música makina” is what defines the music of the '90s route. "Bacalao" isn't all the music of the route, not the good or the bad, Good and bad, let's say it that way because it's subjective. But I think that's what defines it. And I agree with Pin, we started making our own music here, and I think some who had no idea started to believe that it would work. And yes, it worked a little. But as you can see over time, it degenerated... 

‍Pin: They got themselves into a serious mess. And I think that's where it went off the rails.

‍When La Ruta ended, what was left in Valencia? Which were the ideas to renovate  the scene for the new generation coming up?

‍Pau: I think it ended around '98, '99, somewhere around there. 

‍Pin: Yes, in the '90s... Maybe a bit earlier, '95, '96. 

‍Pau: But many clubs didn't close. Actually, what they did was adapt. I believe Barraca, for example, continued opening on Sundays, Chocolate and Puzzle didn't close either. What they did was gradually adapt to the new trends. House music became more prominent; Chocolate continued with Hardcore. There were transitional years, just as there was a political transition before, there was a musical transition here. 

‍Pin: There was a musical transition, but it's true that many clubs didn't close, as Pau mentioned. Some even opened, like Bananas, and others became very commercial, catering to the typical bachelor party crowd... And then came mainstream music, more commercial entertainment for everyone. It continued for a few years, and then it's true that clubs started to close. I personally experienced the end of the route, as I mentioned earlier. The opening hours, especially, were different; the licensing allowed clubs to stay open until 7:30 AM in Valencia at that time. But there was a period when they used to close at 11 AM or 12 PM, and others would open at noon, and you could keep partying. This happened around the early 2000s, I think. 

‍Pau: Then, for example, Face was the club that played the most classic house music, as part of the route. Instead of evolving towards “Música makina”, it evolved more towards the house scene. Many good house DJs came there. 

‍Pin: And after closing for maybe a year or  half, they would reopen. That was sort of the pattern. Now, for example, Chocolate has reopened after many years of being closed. There's also rumours saying that Puzzle might reopen... I don't know what will happen. 

‍Pau: Then there were some clubs, like Barraca, that changed their artistic direction. I had the opportunity to DJ during those years, and there was a time when Barraca was at the forefront of electronic trends. Richie Hawtin and Ricardo Villalobos considered it their home. Others, like Spook, changed as well; it extended the “música makina” era and adapted to the early 2000s. Now that Pin has taken over and manages it with his company, I see that pure essence returning... Of course, it won't be what it used to be because that's impossible, but it has that pure essence of the club scene, of the route, still there.

How and when did Oven start? Which was the main concept behind it?

‍Pin: Well, Oven is a project that started more than ten years ago, in late 2012. It began in a club called La 3, with a capacity of about 800 people. Inside the club, there was a smaller room for about 200 people, and they called me and said, "Hey, there's an opportunity here to take over. Do you want to take Fridays and Saturdays?" So, I got involved. There wasn't much money involved; it was all about passion. Pau: It was a small room, the more electronic part. The main room was for Indie music, and this room was for house and techno. After five years, Oven became its own brand and moved to a different location, the one we have now. It's an independent club, not part of another club. 

‍Pin: We started booking acts from outside that had never been to La 3. We began to bring in more Chicago House-style acts... 

‍Pau: Yes, we started bringing in people like Fred P, Patrice Scott, Mike Huckaby, Tama Sumo. 

‍Pin: We were more into the Chicago and American scene at that time. And then we started to change. As time goes by, tastes change, styles change, the audience changes, and we adapt to what's coming. 

‍Pau: We adapt to the trends but without losing our essence. 

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Pin: That's where we started, and we have remained as, I believe, the only club that has been open for so many years with its own programming. We don't host parties with promoters. The only exception is on Thursdays when there are collectives that organise their parties within the club and handle the programming for that day. But on Fridays and Saturdays, we do all the programming ourselves: simple, personal programming with residents and invited guests. And that's our philosophy, to always have a resident and an invited guest, someone from outside, someone local. We also support the local scene and the collectives that have emerged from this club. When it started, young people began to create collectives, and we would ask, "What are they doing?" And we would educate them about buying records, introducing them to certain labels, and so on. Educating young people to follow the path we've taken. 

‍Pau: I remember, I call it the lost generation because when I started, all the record stores were closing, and at the time I didn't see younger kids behind me buying records and I thought, "This is where it ends." But over the last few years, with the new generation, I now see these kids going back to it, and I think, "Wow, what a joy and what peace of mind it gives me to know that they have taken up the legacy we left behind." In that sense, I'm very relaxed. Apart from that, I manage Thursdays, and I've become a bit of a talent scout for the next generation. I watch the sets of these kids, and I'm amazed. I think, "Oh my goodness, these young ones are coming strong." And that gives me a lot of peace of mind and satisfaction.

‍Who are the people behind the curtains making everything work at Oven?

‍Pin: I handle all the bookings, programming, and logistics. The bar operations are managed by my partner Tino, who is in charge of the club, and then there's Pau, the second in charge, who is always there on the front lines. And then, I have a guy who works with me in the mornings to handle the booking for Spook as well. Between Oven and Spook, we book a minimum of four or five, sometimes six international acts, including bands and... The logistics of all this is crazy. So, for the past year or so, I've had an assistant because I couldn't handle it all on my own. And these are the people. 

Pau: And then there are the resident DJs, which include Pin, Blanch, Sueezo, and myself.

‍Pin: Blanch recently joined the resident team. It's something we had been thinking about for a while, that we needed some fresh blood in the group and some younger vitality. It's always good to have someone coming up from the bottom and making space for the new generations. 

‍Pau: In Valencia, there was a time when the older generation was a bit resistant. For example, it was challenging for me to start DJing. I think in that regard, they were often mistaken because I believe that the younger generations learn a lot from you, but you also learn a lot from them, you know? A lot, both in terms of trends and how you interact with people. Because in the end, if you're going to be there, you're going to have to interact with younger people. I find it increasingly challenging to see people my age there, even though the average age isn't very low, it's lower than my age, you know? So, mixing with the younger crowd is good, as long as there's some affinity. And here, we have more than just a minimum of that.

‍How is Oven acting as an institution in Valencia’s scene supporting upcoming young artists and collectives? And which are the most important things these artists/collectives should have or be doing?

‍Pau: It's not just about buying records; they have to put in the effort. And the first thing, as I always say, is that you have to be humble and not be in a hurry. When one of these two things fails, things don't work well. I never did well because I was in a hurry. So, it's true that the more you stand out, like Blanch, for example, I would say, damn, he's doing it really well. Good actions and humility are rewarded, man. And it's clear that it's not a closed group. Just like Blanch, it could have been someone else you say, damn, this person knows what they're doing. So, first and foremost, I tell them, man, don't be in a hurry, have humility, don't rush, don't try to take shortcuts because they don't exist. Even Blanch was someone who was in a hurry at the beginning. 

Pin: Patience and patience, you have to have patience. Let's say we always tell young people that they've found everything very easy. We've worked hard, really hard. Finding an empty venue, struggling, relying on friends, making playlists when you were young, trying to create that scene from scratch because there was nothing. There was nothing of our style. It was like the club is so far from here, and it's expensive to bring people there or they have to take a taxi, and you did whatever it took to get people to come and see what you're doing. They've found a club that works, that fills up any day; we've made it easy for them. And they need to appreciate that. They need to appreciate that it was very hard for us and that they need to understand the cost of this whole scene. They need to know where they are at all times and respect it, above all. 

‍Pau: For me, it was unimaginable when I started DJing or when I had been DJing for two years, I'm talking about a while back, to have a club on Thursdays with its audience, even if it's a small one, you know? I used to DJ with the sound of needles in my room. 

‍Pin: It used to be unthinkable that a club would work on Thursdays in Valencia. People used to go out on Fridays or Saturdays, and sometimes you'd think one of the two days wouldn't work. I mean, if people went out on Friday, they wouldn't come on Saturday. And it was like that, you know? It was like playing a game to see where it would go. And in the end, there came a time when Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays all worked. It works no matter when you go; the club is great. People have a great time. And all of this is thanks to the work of all of us who have been fighting for it. So, at this point, we are happy because I believe they appreciate it and accept it, accept where they are, and I think they know that the scene that has been created is also important for them. 

‍What is important is that people go to the club because it is Oven. It doesn't matter who's playing because you know there will always be a good DJ, a good party, quality is always guaranteed. 

‍Pin: Exactly. That's where I'm going. Whenever you go, you'll find the same style of music or something similar; you won't encounter a DJ playing techno one night and trance the next. No. You'll find the same concept where you can go alone more or less, and you'll find your friends there, or you'll meet someone you know, someone you met last week, because it's the only club where people feel more comfortable, and you know it's a family. 

Pau: That's also achieved with a regular residency; when the DJs repeat, it creates that club essence, and you know that one day you'll like it more, another day less, but you'll never say, "Wow, that was bad." That's built with consistency. 

‍What is the secret behind the collaboration between the main collectives in Valencia?

‍Pin: I believe that friendship is essential. We even have a WhatsApp group called "The DJ Syndicate." All the DJs of our style in Valencia are in it. There might be around 40 people, from the oldest to the youngest. We discuss everything, share music, show videos... Obviously, it's not all sweetness, but it's indeed a very friendly atmosphere, and when someone throws a party, we all try to go and see what's happening. Then, an important point was The Basement's club “Dias de Campo Festival”. I think this festival has also given all these young people a place to go and play on an important day with artists they idolise. It has a lot of visibility, very powerful international artists, and they think, "Wow, I'm at this festival, and I've been DJing for four or five years. I'm nobody compared to someone as important as these artists." And this, in a way, keeps us united, and there's good vibes, no rivalry. 

‍Pau: The members of The Basement are our brothers; they were our friends even before The Basement was created. 

‍Pin: Oven, even though it doesn't have a share in the festival as a partner, we are partners in the presence of the festival because all year round, these artists have been coming to the club. It's like a meeting point once a year for everyone in the scene, for the entire Valencia scene. And in that regard, Álvaro Goalmaker does a fantastic job. I always thank him when we talk about this because I believe the idea behind all this work is about bringing together the whole city.

‍What are the future plans for Oven in the short/medium term?

‍Pin: Right now, we are in the midst of a club renovation. We're going to make significant changes to the bar area, the upper part as you enter. We're going to create a more stylish cocktail lounge with some cool sofas, focusing on slower, more low-tempo sounds, even atmosphere – a place for people to chat and enjoy a drink. And if you want to get into the groove, well, you can head downstairs. This is what we're working on in the short term, and in about two or three weeks, or maybe four, we'll have the grand reopening. After that, we're already planning our next anniversary, which will be in February, and today I just confirmed our guest artist. I won't reveal the name yet, but we'll have many friends from Oven, both local and international artists. 

Lately, we've been supporting scenes similar to ours in other cities, like we are doing with K4 in Slovenia, which we'll visit soon. We've also done it in Lisbon with the folks from Ministerium. There are scenes in Europe that resemble ours, creating a sense of family, sharing music, and featuring top-tier DJs – DJs who I consider to be top-tier. So when they come here, just like when we visit their cities, it's super cool; we share a lot of music and happy moments. We're investing more in these types of scenes, even for people who aren't as well-known, and we want them to come here and enjoy what Oven has to offer, which is my favourite club because of the experience in that DJ booth. For the next anniversary, we're also working on some Oven Garden events, like we always do in the afternoon, so people can leave the club and not be stuck in the cave. 

We're also launching a record label, which is something new – it will be called “Oven Sound”, finally, after a long time working on this project. Soon, we'll release the first record by Sueezo, one of our residents, with three incredible tracks. This will be out soon, and we already have plans for the next two releases. We'll be focusing a lot on the local scene because there are many talented producers here creating excellent music. Our idea is to release music by artists closely connected to the club; the next one, which I can reveal now, will likely be from Felipe Venezuela and Dorian Paic – it's going to be a fantastic record. The third one will probably feature local artists closely tied to the club – a Various Artists compilation. We're still figuring out the details, but it's almost decided. This is our way of entering the market, gaining recognition in Europe, and showcasing the music being made in Valencia. 

‍How do you see the development of the scene in Valencia in the coming years in terms of music, DJs, and parties? 

‍Pau: I think we've already talked about it. I see the young people here in great shape, with new trends and some collectives playing slightly faster music, others slower, some more techno, and some more house. Between the four collectives that work at Oven, we create a good mix to keep the scene going. And wait, because they are definitely going to inspire a new wave of people who will learn from them 100% in about five or four years. Just now, I came from David Verdeguer's shop - Killing Time/HC Records - and I saw a couple of kids there who I recognized from Oven's audience. I greeted them, and of course, I recognized them as Oven's regulars. I saw them playing around with records, and I thought, "Look, this is how the story is made." 

‍Pin: Yes, I agree with Pau. Ultimately, between us and The Basement, we're helping this city become more prominent in the European scene. The Dias de Campo festival, a three-day event with a carefully curated lineup in the village of Montanejos, surrounded by nature – it's incredible, you know? We see it as our festival, as going there is like being at home, spending a weekend of vacation with friends. I believe this is growing more and more because new enthusiasts are emerging. Other places will open, and we'll collaborate with them, too. So, I think this is our vision for the future – it's going to keep growing. And I'm getting older through it all. Well, that's how we'll conclude the interview.

‍Thank you very much for your time, Pau and David. I think we have covered all aspects, and your love for the scene and Oven is evident. It is clear when you talk; your passion shows! You are maintaining and developing the spirit of Valencia, taking it to the International level and putting Valencia on the map!

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