We sit down with Cuban DJ, producer and Space Miami Resident Malóne to celebrate his recent release ‘AIO’ with BLOND:ISH on Abra X. We discuss his sound, his journey to becoming resident, his most memorable shows and more…

WWD: Hi Maloné. How are you? How has your 2023 been so far? What have been the highlights?

Doing really great guys, thank you for having me on… 2023 has been a super year so far. Just got back from a tour in Europe playing in Ibiza and Mykonos for the first time amongst some other cities. Becoming a dad for the first time which has probably been the best feeling ever. Started a residency at Space Miami which is definitely a career bucket list thing for me & getting ready for a heavy fall tour with some festivals locked in like iii Points, EDC Orlando and Forever Midnight.

WWD: Tell us about your Cuban heritage. What effect do you think this has on your music?

I love my Cuban heritage. The way I grew up with so many different cultural inspirations is truly a blessing. I grew up listening to Salsa in the 80/90s which made me fall in love with music at such an early age but the cool thing was that my moms favourite band in Cuba was the Bee Gees, so I also grew up on that whole era and influence of music as well.

WWD: How would you describe your sound?

I think my sound is just sexy & groovy. Whether it lands in tech house or afro or deep tech, the vibe is always about making people dance. Heavy basslines & sexy drums has always been it for me. Growing up in Miami and having the opportunity to see so many legends come through Miami Music Week year after year and in Space etc…It lends itself to that Miami sound.

WWD: How did you become a resident of the famed Space Miami? Tell us of that journey.

Funny enough the first club I ever played in 2014 was the basement at Space at the time. I showed up with my traktor S2 controller and plugged in lol… (I will never forget that). I have just always been around. I always partied there while doing my own thing around the city and earning my stripes. I was lucky enough to be booked to play some other parties for the Link Miami Rebels and every time they booked me I made sure to really impress. I think the guys running Space now are truly the best in the world and they appreciate and look out for the local talent. I’m very proud to be from Miami, always putting on for my city and representing it to the fullest. I just continued to work hard over the years, always supported and was around as well. Networking is everything in this business.

WWD: What has been your most stand-out moment on the terrace?

There’s 2 moments that I can really remember that stick out to me and I will never forget. First time I was asked to close the terrace on a Thursday on Labor Day Weekend years ago after ARTBAT. I think one of the guys wasn’t feeling that well and they finished around 3/330 and I came on around that time thinking I would just play a couple hours until they closed down since it was a Thursday. I ended up playing until almost 10am lol, it was one of the most rewarding shows I had ever played. The energy was next level.

And most recently, my first show as a resident I was opening for a couple hours, but the other DJ after me didn’t make it because of travel issues and I ended up playing a 5 hour opening set. From not 1 single person in the club to a packed out terrace into 4am, was a legendary opening set.

WWD: How did you come to link up with BLOND:ISH? What is the story behind this relationship?

Blondish & I met during the pandemic oddly enough. I had sent her over some tunes through a mutual artist we both knew, and she was trying to launch Abracadabra TV on Twitch at the same time. She asked me If I was down to host some livestreams and I did a bunch from my balcony in my building and it kind of took off. Live streams were the thing during the pandemic. We later worked on a couple records together that did well. I released another single on her label that ended up going #1 in Afro House on Beatport. I stayed very close to her and also helped out a bit in signing some records to Abracadabra. She’s like a sister to me… I look up to her so much. She always has the best attitude and energy about everything, she’s taught me a lot and has also helped in many ways.

WWD: What has been your favorite gig this year and why?

Funnily enough my 2 favourite shows of the entire year have been in the smallest rooms. The first was in the bathroom of Hi Ibiza, the wild corner. Absolute scenes in there and one of the coolest places that any could ever play. And the other was in the legendary Bar Americas in Guadalajara Mexico… I have never felt that amount of energy from a crowd in my life. I wish I could have played there for another 8 hours.

WWD: Are you a massive gearhead? What is your studio set up like?

I am not… I am very digital and just work mostly within Logic, my midi controller & Interface.

WWD: What artists have you got your eye on at then moment? Who is inspiring you?

There’s a couple of artists that I think are doing some really cool things at the moment. Ky William, Ms Mada, MAZ(BR) and Stephan Jolk are some that come to mind.

WWD: What music / artists do you listen to outside of dance music?

I mostly listen to melodic chill stuff. Lane 8 is one of my favourite artists of all time since I could remember. Ben Bohmer, Rufus, WhoMadeWh and Keinemusik.. Those are the vibes that I’m on.

WWD: What do you like to do to relax/enjoy yourself outside of the studio and Dj booth?

I’m very active and work out a lot. I used to be a professional athlete so training has always been in me. I play lots of Golf as well, an amazing sport to clear the mind.

WWD: What has the rest of the year got in store for you?

Got a bunch of shows lined up with the Space residency. Got iii points which is Miami’s premiere festival. Got a couple massive looks with Insomniac at EDC Orlando and finish the year off at Forever Midnight, their newest underground festival in Vegas/LA with probably the sickest lineup Ive ever seen. Really looking forward to all these looks and continuing to build the momentum into 2024 where I’ll be launching my biggest project to date that I can’t wait to share with you guys at a later date! 😉