Alan Nieves is back on Desert Hearts Records with a new two-track EP. It’s his third EP on the label and the release coincides with the announcement of his first appearance at the Desert Hearts Festival happening from April 28th to May 2nd.

You can now listen to the full premiere of ‘Trompe’ on our sister channel Dancefloor Romancer while reading the cool interview we had with Alan about his release and more… Enjoy!

WWD: Hi Alan, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Congratulations on your new EP on Desert Hearts, we love it! What was the inspiration behind the release?

Hey guys – thank you for having me, good to chat with you! The inspiration behind this release was really born out of quarantine a few years ago when I was looking for music to make that I wanted to both hear myself, and listen to in order to remind myself of the energy of the dance floor. I also wanted something that would work really well when the clubs re-opened… I’ve been tweaking and editing the A-side “Chase No” for over two years and I’m so happy that it’s finally ready to come out on Desert Hearts, which is one of my favorite labels and collectives in the world. The B-side “Trompe” – which is Spanish for trumpet – was inspired by one of my older releases. I was listening to one of my old tracks “Palo” from 2017 which has a nice Latin trumpet in it and I got an idea about reworking it around a new type of groove and that lead to “Trompe”!

WWD: What has been the response so far when you’ve played it out?

I have been playing them for a while in my sets and they always get a great response. I just had the opportunity to play both tracks at elrow in New York and I can say they both absolutely went off which is always the best feeling as an artist, dj, and producer.

WWD: You have a lot planned on the release front in the coming months. What can your fans expect music wise from you?

I have several really exciting releases coming out this year on some dream labels of mine, but unfortunately I can’t discuss them all yet. What I can say is that the stuff that we do have planned is I think some of my finest work from a production standpoint. I’ve worked really hard to try to take my sound in exciting new directions, but still retain my identity and the aesthetic that I think has allowed me to get to this point and that people seem to connect with. Upcoming release wise, I have releases on elrow music, RAWthentic, Knee Deep In Sound, Saved, Libero, and of course this Desert Hearts EP that I’ve been buzzing to get out!

WWD: You just played the elrow NYC party, how was that?

elrow was incredible as always! This was my third time playing for them and this summer I have my third release with their label, elrow Music, so it’s been a really great experience working with those guys and I always look forward to playing with them as much and as often as possible. I think the vibe they curate is perfect for my sound and my style – it’s just such a fun time as you can really let loose and play whatever you want and the crowd is really engaged. Plus of course, the visuals, dancers, and decorations are always splendid. I love waking up the next day with confetti in my pockets still. Also as a native in NYC, it’s always extra special to play at home and my parents made it out this time.

WWD: Do you have any standout gigs of 2022 so far? What made them so memorable?

I think elrow and Desert Hearts are going to be two gigs that stand out the most to me. I’ve been wanting to play Desert Hearts for years and when I finally got the opportunity in 2020 we had to reschedule because of the pandemic so I’ve just been waiting for this to happen for two years longer and I think that will make it that much more rewarding and enjoyable when it finally does happen. I look forward to spending three days in the festival and just really immersing myself in that experience. As I mentioned before, elrow was really special this past weekend and even more so because it’s my home in New York.

WWD: With festival season around the corner, artists are gearing up to play around the world on some of the biggest stages. What are you most looking forward to?

As I mentioned above, Desert Hearts and possible future elrow shows are always going to be things that I get excited about. I also think that summer festival season will be extra special because we were unable to fully experience them these past two years due to the pandemic. I plan on making trips to Barcelona for Off-Week, Ibiza, Amsterdam Dance Event, and also some trips to South America soon! Plus we’re working on some North America festivals as well!

WWD: For readers who aren’t very familiar with you, how would you describe the Alan Nieves sound?

I would describe my sound as groove based minimal/deep/tech house with heavy Ibiza influences. I always focus on a danceable groove, a nice bassline, and additive percussion. My sound is also focused on more understated bits of tasteful melodies and vocals. These days, I actually do about 60% of the vocals on all my tracks as I did on “Chase No” for this Desert Hearts EP, so that’s been something that gives it an extra special unique flavor. At the end of the day, I make underground club music for dancing.

WWD: Anything else you’d like to share? Where can people follow you on social media?

I would also just like to say thanks to everyone who has supported my music – and to keep your ears and eyes open as we have what I think is the biggest year of releases of my career coming this year. We also have some incredible gigs that will take me across the world to share my music and also contribute to the rich tapestry of my artistic influences. This is so important to me because it helps me make better music and bring my sound to more people in the world. My ultimate goal is to share and spread positive energy and joy through music and every time I am able to do that, it is the most rewarding and purpose-giving experience.

You can follow me on Instagram and on Spotify.

Thanks!