Primo House, SA
SB- You have been a staple part of the house music scene in Texas, can you give the readers a timeline of your history with regards to Texas Location and what you were doing?
ANTHONY – Absolutely! It all started in El Paso. I started collecting records (breaks, jungle, trip-hop, house) around ‘94, then bought a setup (2 techs & a mixer) around ’98 just to mess around. I started to take DJ’ing seriously and hone in on my craft. After a few years of playing out in El Paso and Juarez, I moved to San Antonio. Shortly thereafter, John Pridgen and I started Sun City Hustlers. We produced and played out together for 9 years, it was an amazing experience. I sometimes miss producing, but I’m proud of those years and I’m happy with where I am now.
SB – You are an active promoter with Primo House, San Antonio. Can you tell us how PH was formed and why you chose to do it?
ANTHONY – Trey Garcia and I have known each other for close to a decade and have played many events on the same line-up. One night he and I played a party together and we had a blast. While riding that high, we decided to start a crew to try to bring back a vibe that has been missing in SA for quite some time. We made it clear from the start that our Primo House parties are going to be wild, exciting, engaging, and showcasing some of the best house music that San Antonio has to offer.
SB – What would you say is the primary difference between Austin and San Antonio’s dance scenes and how SA differs from Austin as well as Dallas and Houston?
ANTHONY – San Antonio’s house scene is smaller than other major cities and has a slightly more underground-type feel to it. A lot of us have known each other for a long time, it feels like a family affair. We love welcoming new people, too. We get that comment a lot.
Austin, of course, brings in more nationally known DJs. I’ve seen a huge shift from house music to a more deep/techno scene over there. Dallas and Houston have always been major players in the dance scene and no matter what kind of events are going on there (house, drum & bass, techno, etc.), there’s always going to be an abundance of dancers there filling up the dance floor.
SB – What does your style consist of? Talk to us about the overall vision of your “sound as a DJ”?
ANTHONY – My music style consists of house, disco, funk, R&B, deep, and lots & lots of funky basslines. I just like to make sure everyone is moving, even if it’s just a head bop.
SB – Are you currently producing music? Where can we buy it if you are?
ANTHONY – As of now, I’m not producing any new music, but that love is always there and maybe someday I’ll get around to making new tunes to share. Right now, I love being out of the studio and in the clubs. I release mixes on my or Primo House’s Soundcloud.
SB – What is your goal as an artist? Where would you like to see yourself in a year?
ANTHONY – My goal as an artist is to make people dance, put a smile on their faces and help them get lost in the music. My goal in a year is to play more out-of-state gigs and to be able to get more people to love & appreciate good house music.
SB – Are you satisfied and fulfilled as an artist? If not, at what point will you feel like you achieved what you set out to achieve?
ANTHONY – Yes. I’m happy with what I’ve achieved in my musical career, so far. I’ve been fortunate to release tracks on some of my favorite house labels and opened for some of my favorite artists. I’ve toured and DJ’ed around the country & Mexico. I’ve met some amazing people along the way that have become some of my closest & dearest friends.
SB – Has DJing affected any of your relationships in the past? If so how?
ANTHONY – Personally, not so much. Romantically, lol, it has created an issue before. The touring/DJ life can be tough on some relationships. But now I’m happily married & my wife is amazing and supports what I do 100%. She didn’t understand house music at first, so she started a podcast to explore it.
SB – How do you balance DJing with your day job? Does your day job know that you are a DJ? Do you have DJing listed as part of your career on Linkedin?
ANTHONY – I try to keep my day job & music as separate as possible. There is a small group of co-workers that I share my DJ life with, but I’d rather not people try to tie any type of stigma to me, because I’m a DJ.
SB – What is the craziest party you have ever DJ’d? What is the craziest party you have ever attended?
ANTHONY – The craziest party I ever DJ’ed was at an “alleged” drug dealer’s mansion in Mexico back in the day. The entryway was guarded by men with machine guns, and they had a full-scale nightclub built inside the house with a Function One sound system. The craziest party I ever attended was also in Mexico. My promoter friends, Pastilla Digital, rented out an old, abandoned mall and threw an epic rave there with close to 3000 people on a Sunday night. I think Sandra Collins might have been the headliner, but every one of us, including myself, was having a complete blast.
SB – What do you think about NFT?
ANTHONY – TBH, I haven’t thought much about it. I mean I love actively investing in stocks but I couldn’t hop onto this one.
12. What are your current top 5 favorite producers? Top 5 fave DJs?
ANTHONY – My top 5 favorite producers right now are: Angelo Ferreri, Sebb Junior, Romy Black, Hatiras, and Da Funk Junkies. My top 5 favorite DJs are Derrick Carter, DJ Heather, Mark Farina, Phil Weeks, and DJ Dan.
SB – Are there any local artists you want to work with? As far as I know, I’ve worked with just about all the house DJs in the area. But they’ve all been great experiences and I look forward to working with my friends again.
ANTHONY – What is your favorite ice cream? Ben & Jerry’s: Half-Baked Ice Cream
SB – What is your next gig?
ANTHONY – Thursday, July 28, 2022, @ Ah Sing Den in Austin, TX and I play every 2nd Saturday in San Antonio @ Jandro’s Garden Patio!
You can hear Anthony Garcia’s music by following the link below!
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