Guts Lets His Music Speak For Itself At The Jazz Cafe
Photo Credit: Carina Najia
French DJ and beatmaker Guts left an indelible impression on me in 2019, when I first discovered ‘Straight from the Decks’, a compilation of his favourite DJ sets. Drawing inspiration from a variety of flavours, his mixes make for a unique listening experience- the unmistakable Latin influence in his music, which ranges from his classic Mexican samples by Gilberto Valenzuela, to the 1970s Brazilian Samba group called Os Originais do Samba, is combined with Afro-Brazilian and occasional disco beats, allowing listeners to re-experience classic hits in a modern context. Recently, Guts headlined at London’s Jazz Café in Camden- the energy during his set was even more palpable to experience live.
Guts’ secret identity made him relatively hard to spot amongst the crowd, however I quickly learned that the absence of information about Guts online is no accident. I was very lucky to be able to sit down with the DJ before his set, where he humbly explained to me that he has little interest in personal fame and being recognised for his work, which is why he lives his day-to-day life in the isolated mountains of Ibiza. In making his identity take a back seat, his priority is simply to make music for people to enjoy. He hopes that his music can serve as the backing track to life, and he invites others to not only find the pleasure in the mundane, but also to share this pleasure with those they love. The unexpected connections he makes through his mixes is emblematic of what Guts hopes his music can do: bring people together.
True to his ethos of inspiring collectivity through music, Guts makes an effort to bring many upcoming artists to the forefront. He supports his fellow DJs in achieving their goals, by taking them under his wing and forming a collective that shares resources: “I place a spotlight on my peers, those who inspire me and those who I feel that I can support, and I often bring DJs from my collective to open for me before my sets. I place a lot of spotlights!” One such DJ that opened for Guts at Jazz Café is Madrid-based Colombian DJ, María Latina, whose infectious beats rippled through the venue, sampling salsa and cumbia and mixing with disco and house beats. Combined with her explosive energy on the decks, Latina had the whole crowd bouncing and swaying at one.
The opportunity to watch Guts and anyone from his collective is an unmissable experience. Using familiar music in an unfamiliar way, he creates the perfect blend of funk, groove and Latin sounds. And when his beat hits you, it’s impossible not to move. Guts continues to pave the way for people to discover and enjoy music at the intersection of soul, funk, jazz, Afro, Latin and Caribbean sounds, with a special emphasis on making way for up and coming artists with similar interests. Separating himself from many mainstream DJs today, Guts’ offers an incredible library of sounds that expresses freedom, experimentation and originality.
To find out more about Guts check out his Spotify, Instagram and Soundcloud
Edited by Akane Hayashi, Music Editor
