Greek-Turkish DJ and producer Dennis Liber has shaped his sound through a mix of house, disco, and Balearic influences, drawing on a life that has taken him from Switzerland and Greece to his current base in Tulum, Mexico.
Photo credit: Dennis Liber – Official
Inspired early on by analog synthesizers and drum machines, and by the sounds of UK, acid, Detroit, and Chicago house, Liber has developed a musical identity closely connected to collaboration, travel, and the communities around him. His uncle, house music pioneer Jamie Lewis, was also an important influence on his path into music.
His latest release, the ‘Astro Danza’ EP, marks his first solo appearance on Razor-N-Tape following contributions to two consecutive Razor-N-Tape Family Affair compilations. The record features Argentine vocalist Yasmin Kademian on the title track, while Anoraak remixes ‘Être Heureux’.
In this conversation, Dennis Liber discusses the experiences behind ‘Astro Danza’, his relationship with Razor-N-Tape, the role of collaboration in his creative process, and how life in Mexico and the Caribbean has shaped his ideas around rhythm, community, and music.
EG: Hi Dennis, welcome to Electronic Groove. It’s great to have you with us. How have you been, and how are things going for you at the moment?
Dennis Liber: Hey, and thank you so much for having me!
Life as an artist always has its ups and downs, but I’m really grateful for where I am at the moment. I’m especially happy about all the music I’ve been making and releasing, and about being part of labels that I’ve always admired and loved, like Razor-N-Tape, where I have my debut 12-inch.
It feels really special to be experiencing something that started as a dream.
I’m currently in Greece, where I spent my summer, and I’m getting ready to head back to Mexico, where I reside for most of the year!
EG: You’re now releasing your first solo outing on Razor-N-Tape with the ‘Astro Danza’ EP. How does it feel to finally bring this particular body of work to the label?
Dennis Liber: It’s truly a wonderful feeling to find a proper home for your creations, especially when it’s with a label that really syncs with you sonically, but also on every other level.
These particular songs are projects that I really loved producing, and I also feel that they represent my sonic identity well, so I’m very happy that they’ve now found their home with Razor-N-Tape, a label I have admired for a very long time now!
EG: The EP moves through quite different shades of what you describe as paradise, from the hypnotic nighttime energy of ‘Astro Danza’ to the tropical warmth of ‘Être Heureux’ and the more dreamy atmosphere of ‘Femme Papillon’. What connected these tracks for you as a body of work?
Dennis Liber: I think what connects them is the feeling and the people that participated in it. They were all made within the same period of time, and they very much reflect our life in Tulum and the way we were experiencing life back then. Each track captures a different shade of what we were living: the parties and wild nightlife, the beach life and daytime jungle explorations, and finally those more relaxed, dreamy moments when we slowed down, grounded ourselves, and took time to reflect.
EG: ‘Astro Danza’ features Argentine vocalist Yasmin Kademian. How did that collaboration come together, and what did Yasmin bring to the track that shaped the final version?
Dennis Liber: I had met Yasmin in Tulum some time before that through some friends, and we’d always stayed in friendly contact. I remember listening to some of the radio podcasts she had done, and I really liked her presence and the character of her voice. There was something very expressive and warm about it, and I felt it could be a great fit for the ecstatic and hypnotic character of ‘Astro Danza’.
I started producing the track while I was in Greece for the summer, and it was finished in Mexico. Somewhere in between, I reached out to Yasmin and asked if she would be interested in recording some vocals for it. We discussed the direction I had in mind, and then she sent me some recordings that I really loved. They fit the track beautifully, and I incorporated them very intuitively into the arrangement. They brought an extra emotional and human element to the track and definitely added that final touch that made the whole song click.
EG: You’ve spent years living in the Caribbean and building community there, and that experience seems deeply embedded in the music. What has living in that environment taught you about rhythm, dance, and the social side of music?
Dennis Liber: Living in the Mexican Caribbean, and Mexico in general, made me realize the incredible power of Latin music. Listening to live bands playing salsa, cumbia, and all kinds of Latin music everywhere, you instantly want to move your body; it’s almost impossible to escape it.
People there dance and party constantly. Music is part of everyday life and brings people together. You can walk past a random house with a friend, get invited inside, and suddenly it’s five in the morning on a Tuesday, and you’re still dancing, laughing, and making new friends. I remember one time I was having a Mexican breakfast while a local musician was casually playing some insane salsa music. I was sitting there listening and thinking, “I have to go talk to this guy.” Those kinds of moments happen quite naturally there if you are open to connecting!
I was always curious to meet people and collaborate, so I’d become friends with musicians performing in the streets or bars. We’d hang out, jam, record, talk, and exchange stories. Like that time I met Aristides, who is now a very good friend, at a party deep in the jungle, and then ended up at my house listening to jazz all morning and eventually becoming best friends.
“Music is part of everyday life and brings people together”
EG: There’s a strong sense of place in your work, but the EP also brings together collaborators from different parts of the world. How important is that exchange between different musical cultures to the way you create?
Dennis Liber: Although I also enjoy creating on my own, I feel that when multiple people come together and pour their feelings into the music, the result can be spectacular. You can see that in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, when so many great records involved a lot of different people, each bringing their own expertise to the process, and you can hear that in those records- how they feel so alive when you listen to them!
We were also lucky to be in Tulum, which became a hotspot for creatives from all over the world. That gave us the opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds and cultures and to connect and create together.
Making music involves so many different stages, and each one of those stages needs expertise, which is why I feel that when everyone who has mastered their craft adds a little touch, the result becomes much more complete and impressive.
Also, the process can become quite repetitive, and after listening to the same thing over and over, you can stop being as critical, so working with collaborators always gives you fresh feedback that can really help shape the result!
EG: You’ve already appeared on two consecutive Razor-N-Tape Family Affair compilations before arriving with a solo EP. What was it about the label and its wider community that made it feel like the right home for this next step?
Dennis Liber: Besides the fact that Razor-N-Tape has been one of my favorite labels over the past few years, for me it’s also much more than that. In this crazy, technologically advancing reality that is constantly changing the music industry and the world around us, I feel it’s important to work with people who share similar ethics, morals, and emotional intelligence.
I also like to see a label as a family or a community, rather than simply a platform for releasing music. The guys behind Razor-N-Tape have managed to build that kind of community internationally, and they do it with genuine intentions.
For me, that sense of connection and shared values is just as important as the music itself.
EG: ‘Être Heureux’ receives a remix from Anoraak. When you hand one of your tracks to another artist, what are you hoping they’ll uncover or transform?
Dennis Liber: I’m quite open when it comes to remixes. I think there are many different approaches: you can bring a song into your own established character, give it a completely new interpretation, or make it more dancefloor-friendly. For me, the choice of remixer is also really relevant to what a project needs. Sometimes you want someone who will transform the track into a more club-friendly interpretation, while other times you want someone who will keep the essence of the original but take it in a more artistic direction.
In the case of Anoraak, I feel like he nailed a combination of those things. He took the original into a more modern, clubby territory while giving it what feels like a true Anoraak interpretation. It feels natural to the song, but at the same time, you can really hear his personality and his own sound coming through.
EG: There’s a sensual and celebratory quality running through the EP, particularly in ‘Femme Papillon’ and its theme of feminine freedom. How important are emotion, sensuality and storytelling when you’re shaping a track?
Dennis Liber: Yes, that is very true, and I think ‘Femme Papillon’ is a great example because you can hear those qualities both in the music itself and very much in Chäm’s lyrics and vocals.
For me, all these things are very important, not only in making music but also in my life and in the way I experience the world. I feel that being aware of your emotions, and especially allowing yourself to experience feelings of ecstasy, celebration and sensuality, is important for having a balanced soul. So in many ways, my music is a manifestation of that belief.
I also love travelling, discovering new places and having new experiences, and I think those things naturally get imprinted into the storytelling in my music.
“For me, that sense of connection and shared values is just as important as the music itself”
EG: Tropical disco can easily become associated with a certain idea of escapism, but your music seems to be rooted in lived experience and community rather than simply creating a fantasy of paradise. Is that distinction important to you?
Dennis Liber: I think those two things can sometimes collide, especially when we’re talking about creative people. A lot of us who were making music, participating in communities, and sharing experiences there had also, in a way, escaped from other places, societal norms, or stereotypical ways of living.
I feel that we build communities in different places, and then sometimes we move on, but we always find our way back and reunite. Sometimes parts of that same community might meet again somewhere completely different in the world. For me, community is defined by more than just a place. I think it’s really about the intention of the people involved and the care they can have for each other. When the intention is to connect, share love, creativity, and friendship, that’s what creates and keeps a community alive, even on an international level. So although places can bring people together, it’s the relationships and the intention behind them that make a community, in my opinion.
EG: Beyond the ‘Astro Danza’ EP, what else is taking shape around your music and the communities you’ve built? Where do you feel this project is heading next?
Dennis Liber: Over the past year, I’ve been developing a lot of new projects with friends and collaborators from different corners of the world. Many of them are on a similar wavelength to the ‘Astro Danza’ EP, while also exploring different flavours and avenues. I wouldn’t say they’re too far from it emotionally, though—the disco core is still very much there.
I’m really excited to keep creating and sharing my music with the world. It’s what really fills my soul and gives me the drive and motivation to keep living and enjoying the present of life.
EG: Thank you so much for your time. We wish you all the best with the ‘Astro Danza’ EP and everything ahead. Take care!
Dennis Liber: It was really my pleasure, and thanks again for having me here and for all the wishes. It means a lot!
Dennis Liber’s ‘Astro Danza’ EP is out now via Razor-N-Tape. Stream and download your copy here.
Follow Dennis Liber: Spotify | SoundCloud | Instagram