Chilean musician and producer Patricio Menis releases genre-blending music under the alias Patiotic. His latest single, ‘Stardust Dawn’, is a captivating piece of orchestral electronica. Created in collaboration with Café del Mar producer and DJ Gary B, the song flows through poignant moments of spoken word, deep and moody basslines and inspiriting rising melodies. I caught up with Patricio to learn more about his creative process, the music scene in Santiago and his wealth of musical influences.
Words by Annie Rew Shaw
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Annie) Hey Patiotic! Can you introduce yourself to our readers?
Patiotic) My name is Patricio Menis, my artistic name is Patiotic. I'm a 39-year-old musician/producer from Santiago, Chile. I make music in different styles, including electronic, orchestral, rock, folk and others. I enjoy blending these styles and more to reach a unique style and sound design. I always try to change my gear with every release to be able to maximise the flexibility of my music and the sound.
This year was a great year, with the release of several singles, albums and great collaborations as well as exploring new genres and styles from nu-disco to tropical house, rock to pop and orchestral pieces for album intros. I’m always thankful for the fans and listeners who take the time to listen to my music and continue to do so.
Your new single, ‘Stardust Dawn’, is beautiful. What was the inspiration behind it?
Thanks, I’m very glad you like it. I wrote the original song a long time ago. This is what I do, I make music all the time and when the moment is right, I release it. I had the luck that Gary B wanted to make a new version of it, and the result was ‘Stardust Dawn’, with the inspiration and influence of Café del Mar’s chilled Nineties days.
Where did you write and record the track?
All my music is recorded in my studio where I have all my creativity arsenal. Believe it or not, all of my music is based on improvisation. I start with some pad lines, piano lines, etc and then I begin to polish it until I get something to go further to a final song. Once the song was ready, Gary took it and put his magic into it and we had our first single. On the single you can hear both versions – ‘Stardust Sunset’ is the original one and ‘Stardust Dawn’ is the version with Gary B.
If you could collaborate with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
Well, I actually collaborate with a lot of different musicians around the world. I have collaborated with great musicians from Australia, Singapore, USA, Greece and elsewhere.
Now I'm making great music with Gary B, who was the producer and resident DJ at Café del Mar in Ibiza for over 10 years, leading the chillout genre in the late Nineties and early Noughties. Making music with him is the kind of collab I was always looking for, so I could say that Gary B is one of the musicians I would want to collab with and I’m making that now! As for other artists? Well, Kid Loco is one of them: his music has always been an inspiration for me, so if I had the chance to collab with him it would be a great “Wow!”.
What’s the music scene like in Santiago? Do your surroundings influence your music?
We have a great music scene here in Santiago and any genre is always welcome. It’s amazing that even the most unknown artists have their fans here in Chile. From tropical to classic, the venues are always full. On my side, it is different, I'm more like a library mouse. I’m a studio musician – I'm very shy – and the most complex issue is that all my music is improvised and I play everything (bass, keys, guitars, synths, etc). My biggest venues are digital platforms, where I have most of my music.
Regarding influences, I could say that I’m more influenced by the Nineties electronic scene and the Sixties/Seventies psychedelic-rock era than local music. Bands such as Pink Floyd and Focus have always been an inspiration for me, as well as the likes of Kid Loco, Chicane, Attom, Gary B and others from the ‘newer’ electronic scene.
What’s coming up next for you? Any live shows or more music on the way?
Yes, I’m always releasing new music, and my latest is ‘Hold Me’, a chill-ambient/easy drum & bass song. On 6 December there’ll be a new release with Gary B – an uptempo remix of ‘Hold Me’ with touches of melodic deep house. Here are the pre-save links for the upcoming releases:
‘Hold Me’: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/patiotic/hold-me
‘Hold Me’ Deep Remix: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/patioticandgaryb/hold-me-deep-remix
Thanks a lot for this interview – and to all the fans who read this and listen to my music. When I see that people are listening to my music it is a feeling that I cannot explain. I feel such joy and gratitude to all who take a couple of minutes to listen and enjoy the music.