We headed to San Antonio to visit Tom Staar at his apartment at Hotel Abrat, overlooking the bay and Ibiza’s famous sunsets. The apartment had become a creative meeting point, with artists, producers and songwriters coming together to make music, exchange ideas and network. Inspiration was everywhere you looked. It felt like one of those places where creativity flows naturally and collaborations happen organically. In this inspiring setting, we sat down with Tom Staar to talk about his new staar>player project, the future of the music industry and why he believes the best music is made with other people.
Hi from Ibiza. I’m here on this beautiful island with Tom Staar. How are you?
I’m very well, thank you. How are you doing?
I’m perfect. Thank you for your invitation to your place.I’m so excited about your new project because Tom Staar is not only a DJ anymore, let’s say. You’re also a big networker right now, right?
Well, that’s right, yeah. I mean, this Tom Staar thing is still a thing. I just haven’t been working on records or really focusing on it over the last two years or so. I’ve been building staar>player concept that we’ve been working on, hence what’s brought us here to The Abrat in San Antonio, where we’re based now.
You’re actually flying back from the UK to Ibiza very often and meeting a lot of new people. I see Francisco Allendes up there and so many others…
Francisco Allendes up there, yeah. Barbara Nicole up there as well. She’s had some stuff on Innervisions. That’s kind of what I’ve been doing in the background for years. People within the industry know that I’m kind of a gun for hire in the studio. I work with artists, helping them make the best music they can.
I think a lot of people nowadays, especially in dance music, think they should be doing it all on their own, and it’s not the best way to make music. The best way to make music is with other people, and I’m a big believer in that. I’ve done all right with my solo career, but I know the best records and the best music I’ve ever written have always come when I’m working with other people. I’m just trying to get that across to people again now.
What’s the vision of the project, and where do you think it’s heading?
Longer term, it’s to fix the music industry because it’s just a mess. The way it’s been built up over the years and the way it operates just doesn’t make any sense. So, the long-term goal is to make a difference on that front. Shorter-term goals included getting into a place like this, which was high on the agenda. We managed to get in a couple of years ahead of when we were planning to, so that’s great. The goal is really just to get artists and musicians together and have everyone working in the same room on music. That’s how you make the best music.
Do you still have any time for your own production and music?
I’ve got projects of my own. I have a project called mOat that I do with a friend of mine, Chris. And like I say, I’m getting back onto the Tom Staar stuff imminently. But most of my time is spent working with other artists. The other thing is that to have a touring career these days, you have to stay in such a narrow lane and make the same record over and over again. I just get bored of doing that. I’ve been producing for a long time, and helping other artists with their music allows me to work on a much broader range of things.
Do you have any newcomers on the scene that we should really keep an eye on?
Oh, right. I mean, yeah, there’s loads. There’s a lad called Kyozo, who I’ve been working with for a few years. He was over here when we had the villa last year. He’s doing great things — singer, songwriter, producer — and he’s also starting to get out there a bit more as an artist now. He’s had tracks out over the last few months with Disciples as a featured vocalist, and with Adam Beyer, Vintage Culture and loads of people. So, he’s definitely one to watch.
We’re in Ibiza, and my favourite question is: What’s your favourite spot on the island?
Favourite spot in Ibiza? It depends what for, really. There are loads of amazing restaurants. Obviously, Bambuddha Grove is a great place, and Nagai is another great restaurant as well. As for spots, the beaches on west side of the island are a little bit overlooked. People don’t gravitate towards them as much, but for me it’s the best part of the island because you’ve got the sunset and everything. Cala Conta over there is great, and Cala Bassa as well. Great beaches.
Do you still like to go raving these days?
I love it, yeah, but I’m spinning so many plates at the moment. If I have one late night, I don’t really bounce back like I used to. One late night and a few drinks, and I’m dropping stuff the next day. At the minute, I’m very focused.
We met you at UNVRS in the DJ booth. How was it? Did you enjoy it?
Yeah, really good. That’s actually the first time I’ve been out so far this year, and I was only there for an hour or so. But yeah, it’s impressive, isn’t it, UNVRS? I was with Patrick Topping, we’ve been working on some stuff so I came along with him to see him play.
Is there any party you’re really excited about this summer?
Some of the Glitterbox line-ups look great. There’s also Tomodachi, that small club. Have you been there yet? It’s a 100-capacity venue in Ibiza Town. A friend of mine set it up. It’s really, really underground and they’ve got this amazing sound system by a company called TPI, who also make studio monitors. They’ve built the sound system for this 100-capacity club, but the speakers are about seven feet tall. I’ve not been there yet, but I definitely think that’s a place worth checking out. It’s a super underground vibe.
What’s coming next for Tom Staar in the near future?
Obviously, the staar>player project, which we’re building, is my main focus at the moment. But like I say, I have got back to working on some Tom Staar stuff. I’m still signed with Armada, and I’ve got a 10-track LP called Tom Staar & Friends coming out. It’s all collaborations with people I work with, and some I don’t work with as much. That’ll be coming out over the next couple of months. So yeah, back on with the Tom Staar stuff.
That’s great. We’re really looking forward to it. Thank you so much for having us here and enjoy the rest of the summer. Well, actually, summer has only just started.
Absolutely. We have a closing party soon.
