Born in Chile in 1970 but raised in Germany after his parents fled the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in 1973, Ricardo Villalobos is synonymous with the mimimal techno scene, and he is widely considered a figurehead of the techno/ micro house genres.
Having found early attempts at music such as learning the guitar “boring”, Villalobos’ interest soon turned to percussion ,no doubt influenced by his South American roots; instruments such as congas and bongos gave him far greater musical satisfaction, although Villalobos never imagined himself as a musician.
His interest in electronic music didn’t form until an introduction to Depeche Mode in the 1980’s and his influences include Derrick Carter, Baby Ford, Andrew Weatherall and Daniel Bell although he cites the samba grooves of Brazilian music as his biggest influence.
He began making electronic music of his own aged 15, playing at university parties and enjoying a hobby that happened to line his pockets with a little extra cash, as well laying the foundations for his presence and involvement with German record label Playhouse. His first attempt at starting a label in 1993, named Placid Flavour, was unsuccessful and his first record was released on the Playhouse label in 1994. Several years later in 1998, Villalobos launched himself into the scene as a professional DJ. He continues to release music on the Playhouse label as well as fellow German label Perlon, who releases music almost exclusively in vinyl – a format long preferred by Villalobos.
The release of his first LP Alcaohofa in 2003 was received to critical acclaim and was voted number one in the Resident Advisor Top 100 Albums of the 00’s.
He has enjoyed an extensive residency at London’s seminal nightclub Fabric, last year marking a decade with the club, as well as being part of the Cocoon Ibiza residents roster.
