Lyo - In A Mood
We continue our journey of uncovering gems. Next up on the mag is Lyo aka Lyonel De Vos. Mostly associated with the NUT Records shop, which he set up with good friend Tunello, he’s a record dealer appreciated by DJs big and small, near and far. Belgian blooded, global kid, based in Barcelona. Oh and did we mention his record collection?!
Taking influences from his past - in Belgium with "electronic disco, proto house and all sorts of weird hybrid stuff", the minimal scene in Barcelona and his continued digging journey up to this point - Lyo delivers his personal take.
"I've always been more into moods rather than styles", and for this podcast, he's got us in a mood alright: Diving into the unknown with menacing retro synths, funky rhythms, groovy basslines, emotional melodies and tasteful vocals, he warms up the stratosphere with the deep and the industrial, leading towards a dancefloor in ecstasy, closing in style with a dub mix of Belgian synth-pop disco track "Love Sweet Love".
Hi Lyo! Welcome! So first things first...where did you grow up and what was it like?
That’s a tricky one since I grew up in many places when I was a kid, mostly Middle East and South America but I spent most of my adolescence in Lima, Peru. It was lovely, made my first real friends there, went to my first parties etc…
When did you move to Barcelona and why?
I moved to Barcelona like 12 years ago but never expected to stay for so long. The main reason I came was just to leave Belgium where I was feeling pretty lonely at the time and I had my good friend Denis already living in Barcelona.
How has your sound evolved?
My sound has been in constant evolution since I started buying records. When I moved to Belgium around 2003 I would spend my weekends in Antwerp where there was a very interesting scene. I was listening to a lot of electronic disco, proto house and all sorts of weird hybrid stuff. The Idjut Boys, Pete Herbert, the Glimmers and Trevor Jackson were some of my favorite djs back then.
When I moved to Barcelona, I started paying more attention to straight house and techno, obviously the minimal scene was huge. I didn't like all of it but there were some really interesting things.
It's quite hard to speak about styles I play as I've always been more into moods rather than styles and a lot of the music I play is a mix of different influences.
Can you describe your journey with NUT Records? How and why did you start?
Tunello and I opened the store almost 5 years ago. We did it cause we thought a lot of labels and music we love were not showcased in the record stores in the city and obviously it was the best way to feed our hunger for music.
What are the roles? Can you describe a typical day at the store?
Currently I'm running the store alone so I do pretty much everything. I open the store at 15.00, it is quiet 'till 18/19 and then things get quite spicy…… often turns into a lovely gathering of friends playing etc…
What’s it like to run a record shop during a pandemic?
Obviously it's not ideal, since the city is quite dead and we are not allowed to organize events at the store but luckily online sales are still there [NUT Records Discogs].
What is essential for a record store to survive in general?
An owner that is friendly and mainly an owner that enjoys making his customers discover new music and pushes them to places they haven't been before.
What do you like about running a record shop/what have you taken from this experience thus far?
Meeting a lot of new people through the love of music, and seeing the musical evolution of loyal customers through the years!
What makes NUT an ideal place to dig?
Since it's quite a small store, customers have my full attention all the time and I'm basically digging with them.
How would you describe the NUT sound?
Interesting.
What makes it special for the store to be in Barcelona?
Barcelona is a beautiful city in itself and it’s a pleasure to have a store in a city with so many good record stores.
Do you have any future plans?
Considering the times we are living, I would say it's more about keeping the store running.
A young label/new release worth checking?
Wex and its sublabels are releasing some dope stuff
Pick a track that you have on repeat right now!
Freitag – Zweites Halbjahr
Q&A
Full Name: Lyonel De Vos
Date of birth: 28.02.85
Nationality: Belgium
Place of residence: Barcelona
First rave: in Lima in 2001
First turntables: at 23
What music style best describes your mood right now?
a) House
b) Techno
c) Trance
d) Breaks
e) Ambient
f) All of the above
When you’re not listening to electronic music you are listening to:
a) Hip hop
b) Jazz
c) Classical
d) Pop
e) Country
f) I only listen to electronic music and a bit of George Michael from time to time.
How would you describe your working style?
a) You can count on me!
b) Quality over quantity
c) “Tomorrow”
Running a record shop is…
a) A piece of cake
b) Hard work pays off
c) Migraine
The future of the electronic music scene looks…
a) I would rather not talk about it
b) We will survive
c) Better than before