Parissior interview: ‘A vinyl record has a physical presence and a sense of permanence’
Jesu Aparicio is a Spanish artist who sees himself first and foremost as a DJ, and only secondly as a producer. He has been active in the Spanish club scene for years and won me over this year with his album “Human Control”. The album was released on Jesu’s own label, Espacio Cielo, in collaboration with Mots Music. The name Parissior may not ring a bell for many, but I highly recommend this work to anyone with an interest in Dark-Techno and EBM. The album’s title and theme reflect the increasingly complex relationship between humans, technology, control, and the systems that shape our daily lives. By combining dark electronic sounds with an atmosphere that is both unsettling and intriguing, Parissior creates music that invites the listener to look beyond the surface. The album evokes the atmosphere and danceability of the 1990s Frankfurt Techno scene while adding a distinctly contemporary twist. For me, this record is one of this year’s best discoveries, making it the perfect time to meet the artist behind Parissior and talk to him about “Human Control”, his influences, and his approach to music. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Parissior interview
Q: Could you give us some background on your musical activities, which apparently began quite some time ago as a DJ and eventually evolved into producing, leading to the Parissior project?
Jesu: I began DJing professionally in my native Cantabria in 2001, playing Techno and House under my own name, ‘Jesu Aparicio’. In 2004, I moved to Salamanca, where I became a resident DJ at several venues, including Cubic Club, Submarino and Beatz. Those years were a major learning experience for me and gave me a much deeper understanding of the music industry. I eventually opened my own venue, Clavel Ocho, which featured an upstairs floor dedicated to Electronic music called Espacio Cielo – the name I would later revive for my record label.
I started producing around 2004 and, over the years, explored many different styles and released music under several aliases. Altogether, I have released more than 600 tracks. I have always considered myself a DJ first and a producer second, although these days I actually spend more time producing music than performing as a DJ.
Around 2011, I began to feel restricted by playing the same styles, so I created the Parissior alias as a way to broaden my musical horizons. It allowed me to explore funkier and more cosmic sounds, as well as Electro and Italo-Disco, eventually moving towards the EBM-influenced sound that has become an important part of the project’s identity.
Q: Personally, I find it interesting that you moved into music production after starting out as a DJ – a role that naturally exposes you to a vast amount of music. This perhaps also helps explain the eclectic nature of your own work. What did your experience as a DJ bring to your approach to music-making, and what were some of your key influences and muses?
Jesu: As a DJ, I have always been very eclectic and curious, and I have always enjoyed collecting music from a wide range of genres: ’80s music, Funk and Soul, Disco, Electro, House, Techno, Big Beat, Breaks… Salamanca had many clubs and bars, each with a very distinct musical identity, so playing there pushed you to dig deeper, discover new sounds and adapt to very different audiences.
Being exposed to such a vast amount of music has undoubtedly had a major influence on the way I produce. You learn to recognize the formulas and ideas that make each genre work, and then reinterpret and adapt them to your own musical language.
My influences have naturally evolved over the years, but I could never leave out Joy Division and New Order, Talking Heads, The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, Pet Shop Boys, Andrew Weatherall, Primal Scream or LCD Soundsystem, among many others.
Q: You released the album “Human Control” this year, which, as I understand it, was not originally conceived as an album. How did it all come about, and how did the concept of “Human Control” take shape? Or did the concept emerge only afterwards, almost imposing itself on the music?
Jesu: As you rightly say, the album was not initially planned as such. I had three tracks that I had deliberately held back from releasing on any label because they felt more personal, less focused on the dancefloor, and did not really fit with any of the EPs I had previously released.
Almost without realizing it, I had incorporated phrases and messages into those tracks that shared a certain underlying theme: a defense of the analogue world and a critique of the artificiality and falsehood that often surround today’s digital culture and social media. Once I recognized that common thread, I decided to compose a series of new tracks around those original three and gradually shape the whole thing into an album.
The first track I created with that intention was “Human Control.” It features a sample from a speech by Greta Thunberg at the UN Climate Action Summit, in which she delivers a passionate and somewhat dramatic rebuke to the world’s leaders. That track ultimately gave both the album and its central concept a clear identity.
Q: What can you tell us about the writing and production process behind the album? What did you focus on most, and what were the different stages you went through to bring “Human Control” to completion? What tools and equipment did you work with, and what were the biggest challenges along the way?
Jesu: One of the album’s defining features – and also its biggest challenge – was the decision to deliberately limit the amount of hardware and software I used on each track. I find that working within those kinds of restrictions forces me to be more creative, especially compared with having thousands of possibilities available in the form of plug-ins. My process was generally to choose a small palette of sound sources for each track, record the main parts, and then reshape and develop them through processing.
For example, every synthesizer part on “True Connection” came from the Waldorf Pulse 2. Most of the basslines on the album were created with an analogue clone of the Roland SH-101, which I also used to design many of the drum sounds, while the Acid lines came from the Behringer TD-3. Another synthesizer that played a major role throughout the album was the Model D, and I also incorporated parts I had recorded years earlier with my Roland JX-3P.
On the software side, I used Ableton’s stock plug-ins alongside Massive and Omnisphere. Massive was the only synthesizer used on “Human Control,” while Omnisphere appears more sparingly on some of the other tracks, mainly providing polyphonic textures. I also enjoy running synthesizers through effects pedals to create new tones and textures, while the vocals were processed using the Roland VT-4 and a variety of VST effects. Ultimately, the main focus was to get as much character and variety as possible from a relatively small and carefully chosen set of tools.
Q: With this album, you explore themes such as digital identity, technology, artificial validation, and the relationship between humans and machines. Could you tell us a little more about these themes, and to what extent did they influence your decision to release the album on vinyl? To me, the physical format almost feels like a response to – or a reaction against – the increasingly digital nature of our lives. And if so, why vinyl rather than cassette?
Jesu: That was exactly the idea. Releasing the album on vinyl was, in many ways, a reaction against the digitalisation of almost every aspect of our lives. Particularly since the pandemic, it often feels as though people’s lives have been reduced to the online alter egos they create on platforms such as Instagram – showing the world only what they want others to see and projecting lifestyles that they are not necessarily living in reality.
Releasing a record on vinyl had also been unfinished business for me with Espacio Cielo, so my own album felt like the perfect opportunity to take that step. There was an economic reason as well: digital sales are falling every year as listening increasingly shifts towards streaming platforms such as Spotify, yet the royalties these services pay are extremely unfair. Sometimes you barely earn enough to buy a hamburger, which makes it very difficult for an independent label to remain financially sustainable.
I also feel that digital music is more ephemeral. It disappears more quickly, becomes outdated faster and struggles to hold people’s attention. A vinyl record has a physical presence and a sense of permanence: people tend to spend more time with it, and it can remain part of their lives for years. In that sense, the format became a natural extension of the album’s concept.
To be honest, I never seriously considered releasing it on cassette. It is a very nostalgic format, but I also think that very few people still own the equipment needed to play tapes. Of course, the same issue exists to some extent with vinyl, but many DJs have kept their Technics turntables, and the fact that the company has released new models such as the MK7 gives me some reason for optimism. Vinyl also has a much stronger connection to my own history as a DJ and to the culture surrounding this music.
From now on, we plan to slow down the label’s digital release schedule and gradually release more records on vinyl. Who knows – perhaps in a few years we will release exclusively on vinyl. It is something I am seriously considering.
Q: Where do you draw the line today between human control and the control we voluntarily surrender to technology? In what sense do you see the title and concept of “Human Control” as a warning, an observation, or perhaps even a personal confession? How do you see humans evolving alongside technological progress, and what role do you think the musician will play in that relationship?
Jesu: That boundary is becoming increasingly blurred. There is no denying that we will benefit enormously from technological progress and that it will make many aspects of our lives easier. However, when it comes to art and culture, I believe we need to preserve certain principles and ensure that convenience and automation do not replace human intention, creativity and genuine expression.
In that sense, “Human Control” is both an observation and a warning. Technology itself is not the enemy; the real question is how much control and creative autonomy we are willing to surrender to it. We should remain the ones making the decisions, with technology serving as a tool rather than dictating the creative process.
At the same time, I think a counter-movement is beginning to emerge – one that will bring back a greater appreciation for craftsmanship, physical formats and live music. I am already seeing clubs programming exclusively live sets, as well as all-vinyl nights, which I find very encouraging. Perhaps the musician’s role in this new relationship will be precisely to preserve that human element: spontaneity, imperfection and a genuine connection with the audience.
Q: Do you also perform your Parissior tracks live, or do they mainly form part of your DJ sets? How does that work in practice, and what can we expect from Parissior in the near future?
Jesu: I have always considered myself more of a DJ than a producer, even though, since the pandemic, I have actually spent more time producing than performing. I love playing DJ sets, and while I already have enough of my own material prepared to develop a full live show, the right opportunity has not yet presented itself. For the moment, Parissior’s music therefore appears mainly within my DJ sets.
I have performed hybrid sets using hardware, but fees are sometimes so limited today that paying for additional luggage to transport equipment becomes impractical. The same applies to vinyl: I play vinyl locally, but when I travel, I usually perform with CDJs for exactly the same reason.
Because of my day job, I only play around five or six gigs a year, and promoters generally approach me to perform DJ sets. However, I would definitely like to explore the live format when the right opportunity and conditions come along.
About Parissior
Parissior is the alias of Spanish DJ and producer Jesu Aparicio. He began DJing professionally in his native Cantabria in 2001 under his own name, playing Techno and House. In 2004 he moved to Salamanca, where he became a resident DJ at venues including Cubic Club, Submarino and Beatz, and later opened his own venue, Clavel Ocho, whose upstairs floor, Espacio Cielo, was dedicated to electronic music. He started producing around 2004 and has released more than 600 tracks under various aliases.
He created the Parissior alias in 2011 to explore Electro, Italo-Disco and EBM-influenced sounds beyond his earlier productions. Parissior has released singles and EPs since at least 2016, including “Could I Drown In Your Desire” and “Dance To The Groove” (Spa In Disco), followed by “Let Them Dance” (Hot Digits Music, 2017) and further EPs and compilation appearances for Golden Soul Records. From “Back To Earth” (2020) onward he has worked mainly through Espacio Cielo, the label he revived from his former venue’s name, releasing further singles, EPs and compilation tracks including “Battle Cry” (2021), “Raver In The Booth” and “Full of Stars” (2023), and the Skylax release “Antennae” (2024).
“Human Control”, Parissior’s first full-length album, was released on Espacio Cielo in collaboration with Mots Music. Side-Line reviewed the album in September 2026, describing it as a mix of Dark-Techno and EBM. This interview follows that review.
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