Héctor Sandoval, the mind behind Tensal and ½ of Exium, has been a pivotal force in the techno scene for decades. We are lucky and proud to have both of these projects on Void+1 since the very beginning, and it is safe to say he will remain an integral part of the label in the future.

VOID+1: Hello Héctor, thank you for taking the time for this interview. Though it may seem like an impossible task, let’s skip the warm-up and start with you sharing a brief overview of your journey as an artist, particularly how your sound and approach have evolved from the very beginning to now.

TENSAL: Ok, I am only a musical craftsman since the beginning of the 90s who has followed his natural evolution in the discipline he loves. First it was my passion for music and the beginning of my hobby of collecting vinyl, then the art of mixing and telling a story from the turntables and then the search for the nature of sound through machines.

You have told us you live in the north of Spain, surrounded by beautiful nature, which by default means you are leading a healthier life than most DJs/producers. In what way do you think this influences your creative process and the atmosphere you try to evoke in your music?

I think it is one of the most important aspects when creating music and thinking about the concepts I want. I have spent many years living in the countryside and in contact with nature, far from the city, and I suppose that makes me take things with a certain distance and increases my ability to concentrate, although it is true that I grew up in an industrial environment, I came to my grandparents’ house here every weekend. I suppose that my basic concepts are born from this mixture and the obvious contrast of two such different ways of life.

Is there anything outside of the techno world that has shaped your sound directly? Books, movies, games, or perhaps a specific life event?

At first I processed the little information I received from magazines, cassettes or radio programs, as well as records and live DJ sessions and basically they were my inspirations, but when you grow up everything that excites you filters inside you and inspires you, so any natural event, art form or specific event that causes me emotion can be a common thread.

In previous interviews, you have stated that your involvement with electronic music started at a very young age. This means you have witnessed many phases that techno has gone through. In your opinion, is the state of the scene better or worse right now, and in what way?

I honestly think it’s worse in some ways and better in others. I’ve lived a lot in the game and I’ve lived through times where the underground was really important, with 4 or 5,000 people going out every weekend just 10 km from my house in the 90s, where you could constantly see people like Laurent Garnier, Kenny Larkin, Dj Hell, Carl Cox, Derrick May, Mills, Clarke, Hawtin, etc….that’s unthinkable today, and I don’t think we, who were part of the creation of this whole movement, will ever live through a time like that again. The big club and festival scene is now governed by very different parameters, with many of the people who play doing so for reasons other than music itself. Social media is a key factor these days, and technological advancement has made it much easier for people to make music and play, which has lowered the bar a lot by reducing the sacrifice and dedication that this discipline entailed. On the other hand, these same factors have also been beneficial, for example, to take our music further afield thanks to these technological advances, and also to enable us to discover new talents more easily, and to enable artists to reach markets that we couldn’t even dream of before. Playing in China, Japan, Australia, South America and the USA was practically impossible before, and this has also been thanks to social media.

What are your thoughts and predictions on where the scene is headed in the next 5 years?

The future is certainly uncertain, I feel a real concern about where I think society in general is going, I don’t understand many of the things that are happening in the world now and I think we have been going backwards instead of forwards for several years. This feeling also carries over to the electronic scene and makes me doubt its evolution, although I think what will happen is that the underground will separate itself more and more from the big events and a much-needed split will occur between the two, we will stay on one side and they on the other, as it should always have been, good artists will continue to emerge and there will continue to be incredible albums and I also think that unfortunately we will continue to see ridiculous things that will continue to happen at festivals and events, perhaps the problem is ours for thinking that this belongs in some way to our beloved electronic culture, perhaps it would be as simple as calling each thing by its name, I long for the day when they stop vilifying the term Techno and stick to its historical rigor, because you can’t call everything Techno, because not everything is.

Which events or venues have you played that left a lasting impression on you, whether because of the crowd, the atmosphere, or the overall experience?

In many cases, every so often I am lucky enough to experience some magical nights, the last time I played 5 hours at RSO in November in Berlin was one of them, for example.
I also remember an incredible night at “Ex Fabrica de Harina” in Mexico City, some sessions at Lanna club which is next to my house and other special ones like at the now defunct Trouw in Amsterdam or Concrete in Paris.
Tresor is also always special, the first time at Berghain 14 years ago… there have been many..And I hope there are still some more to come.