Antonio Caballero has found himself thrust into a creative life of music making. It was a copy of Santana's Abraxas that lit the spark, inspiring Antonio to pursue a musical calling. As that album's diverse mix of cultural influences spoke to Antonio's Latin American heritage, now deeply embedded in the USA, a combination of genres and styles would later define his own amalgamation of sound. An introduction to the vibrant rave scene in Chicago and several inspirational sets by various house legends coincided with a roommate's purchase of a Roland synthesizer, and Antonio realized that electronic dance music was the path to follow to reach his musical mission. A style he cheekily refers to as “Posh Latin Moods" and “Congruent Techno” was developed, triggering dance floor reactions through intricate percussion, building melodies, and a decidedly dark ambiance.
After much recorded trial-and-error, Antonio finally felt confident enough to send his initial tracks to a handful of labels that he respected and would hope to be aligned with. To his surprise the label that first took interest was DJ legend Francois K's renowned Wave Music. The result was the The Snowtr_ck EP released under Antonio's artist pseudonym Syphon. Issued on 12" vinyl in 2002 this EP of dark tech-house energy marked a promising start for Antonio Caballero, giving him the push he needed to further refine his sound and form his own label, Panama Red Records. As Antonio's musical dreams developed so did an ambition to launch his own label, and Panama Red is now the major outlet for his prolific output.
Like many music producers who also juggle family life and nine-to-five jobs, there was a period after Antonio’s early success that he decided to leave DJ’ing and music making behind. The time just didn’t seem to be there, nor the energy or excitement. Antonio gathered his vinyl collection to sell it all off but, first, he wanted to record his beloved 12”s for posterity. Listening to these records, one by one, suddenly made Antonio realize he was making a mistake, that house music and electronic music was an important part of his life, and definitely not something to be given up. More importantly, Antonio understood that house music was necessary to balance his life and was a great stress reducer. “You know that adrenaline rush you get late at night when you are listening to music where it seems like all your troubles and all of life's little pressures are far far away?” Antonio asks. “That’s the feeling that keeps me going after a long day. The music’s in me, like a monster living inside, but a nice monster.” Dramatically re-inspired, Antonio powered up his gear and didn’t look back, nearly creating a song a night for weeks on end.
Now 2010 marks a busy season for Antonio Caballero with a five track album due on Soul Shift Records, a healthy handful of releases on Cobalt Special Recordings, and the launch of a new label, Parity Records, which will focus on Antonio's more minimal, techno-oriented recordings.
With his new productions Antonio aims to make his listeners feel the way he does when experiencing music. “I would like to be able to transfer all my feelings while making a specific track right to the listener’s brain,” Antonio explains.“I would like for others to use my music as a form of meditation just as I use it after a hard day at work, and I would like people to hear my tunes in a club on a big system and not be able to resist shaking a leg as I often felt throughout my youth.I would hope that my music invokes positive feelings and relaxed vibes.”
Be sure to keep an eye on the always fresh offerings from Antonio Caballero and his Panama Red Records. There are many more surprises and "Posh Latin Moods" in store.