Domestika Diary: Chuck Pereda

DJ and presenter Chuck Pereda reveals his creative routine in this Domestika Diaries

Chuck Pereda (@chuck_pereda) tells how his friend Christian introduced him to music and mixology. Christian had a house with a patio where he organized parties, so Chuck and 3 other friends created the tapes played at his events. Until there was enough money to hire a DJ. Chuck was about 16 when he say the guy at the decks. From that moment on he knew he wanted to be a DJ. Chuck Pereda is now one of Mexico’s biggest DJs.

In this Domestika Diaries, Chuck Pereda opens the doors to his home, introduces us to his cat, and tells us about his lifestyle and creative routine. Check out the video:

Chuck Pereda is also a radio presenter, and it was this profession that launched his career. He started working in radio and TV at the age of 19, switching between appearances on MTV Afuera and the Entre el Cielo y el Infierno (Between Heaven and Earth) radio show on the former Órbita station. One of Chuck’s favorite things about radio was being able to select his own playlist, a tradition he continues on streamed radio show Ruco de Onda (Wave Geezer).

His professional DJ début happened after meeting discjockey Erich Martino and joining his Abstract Massive collective. Having started out as an MC, they taught him everything he needed to know about electronic music. And mixology. Over 15 years later, after hours and hours’ mixing, hundreds of parties and becoming one of Mexico’s Top 10 DJs, Chuck Pereda still has the same enthusiasm as when he started out.

He starts his day with a (very) strong coffee then reviews the hundreds of albums he keeps all over his Mexico City flat. Home has become his studio, which he shares with his cat.

Chuck creates DJ sets using his home music collection. He experiments and mixes tracks with Serato DJ software and cuts sessions with Audacity. His groove is freestyle without complexes: he plays virtually every genre and is happy to mix The Chemical Brothers with a tune by Justin Bieber.

An important part of his work involves uploading and promoting content on social media. This allows him to share sessions with the entire world, now live parties have been replaced by streaming. But it’s not all work. Chuck Pereda also takes advantage of the chinks in Mexico’s coronavirus restrictions to go for a walk or visit his mother’s garden, a favorite spot to relax.

Like this Domestika Diary? If you want to learn the basics of mixing digital and physical formats and create your first DJ set, don’t miss Chuck Pereda’s online tutorial: Electronic Music Mixing: From Beginner to DJ.

You may be interested in:
- The Music Videos That Have Inspired Director Lyona Ivanova.
- How Video Game Soundtracks Help You Level Up Your Creativity.
- Basic DJ Equipment for Beginners.

[English version by @studiogaunt]