Hailing from Ciudad de México, Mensik is known for his unique sound, which he describes as „music to cry to on the dance floor.“ His blend of bass, pop, and Latin roots is showcased on his debut EP, Lux, a globally resonant fusion of ambient, trance, and Latin rhythms. A notable presence in the electronic music scene, Mensik has performed at venues and festivals worldwide, including Razzmatazz in Barcelona, Panke in Berlin, Burning Man, and Mexico’s Sónar Festival. He is also one-half of the duo ETRA. Mensik recently brought the UK platform Keep Hush to Mexico for the first time, collaborating with his Club Furia party. He has shared the stage with artists such as Two Shell, Nikki Nair, Interplanetary Criminal, and Avalon Emerson.
When did you start getting involved with music production and DJing? Do you remember your first tracks and experiments? Did you have a musical mentor, or are you completely self-taught?
I got into DJing when I had just turned 14. Some of my friends started mixing on controllers, so I worked for a couple of months — sold tamales at school — to buy my first Pioneer. At first, I tried teaching myself, then I spent weeks locked in with friends mixing and listening to music. Eventually, we even dropped out of school just to do that (and got high). Around that time, I started uploading mashups to SoundCloud as ‘DJ RTZ’ (Road to Zion), recorded with hot cues — probably my first steps into production. When I was about 17, after an all-nighter playing at my friend’s place, Fabio (ETRA) woke up at 8 am and told me he was off to his music production classes. I didn’t even know he’d been studying for a year. Soon after, we all joined the school. I was working part-time to pay rent and school, and the rest of the time I spent there making music with Fabio. It didn’t last long — we got kicked out of school after a year — but Fabio and I kept learning together, sharing techniques, tips, and YouTube videos.
I know you are organizing parties in Mexico City with Club Furia or Lapi. How would you describe the experience of organizing your own parties there? Is it difficult to build a community around your brand?
Organizing parties in Mexico City is always a challenge — from dealing with police, authorities, and corruption to promoting a certain music culture. Club Furia started four years ago at Club Japan, the first venue that let me bring my musical ideas to life. Later, with the support of friends, we began hosting events outside legal spaces, which came with new struggles but also gave the party its true identity: a dark, free, and daring space without prejudice. I don’t see Furia as a brand but as a symbol. It’s something people connect with, and that connection is what turned it into a community. Lapi is Cami’s party, and I just help out with producing it. It’s been going on longer than Club Furia — about seven years now. I actually went to Lapi years ago as a raver, and it was one of my inspirations when I was younger.
Are you happy living in CDMX as an artist? Are there a lot of venues, and dedicated fans who frequently go to the parties and listen to new music? Do you have a network of artists and DJs with whom you can discuss music and collaborate?
I’m really happy living in Mexico City — the food, our culture, the people, I wouldn’t change that for anything. Traveling inspires me, but Mexico always has my body, mind, and soul. Living here as an artist is tough though: there’s not much financial support for the arts, fees are low, and many artists need side jobs to sustain their practice, or maybe if you try to live only from music you’ll end up not eating for a day or two, until your projects finally start paying off..
When it comes to the crowd, I’ve seen a bigger audience for these genres slowly grow over the years. I remember going to Terminal Club when I was 17, to parties with barely a hundred people with artists like Kelman Duran or Pearson Sound. Back then, most raves were focused on techno, house, psytrance, and their subgenres, so the community of people looking for something different was really small.
Now there are many parties and collectives, and illegal raves are everywhere in Mexico City. They’re beautiful — often very free and safe spaces. There are also so many incredible artists in Mexico, and the community is wide, but compared to Europe, it’s still very small. If you’re a real digger, you probably know most projects across pop, club music, ambient, bass, etc. A lot of people from the same niche are spread out across the country, and since Mexico is huge, once you start traveling to other states, the communities are even smaller — so you usually end up knowing almost everyone in your scene. From there, collaborations and new projects naturally emerge.
How was your first European tour? What feelings did you have from it, and perhaps did you learn something on the tour?
My first European tour was 10 shows in a month, moving from country to country, and it was the first time I really felt what being on the road is like. Playing my music in different countries for the first time was an amazing experience — it inspired me to make more music and not be afraid, knowing there will always be someone who listens with open ears.
I also learned to appreciate what we have in my country: incredible parties, made from the heart and with so much effort, illegal raves happening almost every weekend, filled with Latin music and the energy of our communities. Experiencing the growth and foundations of a scene that isn’t fully established yet is truly special — and being able to be part of it, to contribute, makes it even more meaningful.
It was also a bit overwhelming at times, visiting countries that colonized my own centuries ago. You can still see the similarities in architecture, society, and religion, which can feel a little sad.
What dreams or goals do you have with the Mensik project? Is there something you would like to achieve with your music?
I would love to simply make a living from my music, live peacefully, and be able to donate to organizations or even create some myself. Everything that comes along with that would be a blessing.
What is your favorite song right now?
Blinkmoth (July Mix) – James K
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Text: Krištof Budke / You can buy tickets to Latin Core here / Follow Mensik on Instagram
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