SXDNS: It is funny the way things happen. Last year, when you guys came to Frankfurt to play at one of our parties, we spoke not so long, but we hit it off so well in such a fast way that it seemed we were already long-time friends. Are you guys easy-­going like this with everyone or just with sexy dinosaurs?

Ali X: Ximena is an easy-going social slut, and I am an isolationist opinionated cunt, who upon our first meet sounded you out with some dog-whistle dark politically incorrect rhetoric, and as you caught the humour and did not feign offence like so many poseur hypocrites out here these days, the Sexy Dinosaur become a creature worth further examination.

Ximena: Alixander has a super dark humour that makes it difficult for people to get him, but if you’re on his side you’ll laugh your ass off. And we love you, guys, since minuto uno!

SXDNS: What about Controlla? The output of the label is impressively intense, how do you guys keep the creativity at such a high level?

XI: Since the very beginning when Controlla saw the light it had a superpower that made it what it is now! Amazingly ULTRA TALENTED Mexican and international producers wanted to be part of this, and it became a huge “Clikota”. All of us inspire and push each other to give the best of the best of ourselves and not only as producers but as humans too. It’s a mega brotherhood!

SXDNS: The list of collaborators -­ not only local but international -‐ is endless. Every release brings at least one producer that we have never heard about before. How do you find so many young talents? Do you guys have a factory in the backyard or something like that?

XI: It can be, you’ll never know! lol

Check the releases of the label HERE.

SXDNS: Regarding the sonority, the kind of music Controlla and other Mexican labels release is very peculiar. Can we call it Mex Tech (Mexican Techno)? Is this already something that can become an independent music genre in the future? We ask that because it cannot be considered Indie Dance or Dark Disco, despite the new definition found on some online retailers.

AX: “Disco” is generally vapid, empty, impotent, formulaic, and dated, to our sensibility, so we do not do anything “Disco”, same with “House”. We have a song called “Don’t Bring Those Fucking Bitches To My House” and that kind of little antagonistic dig is all we will have to do with the self-masturbatory genres that never seem to grow up out of themselves.

SXDNS: We have been doing a survey with the Mexico-­based artists we interview, so: Tequila or Mezcal?

AX: Who are the Mexican artists who choose Tequila? Kick them the fuck out of the country now! Tequila is just goofy Mezcal made from young shitty commercialized agave. We neither consume nor condone the consumption of alcohol or drugs. Cannabis is not a drug.

XI: Mezcal all the way!

SXDNS: Do you guys expect any change in the status quo of the nightlife industry after this break comes to an end or everything will be the same old, same old? If so, what kind of change?

AX: The laptop age ushered in a horde of rather uninspired, untalented wannabes whose anti-musical videogame Ableton noise has stunk up the common soundscape since, and DJs who… well they make me puke. Hopefully, this plague wipes out a load of them, their careers I mean, hehe, then they can find noble uses for their lives other than vapidly degrading an already depleted cultural landscape.

SXDNS: What are the future endeavours of Ali X X Ximena? Do you plan to follow the same recipe that put Controlla on the map or are you cooking something different in the oven?

AX: Neither we nor our label will be following any blueprints or historical arch. In fact, we are already far off track from what you are hearing from us now… 2021 y’all!

XI: Something amazingly unexpected is coming in 2021!

SXDNS: Who are your favourite producers of the moment? No rules here, any genre counts.

XI: Favorite producers: Ali X, Fausto, Alvee, Pvlomo, BadWolf and Kitschy Kitsch.

AX: You mean actual producers who can handle actual productions? Or dudes on their laptop making “music” out of Mario Bros blocks? No, I don’t have any favourites and have not for a long time. My favourite thing is to disrupt complacency and the status quo false sense of order, and call a shit pile a shit pile and a diamond, anyone doing that in the face of the current reality dysmorphia is a hero to me.

SXDNS: You guys are a couple that we really love and admire, how did you meet each other? How long have you been together? When are you going to get married? How many kids do you plan to have? What will be their names? Cats or dogs?

XI: We met super randomly, I was travelling for 2 years and I came back to Mexico. Andres, my cousin, invited me to this party and for some reason, Ali was DJing at that party, he was on tour coming from Brazil and Colombia. Andres introduced Ali to me and since that day he never left. We’re kinda married and I have a little kid called Nikola, the smallest and smartest Doberman miniature ever! If we were to have a girl, her name will be Alexa. So I guess – Alexa Violencia Lanza Lascurain! hahaha LOL

AX: Violencia, if we were to have a daughter.

SXDNS: We usually ask our interviewees to supply a list of their favourite tracks. We want something different from you: A list of the videos you guys produced.

AX: Here we go: 01. This is a video about what happens at an all-white shindig, for those of you POC who have never been privy; 02. Sing dance act, the triple threat, also, culo all day every day; 03. Stay strapped; 04. Nuestra favela Mexicana; 05. Crazy Mexican Parties; 06. Anda Pachanga.