Audio By Carbonatix
For a lot of party people, America’s dance music obsession is a rather recent phenomenon. But for Harry Romero, it’s been a way of life for more than 15 years.
As a renowned producer, international DJ, and cofounder of Subliminal Records, Romero has watched EDM change significantly over the years and become more popular than he ever imagined. In response, he’s gotten together with label cofounders Erick Morillo and Jose Nuñez to form a new supergroup, dubbed Sympho Nympho.
But right now, Romero is visiting SoFla for a full week of Winter Music Conference and Miami Music Week schmoozing and partying, which he considers to be a welcome distraction from the rigid schedules of pro DJ life. “We have such a hectic studio life and life on the road; it’s kind of an awesome pit stop for me,” he says. “It’s not about ‘What time’s my set? Make sure the car’s there to pick me up at 5 a.m. and take me to my 7 a.m. flight!’ You get to hang out and bullshit with people on a different level. It’s kind of cool. And obviously, you get to showcase your stuff.”
But the WMC of today is not like past conferences that Romero remembers. According to him, the whole game has changed. What was once a gathering of industry people has become a global phenomenon with a focus on epic partying rather than signing deals. “I mean no disrespect to the conference, but there’s no conference,” he states plainly. “Just call it Miami Music Week. I dunno, call it whatever you want. But it ain’t a conference. Let’s be honest.”
Meanwhile, beyond WMC, he, Morillo, and Nuñez are putting the finishing touches on their upcoming Sympho Nympho studio album, with songs featuring artists such as Dizzie Rascal, Sean Paul, Wycelf Jean, and Pitbull. They’ve been in and out of meetings, Romero says, working with even more A-list musicians.
“I’ve never gone for anything this hard ever in my life. None of us have,” he enthuses. “We’ve got our eyes on the prize. I mean, we’ve had meetings with some of the biggest names in music.
“Forget about house music. Just music, period. And the response to what we’ve been doing has been amazing. That’s what keeps us going. That’s our fuel.”
