For more than 15 years, Rafael Cerato has been shaping his own lane in electronic music through discipline, evolution, and a sound that refuses to stay still. From long-standing releases on Diynamic to collaborations with some of the scene’s biggest names, his journey reflects both experience and constant reinvention. In this interview, Rafael opens up about longevity, artistic identity, the energy of the dancefloor, and the mindset that keeps an artist growing through every era.

You’ve been in the electronic music scene for a long time, 15 years. That’s huge, you’ve lived through many eras of electronic music. What does time teach you that success never can?

Over the years, I’ve understood that commitment and discipline are everything. Talent might open the door, but it’s consistency that keeps you in the room. And beyond that, patience and resilience, those are the real foundations. This scene is constantly evolving, and if you don’t learn how to evolve with it, you disappear.

But evolving doesn’t mean following. It means staying open, listening to your crowd, understanding their energy, while still guiding them somewhere new. I’ve always believed that an artist should be a step ahead. You’re not there just to respond, you’re there to propose, to lead, to challenge. To take people somewhere they didn’t know they needed to go.

Because the moment you become predictable, you become forgettable. Tension, contrast, risk… that’s where emotion lives.

If someone is discovering Rafael Cerato today, what should they understand beyond the sound? 

They should understand that what they’re hearing is not just a style, it’s a story.

Everything I’ve experienced, every influence I’ve absorbed along the way, is embedded in my music. It’s years of digging, learning, experimenting, failing, refining. My sound today is the result of that entire journey, it carries my musical education, my evolution, my identity.

Every track holds a fragment of who I am. Not just where I am now, but where I’ve been. And I think that’s what makes music honest, when it becomes a reflection of your path, not just a product.

You’ve  been releasing with Diynamic for a long time, when was your first release?

My first release on Diynamic was Constellation in 2014, part of the very first Four to the Floor compilation. And funny story, Adrian from Adriatique designed the artwork of the VA back in the days.

At the time, signing to Diynamic was a huge goal for me. So when it happened, it felt like a real milestone and it’s still a memory I hold onto today.

How often have you played B2B with Solomun? And how was it for you to play with him?

Quite a few times, and every single one has been a special experience. We’ve shared the booth in different places, in Ibiza at El Cielo for a three-hour set, at Destino, at Tox for five hours, and also in Berlin for another extended session. Those are the kind of moments that stay with you. He’s one of the main figures in the scene and definitely one of my biggest influences. I can honestly say that without him, I probably wouldn’t be doing what I do today. Playing alongside him is always inspiring, there’s a real musical dialogue happening, a sense of trust, and a shared vision of where the energy should go.

How would you describe your current sound? 

I’d say it lives somewhere between Tech House and Indie Dance but I don’t really like to define it too strictly. There’s always a twist. I like to move between worlds, sometimes leaning into more House or even deeper textures. 

For me, it’s about breaking the rules. Art and creation shouldn’t feel restricted. And I think the most interesting moments happen in between genres, in those spaces where things aren’t clearly defined.

What feels most different about you as an artist now compared to earlier years? And what has never changed about why you make music?

Time brings discipline, and discipline brings clarity.

I approach music with more intention now. There’s a deeper understanding of what I want to express, and how to translate that into sound. You become more precise, more aware, not just technically, but emotionally.

But what has never changed is the reason I started. That need to create. That curiosity. That feeling of losing yourself in a track, and somehow finding yourself again inside it.

At the core, it’s still the same impulse: to connect, to feel, and to make others feel something real.

But what actually keeps an artist alive long-term?

I believe it comes down to consistency, humility, and connection. Leaving the ego aside is essential, the moment you start thinking you’ve “made it,” you stop growing. This industry moves fast, and staying grounded is what allows you to keep evolving.

It’s also about not being selfish with music. Staying open to all kinds of sounds, all kinds of influences, constantly feeding your creativity. 

As artists, we tend to overthink everything, every release, every reaction, but at the end of the day, we have to remember why we’re here: to make people feel something, to create moments, to share energy. Without the people, without the crowd, we are nothing. That connection is everything, and it’s what keeps the fire alive over time.

 

You’ve collaborated with some of the biggest artists in the scene. Which collaborations stand out for you, and why? 

Indeed, I’ve worked with incredible artists like Tiësto, CamelPhat, Innellea, Benny Benassi, and Chris Avantgarde. Each collaboration is different, and that’s what makes them all special to me, I can’t pick just one.

For me, it’s never just about the name, it’s about the connection. It starts with meeting, talking, understanding each other’s personalities and musical worlds. Then we experiment, we try things, and if it feels right, if the music truly connects, we release it. If not, we don’t force it. I think that’s the key: keeping it honest, letting the music lead the process, and enjoying that creative exchange without expectations.

This year you have some major releases and projects lined up. Can you share a bit about what’s coming? 

This year is packed with exciting releases, but one of the most anticipated is definitely TCFS, it’s a track people have been asking me about a lot, and it’s finally coming out in July on Fisher’s label. There’s also Ice On My Chain, which will drop later this year on the same label. Pink P, coming out on May 22 via Tomorrowland Music x 1001 Tracklists. Another one I’m really excited about is Keep Moving on Realm.

On the collab side, I have a single with Benny Benassi, Close To Me, releasing on May 1st, and more in the pipeline with Chris Avantgarde, Morten, Konstantin Sibold, and Adam Sellouk. It’s a year full of different energies and directions, which is exactly what I love.

You’re known for being extremely present in the club. What actually happens for you at that moment? 

When I’m in the club, everything becomes very instinctive. It’s a moment where you disconnect from everything else and fully connect with the music, with the crowd, with the energy in the room. You’re not thinking, you’re feeling. There’s a real dialogue happening, even without words. You read the crowd, their reactions, their movements, and you respond through the music. It’s like guiding a journey in real time, adjusting, building tension, releasing it, creating moments they’ll remember.

And for me as a producer, it’s also very special because these are the moments where the music comes to life. In the studio, you’re alone, you’re very introspective, you’re creating something in your own bubble. But in the club, you share it, you see how it hits, how it connects, how it evolves in a collective experience. That’s where everything makes sense.

What do you want people to feel when they leave one of your sets?

For me, a great set is when people don’t just hear the music, they feel it, they live it. And when they walk away with that energy still inside them, that’s when I know it meant something. A moment they can’t really explain but that stays with them, that sense of connection you only find on a dancefloor.

From where you stand, how do you see today’s scene?

I see a scene that’s more diverse than ever. There are so many genres, so many new and incredibly talented artists emerging all the time, it’s constantly evolving, constantly expanding.

The scale of it has become massive. What used to feel more niche is now global, and house music in particular has reached a point where it’s the most listened-to electronic genre.

It’s an exciting moment, because there’s space for creativity in so many directions, but at the same time, it also pushes you to stay sharp and to really find your own voice within all that noise.

What advice would you give younger producers to break-through with the experience you have from different times?

Consistency is key, once again. But more importantly, it’s about doing things for the right reasons. Not chasing the spotlight, not focusing on the “star system” but really focusing on the art itself.

You have to work hard, of course, but you also have to stay true to who you are. When you’re genuinely passionate about what you do, people can feel it. And that’s what makes the difference.

To break through today, you need to stand out, not by following trends, but by embracing your identity. Be different, trust your instincts, and build something that reflects you. The rest will come naturally if the foundation is real.

What do you think about social media today and the place it’s holding in the industry compared to a time where it didn’t exist?

When I started 15 years ago, social media already existed, but it was slow and not nearly as important as it is today. Now, the space it occupies in the music industry is huge, sometimes even overwhelming.

But we can’t live in the past. We have to adapt and learn how to use these tools in the right way. Social media can be incredibly powerful if you approach it with intention, it’s a way to connect, to share, to build something beyond just the music.

It’s the same with AI or any new technology, it’s all about how you use it. If you stay smart and authentic, it becomes an advantage rather than a distraction.

What would make you walk away from this career?

If one day I lose that fire, the excitement of stepping on stage, the emotion of creating a track that I truly love, the thrill of releasing music on labels I respect, then I would start questioning
everything.As long as that passion is there, as long as the journey still brings me something real, I’ll keep going. Because at the end of the day, that’s what makes this life so special.

About Rafael Cerato :

Rafael Cerato is considered a long-standing and influential figure in the underground, belonging to the generation of artists who helped shape the foundations of today’s groove-driven club sound. Early in his career, he performed multiple B2B sets with Solomun and released collaborations with artists such as ARTBAT, building a strong reputation as a DJ and producer deeply connected to rave culture and the global club movement. Now based between Marseille and Ibiza, he stands out as one of the most dynamic names in contemporary electronic music, with a sound that blends Tech House and Indie Dance through fat basslines, percussive groove, and powerful tension. Known for his ability to read the room and build emotionally charged sets, Rafael Cerato continues to leave a strong mark on dancefloors and the modern underground scene.

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Apple Music:https://music.apple.com/es/artist/rafael-cerato/531505276
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/rafaelcerato