By 
Q: You’ve been in the electronic music scene for a long time — around 15 years. What does time teach you that success never can?
Rafael Cerato: Over the years, I’ve understood that commitment and discipline are everything. Talent might open the door, but consistency is what keeps you in the room. Beyond that, patience and resilience 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 one step ahead. You’re not there just to respond; you’re there to propose, to lead, to challenge, and 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.
Q: If someone is discovering Rafael Cerato today, what should they understand beyond the sound?
Rafael Cerato: 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, and 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.
Q: You’ve been releasing with Diynamic for a long time. When was your first release with the label?
Rafael Cerato: My first release with Diynamic was on November 10, 2014. It was called “Constellation,” and it was part of the very first Four To The Floor compilation.
There’s also a funny memory connected to it: the graphic designer for that release was Adrian from Adriatique. So yes, it was a really long time ago, but it’s still a very special memory for me. Signing music on Diynamic was a big goal at the time, and a big achievement in my journey.
Q: How often have you played B2B with Solomun? And how was it for you to play with him?
Rafael Cerato: I’ve played B2B with Solomun quite a few times, and it’s always been a great experience. We played together in Ibiza at El Cielo for three hours, at Destino, at Tox for five hours, and also in Berlin for five hours.
For me, Solomun is one of the main figures in the scene and one of my biggest influences. I can easily say that without him, I probably wouldn’t be doing this job in the same way. Sharing the booth with someone who has shaped so much of the sound and culture around this music is always something special.
View this post on Instagram
Q: How would you describe your current sound?
Rafael Cerato: 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, sometimes into deeper textures.
For me, it’s about breaking the rules. Art and creation shouldn’t feel restricted. I think the most interesting moments happen between genres, in those spaces where things aren’t clearly defined.
Q: What feels most different about you as an artist now compared to your earlier years? And what has never changed about why you make music?
Rafael Cerato: 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 and 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.
View this post on Instagram
Q: But what actually keeps an artist alive long-term?
Rafael Cerato: Consistency. No ego. Not being selfish. And staying connected to all kinds of music.
I think a lot of young artists focus too much on the result — the hype, the numbers, the bookings, the image. But the artists who last are usually the ones who stay curious. They keep listening, learning, improving, and respecting the culture around them.
You need ambition, of course, but ambition without humility can destroy the reason you started. For me, longevity comes from doing the work, keeping your feet on the ground, and never thinking you know everything.
Music changes all the time. The crowd changes. The industry changes. If you stay closed, you get stuck. If you stay open, you keep growing.
Q: You’ve collaborated with some of the biggest artists in the scene. Which collaborations stand out for you, and why?
Rafael Cerato: I’ve been lucky to collaborate with some incredible artists over the years, including Tiësto, CamelPhat, Innellea, Benny Benassi, and Chris Avantgarde.
Every collaboration teaches you something different. Sometimes it’s about sound, sometimes it’s about workflow, sometimes it’s about energy. Working with artists at that level pushes you to raise your standards. You understand how they think, how they build ideas, and how much detail goes into making something powerful.
For me, the best collaborations are not just about putting two names together. They happen when both artists bring something honest to the table and the final result becomes something neither of them would have created alone.
Q: This year you have some major releases and projects lined up. Can you share a bit about what’s coming?
Rafael Cerato: There’s a lot coming this year, and I’m really excited about it.
One of the most anticipated records is “TCFS,” which people have been asking about for a long time. That one is coming out on Fisher’s label in July, so I’m really looking forward to finally sharing it.
I also have “Ice On My Chain” coming on Fisher’s label later this year, “Pink P” on Tomorrowland / 1001, and “Keep Moving” on Realm.
There are also collaborations with Benny Benassi, Chris Avantgarde, MORTEN, Konstantin Sibold, Adam Sellouk, and more in the pipeline. It feels like a very strong year musically, with different sides of my sound being represented.
Q: You’re known for being extremely present in the club. What actually happens for you at that moment?
Rafael Cerato: For me, the club is where everything becomes real.
In the studio, you’re alone with your ideas. You build something from nothing, you search for emotions, you try to capture a feeling. But when you play that music in front of people, it becomes something else. It becomes shared.
That connection with the crowd is impossible to fake. You feel when they are with you, when they are ready to be pushed, when they need tension, when they need release. It’s not only about playing tracks. It’s about reading the room, trusting your instinct, and being completely inside the moment.
As a producer, hearing your own music in a club is also very powerful. You see how people react to something that was once just an idea in your head. That exchange of energy is one of the reasons I still love doing this so much.
Q: What do you want people to feel when they leave one of your sets?
Rafael Cerato: Of course, I want them to feel happy that they bought a ticket for a reason! But deeper than that, I want them to feel like they experienced something.
A good set should stay with you a little bit after it ends. Maybe because of one track, one moment, one transition, or simply the energy of the night. I want people to leave with the feeling that they were part of something alive.
For me, it’s not only about making people dance. It’s about creating memories. If someone leaves the club smiling, inspired, or still thinking about a moment from the set, then I’ve done my job.
Q: From where you stand, how do you see today’s scene?
Rafael Cerato: I think the scene is in a very interesting place. There is a lot of diversity between genres, and there are huge amounts of amazing new talents coming through.
Electronic music is becoming massive, and house music is now one of the most listened-to styles in the world. That’s exciting, because it means more people are discovering the culture, the clubs, the festivals, and the artists behind it.
At the same time, when something grows this fast, you also need to protect its quality and its spirit. The scene needs new energy, but it also needs respect for the music and the people who built it.
Q: What advice would you give younger producers who are trying to break through?
Rafael Cerato: Consistency, once again. That’s the key.
Do things for the right reasons. Don’t focus too much on the star system or on becoming famous. Focus on the music, on improving your sound, on building your identity, and on understanding why you are doing this in the first place.
Trends come and go very quickly. If you only chase what is popular right now, you might get attention for a moment, but it won’t build a real career. The strongest artists are usually the ones who know who they are, even when the scene around them changes.
Work hard, stay curious, stay humble, and don’t expect everything to happen overnight.
Q: What do you think about social media today and the place it holds in the industry compared to a time when it didn’t exist?
Rafael Cerato: Social media has completely changed the industry. It gives artists a direct connection with their audience, which is a beautiful thing. You can share your music, your life, your shows, and your personality without waiting for anyone to open the door for you.
But at the same time, it can create pressure. Sometimes people start thinking more about content than music. They focus on how something looks instead of how it feels.
I think social media is a powerful tool, but it should stay a tool. It can help people discover you, but it shouldn’t define you. At the end of the day, the music still has to speak. The club still has to speak. The emotion still has to be real.
Q: What would make you walk away from this career?
Rafael Cerato: If one day I lose the fire inside me when I jump on stage, or the excitement I feel when I make a new track that I really love, then maybe I would have to ask myself some serious questions.
For me, being an artist is full of these small moments of happiness: finishing a record, releasing music on a label you love, reaching goals you once dreamed about, connecting with people through your sound.
As long as that fire is still there, as long as I still feel that excitement, I don’t see myself walking away.
View this post on Instagram
