Meet Edu: From Barcelona’s Soul Scene to Manchester

After almost ten years away, Edu is heading back to Manchester and he’s bringing with him a record collection that stretches far beyond the traditional boundaries of soul.

A DJ, collector, vintage hoarder and co-owner of Barcelona record shop Discos Redondos, Edu has been part of the Spanish soul scene for more than three decades.

His musical journey has taken him from the skinhead scene of Santa Coloma, through suedehead, mod and soulie culture, to some of the most memorable parties and clubs across Europe, and if his recent record finds are anything to go by, Manchester is in for an eclectic set.

We caught up with Edu ahead of his visit to find out more about his musical journey, his collecting obsession, Barcelona's musical history and the nights that have stayed with him over the years.

So, Edu, how's it going? What have you been up to lately?

All good, lads! I'm enjoying a bit of vacation at the moment. I've just got back from Asturias in northern Spain, where I went for Ye-Ye Weekend, and now I'm back in Barcelona with the air conditioning on full blast!

When did you start DJing?

The first DJ gig I remember was in a pub in Guinardó, a neighbourhood in Barcelona. It was some sort of scooterist party, around 1993.

By then I'd already started a small collection of reggae and 60s soul records. I got into the skinhead scene in my hometown of Santa Coloma and made the traditional progression through suedehead and mod before becoming a soulie.

My musical taste reflects all of those cultures and much more.

And it's not just records you collect, is it?

I've always been a bit of a vintage hoarder. I collect cosas - which simply translates as "things" in Spanish - furniture, clothes, books... as well as records, I'm particularly interested in collecting music memorabilia from my own city. Anything connected to soul, jazz and reggae and their history in Barcelona: posters, press kits, original photographs, leaflets. I'm also fascinated by memorabilia from Barcelona's record shops, going right back to the 1950s. I hope to turn all of this into a book with a couple of friends one day. Some of the things I've found are already on the walls of my co-owned record shop in Barcelona, Discos Redondos.

Beyond music, I'm very interested in 20th-century North American literature - that was my university degree... and espionage design.

And, of course, there's my dog, Senyor Ramon, and my love, Angie.

What are you looking forward to most about coming back to Manchester?

I haven't been to Manchester for almost ten years, so I'm really interested to see how the city has evolved since then.

Obviously, there's also the challenge of playing here again. The line-up is very diverse and exciting, and there are many friends I haven't seen for that decade who will be there.

So yes, I'm very excited about it.

You've got a pretty broad collecting taste. What's been your best recent find?

I collect many different genres of music - all sorts of Afro-American, Caribbean and African styles, as well as European movements.

There's Euro jazz, Spanish Afro-related genres such as rumba, Middle Eastern sounds... so that's a very difficult question! I guess it would have to be "Bechayane Tegodahu" by Alemayehu Eshete, an Ethiopian funk 45 issued in Lebanon. It has an intro that reminds me a lot of Labi Siffre's The Vulture. Absolute tune!

You've been around the scene for more than 20 years. What's been your most memorable night as a DJ or punter?

I've had more than 20 great years of Movin' On parties, so some of those weekends are definitely up there - especially some memorable end-of-the-night sets from Soul Sam or Butch.

Outside my own city, my first visits to Cleethorpes Weekend back in the 90s were obviously eye-opening. Playing at the 100 Club was another big moment.

But one party that is stuck in the minds of most Spanish soulies was a memorable Bamberg Sunday afternoon, where a fair share of us ended up dancing on top of tables to the sound of Tomangoes. I'm sure some of the people reading this will remember it!

I was also involved with the Powder Room parties in Barcelona in the early 2000s. It was a deep funk club in a venue with a 2,000-person capacity, and it was full to the rafters every Thursday to the sounds of Keb Darge, Ian Wright, Butch and others.

That was unforgettable too, and I was only in my mid-20s!

One thing is clear: you've spent a lot of time digging, collecting and dancing.

From those early days discovering reggae and 60s soul in Santa Coloma to DJing across Barcelona and Europe, Edu's musical journey is a perfect example of how interconnected the scene has always been.

His collection might take in soul, funk, reggae, jazz, African music, Caribbean sounds and much more, but underneath it all is the same curiosity that started it back in the early 90s: finding something you've never heard before and wanting to share it with people.

And after nearly a decade away, Manchester gets to hear what he's been digging up.

Welcome back, Edu.