Eli Escobar & M. Vaughan: From collecting records to running record labels

Although they hail from different eras and together hold a wide range of musical influences, both Eli Escobar and M. Vaughan eventually found their way into DJing and producing electronic music.

For this episode, NO BS: Exchange of Minds sat down with these two house heads to discuss their respective journeys into the genre, the labels that they operate and the music they create.

With over 20 years experience, Eli Escobar started viciously collecting records at just six years old. He soon began indulging in mid-80’s music, as he appreciated the innovation of new genres and use of technology in the emerging scene.

For a record collector, and having at one point owned 10,000 vinyls, DJing came naturally. When asked about his approach, Escobar said,

“I make a pretty huge effort to play all over the place, and not necessarily in one set, but on a nightly basis.” As a DJ that genre hops from house to techno, disco, afrobeat, hip-hop and reggae, Escobar tries to “make each night different from the last.”

M.Vaughan, the now Brooklyn-based producer/DJ, grew up playing guitar and songwriting for bands in high school. After learning he was a control freak, wanting to take liberties in writing and producing, Vaughan began making electronic music.

“A lot of the stuff I sample are from mellow jazz records I’ll listen to while cooking dinner, and think ‘that would be cool to re-contextualize into a bumping dance track.’”

Vaughan describes his DJ sets as “deep, soulful, almost melancholy, but very driving.”

The young artist currently runs a small label, Super Tuff Records, and has already made some headway by recruiting European artists. He hopes to join them soon and play a few dates across the pond.