Interview
gitanØs is among Portland’s busiest and most dedicated DJs if you ask me. A true selector’s-selector, Raul Segoviano is hard to pin down - pulling from Brazilian disco to Latin Core, Baile Funk to classic house and techno, back to cumbia and beyond - he’s got a bit of something for everybody. If not on his USB, then in his record bag.
And he finds ways of putting all of these sounds to work - weaving multigenerational dance music with distinct Latinx influence. All that to say, Raul’s got range! As demonstrated by his involvement behind the scenes for popular Portland parties Global Based and 4x4, not to mention regular appearances with Samewave Radio, USBCHECK, Thee Baile, and more! Along the way, he’s gained a reputation that precedes him - one that’s earned him well deserved respect behind the decks, as a curator, an organizer, a community member, and an artist.
How do you feel coming off of your recent Canyon Vibration set? How was Canyon for you overall?
I feel so seen, grateful and honored to be one of the many names on that flyer this year. I got to share music from family and friends in California, Mexico, Seattle, Portland, and Brazil to name a few, and tied it all together within 2 hours somehow, alongside tracks from the 90’s and a couple cult classics of course. I ripped some tracks from CDs and mastered a couple vinyl rips I only had on wax but NEEDED to play in that set. I’m really proud and happy with it and the work it took me, when it comes out let me know what you think please, this has been a huge milestone for me in my rinky dinky ass ‘career’ in music.
This is my 2nd year volunteering there as part of the staff, and seeing the team keep such composure to make it happen this year regardless of the wildfires was really incredible to be witness. Everyone was so poised and professional and we were able to make it happen despite all the cards that were being dealt against us. I’m really proud to be a part of that crew this year and being able to contribute more than just a DJ set is just as rewarding and fulfilling for me.
Usually, I make it a point to express myself politically and bring awareness within my sets when I can but for this one I just wanted to play tracks that heal my soul, make me wanna groove, and also just make me wanna fuckin party. I closed out with my partner and I’s track too! It was a really special weekend for me, plus I drove back for a Global Based Day Party on Sunday my god what a ride that weekend was, im still recovering lol
Can you give us a little peek behind the scenes of Global Based? Tell us about what’s your role, and how’d you get to where you are with the collective today?
First and foremost I’m a patron and I’m in the crowd which to me is my favorite and the best role I have there. Nothing beats being on that dancefloor.
2ndly I’m one of a handful of ‘residents’ which I think is the most important role and honor. Being a sonic representation of what the party means is such a an incredible trust and respect that i try to repay back with every DJ set.
Lastly Mijo said to say I’m his right hand man or his number 2 but he honestly has 7 more just as important hands too. I’d like to say I’m the production and event manager but I have my fair share of A&R work I do too amongst the constant cooperative curation we all do together. It’s some of the most fulfilling, creatively engaging work I’ve ever done and I’d love for it to one day be a full time job if it reaches that point, but what I get in return makes me more rich than any monetary value ever could.
A lot of us share multiple directives within our roles here but everyone plays a part and we’re constantly interchanging too depending on what projects we want to take on while balancing what we have going on in our personal lives too.
What do you feel the impact of Global Based is on the local dance music scene and community at large?
Shit man I moved my life here because of Global Based. It was the first time I felt like I fit in somewhere, being too white for the Latinos and too Latino for the white folks. Growing up listening to Rock n roll, Hardstyle, and Boom bap I was a very confused teen and young adult that didn’t quite fit in anywhere specific. Meeting Mijo and the gang was the first time I felt I truly met real friends, and now we’re more than family. We’re such a Molotov cocktail of different backgrounds and personalities and I think that’s what makes it such a special entity to me.
We’ve had rock en español nights, cumbia nights, moombahton nights, doesn’t matter. I feel the same connection on that dancefloor regardless of the theme or venue. It’s not a party, it’s community, it’s connection, it’s culture and it’s fucking quality mate. I met the love of my life there. I found myself and my purpose multiple times there too. Global based literally saved my life dawg No place on earth does it better than dancing between those palm trees. I even met the person I wanna spend the rest of my life with there and shit if the dates lineup I may just get married mid set one day i swear to god 😂
For me there is a few critical things in Portland that make this scene so beautiful to me. Global based being the main one for me, but also parties like Twirl, Samewave Radio, Pulse, Hickey Machine, + concepts like Barn radio and spaces like Process are just as important too. We gotta keep supporting and propping up the next wave too! There’s a lot of people doing things right around town and it makes me soul happy to know that the kids are gonna be alright.
What do you feel is going well in the Portland dance music scene, and what change would you like to see?
I’d like to see more people of color get booked in Portland and TRULY feel welcomed within certain crowds. What the fuck are we doing only booking multiple white straight cis males for some of these lineups?!?! It’s 2026 dawg if you can’t have a single femme DJ or POC on your bill you don’t deserve the right to be able to throw a party, nor take up space anymore. Portland has a beautiful culture and connection that is constantly improving, but for how politically liberal this city is, the culture and flavor is just as constantly being left out.
It has taken me a few years to break out from the “Latino music” pigeon hole that a lot of my Mexican and South American peers are kept in, and gatekept out of certain spaces and venues. So being able to show my deep knowledge of Detroit, Berlin, and Chicago, Disco etc when i DJ is a great responsibility to be able to show the other side of the coin we know the roots and the history of this too just as much as y’all. Don’t put us in boxes because you think you’re better than or more knowledgeable than us. Disco, house, techno are all birthed from cultural and ethical adversity and prejudice, and no one knows struggle more than women and people of color. We’ll forever be included in music’s rich history wether you welcome us in or we make you move out of the god damn way.
I hope to constantly open doors and opportunities for others to be heard and welcomed in rooms and parties that we always frequent at, but have never been given the validation to genuinely feel like we’re welcome there, because we do belong and we are very important in this regard.
As demonstrated by your other house and techno -focused party, 4x4, it’s hard to put you in a box musically. How would you classify yourself as a DJ? What goes into curating a set for you?
I like to jump around depending on the intent of the set and how much time I have. My sound isn’t limited by genres or BPM’s it is a personal reflection of who I am and how I’m feeling.
As an immigrant in this country it’s pivotal to be able to share my experience and emotions when I play, as well as provide some relief and distraction for myself and most importantly for the people around me. I have a lot of anger and frustration living here, but also a lot of empathy and love for Oregon and I think being able to voice that and connect with others who might be feeling similar struggles [and/or joys] is such an important role we get to share with the dancefloor.
How did you find yourself where you are today as a selector and promoter? Where did DJing and organizing start for you?
I started doing parties in Bend/Central Oregon because I felt there was a big void between the music I enjoy and what bend had to offer, which was minuscule hints of community and curation but no one was really organizing things consistently and correctly.
4x4 was birthed from everything Mijo and Portland taught me and I just simply tried to replicate what I liked, and what I wanted to make better from the events I’d attend on weekend benders in the city.
Little by little I was enjoying what was slowly happening in white ass Bend. I was doing a Thursday night jungle/Dnb night alternating with a techno one, and consistently doing house and global club monthly’s. Shoutout The Capitol and the Rareform Events boys! You still get requests and stupid attitude from patrons every so often but its cool to see other DnB nights, Disco events, and shit like that consistently going on over there. I haven’t thrown a party out there in a while but we will soon!
The pinnacle for me was being able to throw an underground baile funk party at a top 40 club in white ass bend for the typical crowd of nepo college kids and closeted right wingers that frequent Bend nightlife. They didn’t know what was happening or what we were playing nor did they know that we had someone flown out from São Paulo Brazil for that but they fucking loved it. Was such a cool fucking party yo, and it made me feel like I’d finally graduated and found a purpose as an event promoter and that’s the feeling I try to chase with 4x4 always.
What’s on the horizon for you at the moment?
This Saturday I have Thee Baile coming down from Seattle at Process: It’s a queer Brazilian party and we’ll be getting real underground and real Brazilian all night long at the watershed, pull up on us it’ll be special!
Besides that, nothing really man and I prefer it that way I’m EXHAUSTED.
After August I’m gonna slow down and take a breather and finally put out some music hopefully. The focus for the rest of the year is my girlfriend, family and health. I’m tired of promo schedules and event flyers in my camera roll, I wanna see more memories in there with my loved ones. I love a sweaty grungey club night but there’s more to life than just basslines and hangovers lol
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