In this last year of solitude and seclusion, Luis Clara Gomes, who goes by the moniker, Moullinex, benefited from the ample time in producing an album, reflecting on his life experiences, and further exploring his passions outside of music. The bright Portuguese musician released his latest album, Requiem for Empathy, in April and is looking forward to performing shows the second half of this year as people slowly start to enter a world of togetherness again.

Overall, Luis finds that he does well retreating into isolation. “In this past year, it was all about sanity. It was a blessing in disguise to recenter, and I was able to go into long rabbit holes of learning new things, which was something I was previously brushing off. Before I was a musician, I was a researcher in astronomy and other science fields, so I finally had the opportunity and time to marry my passions and start using Artificial Intelligence in visuals for my music.” It also helps that Luis identifies as an introvert, since he tends to recharge in solitude and drain himself in social settings, but otherwise, the authentic, vibrant producer loves to collaborate and connect with people organically. “I get inspired through connection with other people, travel, exposure to different cultures, and anything that takes me out of my mundane routine. I usually like to start music ideas on my own, and then bring people in so they can help influence and change the course of what I’m working on. For me, the process is as important as the result. When something is done without a strong human connection, you can tell because the music won’t sound real or connected.”

Despite being in this industry for over a decade, the enthusiastic artist continues to maintain that free-spirited, carefree sound that can be heard in his eclectic production mixes of funk, soul, disco, and Brazilian music. Before releasing his music, Luis always thinks about his art work, visuals, and photographs since these all encompass the entire body of his craft. The diligent producer has a clear visual idea of what he wants his music to look like, and usually works with photographers that share the same vision so that it’s like a curatorship effort.

While reflecting over his time in this wavering career, Luis has noticed that although music has become universal in uniting local communities together, specific niches of local trends such as Miami bass or grunge in Seattle don’t exist anymore, which can be seen as a double-edged sword. Nonetheless, the grateful performer finds himself fortunate to be able to travel and visit most places on his bucket list, do what he loves, and not feeling the need to escape his job. Whenever he’s not working, he’ll listen to all kinds of music like classical, jazz, choir, or anything else that disconnects him from reality. Most places he wants to visit don’t play electronic music, so every time he has a break from touring, the adventurer likes to go to some secluded place like Mexico and get lost in the jungle or the Atacama desert in Chile. “I think for better or worse, the electronic music scene is more or less the same around the world since we live in a globalized society – same ideas, different clothing. I prefer to leave the comfort of the electronic music scene and get exposed to cultures and you can even learn a lot of things about people from walking around and through their food especially. I love spicy food and definitely feel at home in places like Indonesia, Mexico, and Thailand.”

As one of the founders of the label Discotexas, Luis tries to portray himself aesthetically, have a cohesive identity, and remain playful yet organized and professional with his music. In his newest release, he explains how one of the defining songs of this album, “Inner Child,” is “about growing up and keeping that little part of you that’s inquisitive, curious, wondering about the world.. even if you’re growing into a boring adult.” With plenty of shows booked for the summer in Portugal and throughout Europe, he feels there’s hope in that “we can see the horizon, which is much clearer in the U.S.A.” Check out his latest and see what he’s up to on his personal site.