BY JUAN
CARLOS BUSTAMANTE, MIGUEL
BUSTAMANTE, NICOLAS
CABALLERO
Since the early 2000s, PHO, born Leonardo Rojas, has navigated his dynamic career through the grand corridors of hip-hop, funk, and soul. By 2015, he was already considered one of the top 40 DJs in the world. Hailing from Bogotá, Colombia, he is equally as likely to be found behind the wheels of steel concocting a special auditory treat with left-field samples, as he is to be producing new music for his various projects as well as other artists, such as Natalia Lafourcade, Lianna, and Montañera. He recently helped design and develop the new Pioneer DJM-S11 mixer, while also working closely with other brands such as Ableton, Red Bull, and Serato. He is no stranger to hanging among hip-hop royalty, with the likes of De La Soul, DJ Jazzy Jeff, or the Invisibl Skratch Piklz. Yet you'll often find him at his Dubai residence, tinkering away to incorporate the latest technology in his performance-heavy routines. It's not surprising to catch him using gummies, plants, cans, or even the human body to create interesting sounds and experiences. We caught up with PHO to discuss his storied career as well as some of his new lockdown routines. (Full disclosure: PHO is one of my music publishing clients at Lucesca Productions.)
