DJ Neura disputes 'first' Catalan màkina track, warns on AI and short‑form DJing

At the Andorra Remember Festival on Saturday, organisers promoted a track billed as the first original Catalan màkina song, "Andorra Remember Festival Vol.1", credited to singer Naiara Hernández, producers 2WORLDS and DJs Rubén XXL and Marki & Vega. DJ Neura, the Andorran DJ Julià Aláez, challenged that claim, saying the scene already has Catalan-language màkina and drawing a distinction between amateur and long‑time professional DJs.

Neura said professionals such as himself and DJ Kike del Sol have been part of the màkina scene since the 1990s and previously organised remember parties. He disputed assertions that the festival track represented the first sung Catalan contribution, arguing that production techniques — including vocal filters and artificial intelligence — can blur the line between live performance and generated sound.

Having worked with vocalists such as Naiara Hernández, Eva Martí and Marian Dacal, Neura said he knows what a live singer sounds like and questioned the difference between a filtered human voice and one produced by AI. He described how AI has reduced production costs and changed the role of talent: where producers once charged hundreds of euros per track, subscription tools now cost tens per month and enable users to generate music and arrangements quickly.

Neura also criticised how digitalisation and short‑form content have reshaped DJing. He said most DJs now use sync features, tracks are shortened to two or three minutes, and mixing has become less central because audiences and platforms prioritise brief clips for social media like TikTok. He argued this has weakened appreciation for fully developed DJ sets and shifted audience behaviour toward recording and seeking likes rather than listening.

To adapt, Neura said he moved toward short‑format content and mashups, converting commercial songs into contemporary màkina versions to increase visibility and streaming. He described this change as driving a significant rise in views.

Politically outspoken on social media, Neura said recent comments by local politicians prompted him to make music in Catalan. He cited a remark by a public official — interpreted as deflecting responsibility for housing issues because she had just taken office — as one catalyst. Neura said he has no children and is willing to speak freely, even if that has cost him support.

Neura released "Sostres de vidre" recently and plans to publish "Llums a la vall" this Sunday. He said the new single addresses the high cost of living in Andorra, difficulty finding work and limits on expressing certain topics, and reflects a sentiment he attributes to some in the ruling party who treat emigration as a normal solution for people who cannot afford to live locally.