Ariel “D’ese” is out on Beatport: click on the picture for more

“I usually fast when I’m flying which often means I won’t eat for the duration of the trip and longer, only drinking water throughout. It’s easy for me to do that; I can go up to 48 hours without eating and not being hungry in the slightest.”

Starting his career DJing to thousands in his hometown of Buenos Aires, Ariel Belloso first moved to Europe in 1991, arriving in Ibiza where he debuted at Pacha.

Moving to London soon after (following numerous gigs at all of the island’s superclubs, he settled down quickly and 20 years on continues to call the UK capital his home.

Renowned for playing marathon sets at long running big room residencies at the likes of Fabric and 90s house institution Bagleys he continues performing every weekend, either in London or overseas. (Djariel.com)

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The Best:

Skrufff: What’s the most opulent travel trip you’ve experienced?

DJ Ariel: “Staying a month in Havana while I recorded an album in 2002 was really special. I felt likr I’d been abducted though after a while and even changed my Spanish accent when I came back.”

Skrufff: And the best hotel?

DJ Ariel: “Ashford Castle in Ireland. The Marlin Hotel in Miami was also good, especially the bathroom floor with different coloured tiles.”

Skrufff: What do you need to make a trip perfect?

DJ Ariel: “This answer will change according which decade we are talking about. These days I don’t need anything in particular, other than to expect the same standard of professionalism from everybody involved.”

Skrufff: What do you always travel with?

DJ Ariel: “Fresh fruits whenever possible as I am a raw foodist. Shockingly enough, airlines don’t serve fresh fruits; they only give you those oxidized tiny fruit salads with no taste and minimal nutritional value. I usually fast when I’m flying which often means I won’t eat for the duration of the trip and longer, only drinking water throughout. It’s easy for me to do that; I can go up to 48 hours without eating and not being hungry in the slightest.”

Skrufff: How does it work, going without food for two days?

DJ Ariel: “It has to with the general state of your health. If you regularly eat junk foods you will feel hungry after 45 minutes of eating; or shortly afterwards if you eat denatured cooked stuff, whatever if you eat whole raw foods in the correct way you are hardly ever hungry. It’s to do with absorption as the body utilizes more nutrients from raw foods than cooked, so you are better nourished and can go for more time. The longer you practice this lifestyle, the better you get at it. I often go for two days without any food and feel perfectly fine with lots of energy.”

Skrufff: What are your top three travel tips?

DJ Ariel: “Take a nice book, water and fruit.”

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: The worst

Skrufff: What’s been your worst travel nightmare?

DJ Ariel: “The New York blackout of 2004. I was in the air and about to land in New York only 15 minutes before the black out. The pilot announced that there had been a complete power cut in the whole of New York, we couldn’t believe it. We ended up in Boston with a million other people.

The airport was really busy like a football match because of the unusual situation that was affecting the area as all the incoming flights were redirected out of New York.

All hotels from Boston ended up being booked very fast due to the amount of people that were there so I had to sleep at the airport for the night. It wasn’t too bad in the end because I managed to get myself a flight to Miami amid the chaos in the morning and get a connection to Buenos Aires the same day.”

Skrufff: What’s the worst hotel you’ve stayed in?

DJ Ariel: “Boston airport.”

Skrufff: How about the worst experience you’ve had at customs/ Immigration?

DJ Ariel: “I took lots of fresh fruits and nuts in my hand luggage as I was starting a tour of Australia in 2008 without declaring it upon arriving at the airport. It was the early days of my raw food diet so I wasn’t able to go without foods and fast for days like I do now. A dog eventually caught me while I was waiting for my bag to arrive. The airport police came and asked me if I had anything, so I had to tell them about my diet. They found half of Waitrose in my bag and issued me a fine; though I didn’t have to pay anything eventually since they kindly let me go.”

Skrufff: And those moments just after you’ve cleared customs: have you had any bad encounters after not being picked up?

DJ Ariel: “The fear of kidnap always crosses my mind when playing certain places.”

Skrufff: What do you avoid on DJ trips?

DJ Ariel: “Travelling light with not too much weight is always best.”

Skrufff: What do you hate about travelling?

DJ Ariel: “I am not a fan of travelling generally. I enjoy DJing and visiting a country for the first time but not coming back too many times afterwards. That’s why I’ve always chosen to play residencies. Besides that, I have played a large numbers of countries already.”

Skrufff: What’s been the most frightening experience you’ve had on your DJ trips?

DJ Ariel: “Running from the IRA while playing Northern Ireland in the early days was scary. I ended up in the wrong after-hours party; we had to run; and quick. It was in the early 1990s and I don’t remember much, just the moment of being squeezed out of a place by the promoter together with a group of around 10 people and heading back to a car to leave the club. I don’t know what was going on and I was pretty young at the time. Though I ended up playing Ireland a lot in the 1990s, both north and south.”

Ariel “D’ese” is out on Beatport:

http://www.beatport.com/release/dese/322742

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMG6nLJLpsE&feature=related DJ Ariel – Freedom at Bagley’s * London 1998

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwlLEZir8dc YOU TUBE DJ ARIEL 8 HOUR SET BAGLEYS/CANVAS, 2007)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0elQ65BgBiw&feature=related DJ ARIEL AT FREEDOM, BAGLEYS, LONDON 1998

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff