Born in Buenos Aires and based in Barcelona for over 15 years, Diego Montiel is a DJ, producer, and a key architect of the city’s electronic music landscape. As founder and director of This Side UP Club, record label Side UP Works, and the academy BeSide School, he has shaped spaces where underground sounds flourish and new talent rises.
With a career spanning more than 20 years, Montiel has shared the booth with legends such as March Houle, The Hacker, Ewan Pearson, Jennifer Cardini, Kasper Bjørk, Rex The Dog, Swayzak, Moscoman, Danny Daze, and Camea. His sets fuse techno, electro, EBM, dark disco, and acid into a progressive, dancefloor-driven journey that is as precise as it is immersive.
For KEYI at Berghain Säule, Diego Montiel brings his signature eclectic energy to the decks, promising a night where underground currents collide and the dancefloor becomes a space of collective experience.
From Buenos Aires to Barcelona — how does your journey translate into a room like Säule?
Considering that I grew up in Buenos Aires, shaped directly by techno, and later arrived in Barcelona to immerse myself in electro, dark disco, EBM and acid, what will come through in Säule is a progressive fusion of all these genres.
A blend built with strong attitude and character — two qualities deeply rooted in those of us who grew up in South America, and absolutely necessary to stand out in a city like Barcelona, with such a harsh and demanding level of competition.
You’ve shared booths with icons — what lineage do you connect with when you step behind the decks?
I try to connect with the essence of several of them — artists with whom, thanks to life, I have built good relationships and from whom I’ve received very valuable advice over the years.
When I play EBM, I embody the attitude of DJ Hell; when I move into electro, that of The Hacker; when I play acid, I channel the rawness of David Vunk; dark disco brings clear influences from Damon Jee and Jen Cardini; and when I drift into indie and new wave, I connect directly with the sensitivity of Curses.
More than imitation, it’s a way of honoring those energies and letting them converse through my own identity behind the decks.
One moment. One room. One debut. How should this night be remembered?
As a night that left a mark.
Sound, bodies and the dancefloor aligned.
A debut that didn’t seek celebration, but sensation.
And if people leave unable to name exactly what happened — even better:
that they walk away savoring that feeling of “I don’t really know what happened, but I liked it.”
Keyi x Säule 15 Jan: GET YOUR TICKET HERE
follow Diego Montiel on Instagram and Soundcloud
more music content here
Our next event : Säule, Berghain – 15.01.2026 click here
