Happiness, friendship and hardcore– all elements that make DJs Pastis & Buenri so fun to see. Before seeing them spin at BASSTEK for the first time in Malta, we got the chance to speak to both of them over a few cold beers to talk Spanish hardcore, rave culture and what makes them ever in the pursuit of the next gig.
Pastis & Buenri are two Catalan DJs that were a very active part of the hardcore music movement of the 90s. Thirty years later they are still slinging tracks like there’s no tomorrow. DJing together since 1995, they were resident DJs at Xque for a whopping 12 years, a club in Girona known for playing mákina, a type of hardcore from Spain.
Through hard times, friendship and moments of euphoria, these two best buds have legendary status in Spain and are well-known for their energic sets internationally. Sound check is over so we head out to the bar just across the street from Liquid club for a cervecita.
DJ Pastis meets DJ Buenri
“We got to know each other at an afterparty sometime between ’88 and ’90,” says Pastis. Buenri chimes in that “it was in Barcelona at Psicódromo – we got to know each other as clientes of the club, rather than DJs.” Then in ’95 they joined forces as Pastis & Buenri, short for pastillas más buen rollo translating roughly to “pills plus good vibes.”
I’ve read and watched interviews where both Pastis & Buenri say that they lived through hard times before they saw a decent amount of musical fame in the 90’s. Coming from the streets and thirty years later touring the world must be a great feeling. “Like we say in Spain, humility makes you taller.”
Pastis & Buenri on the differences between the 90’s and today
As friends, they frequented each other’s club nights when they played separately in Girona. “It was an incredible time for music during that period.” Buenri notes. “But, I have to say the production quality is much better now. Before it was much more complex with external instruments and lots of cables for the analog setup.”
And what do they say about how the crowd has changed since the 90’s? “People have always arrived with a desire to party.” Explains Pastis. Buenri adds that “the people have always been good.”
“Today the youth are much more open minded to different music like mákina, techno and tech house. The people are hungry for it. During the 90’s at clubs like Pont Aeri, people were much more exclusive to where they went out.”
So what exactly is mákina?
Mákina is a sub-genre of hardcore techno that emerged from Spain in the 90’s. Pastis & Buenri are just about the most hardcore makineros you can find. They saw the scene explode and played a role in shaping its development.
Mákina is derived from the Spanish word for machine and is based on the fact that music is now made from electronic machines such as synthesizers, computers and mixers. For someone that has never heard mákina before, we ask the dynamic duo to describe what it sounds like. Both of them laugh and Buenri goes on to define it:
“Mákina is fast music with continuous melodies and sounds that are very fun and fresh.”
“– and is very Catalan” adds Pastis.
The two turn to me, asking who they can expect to show up. Damien, one of the organizers of BASSTEK, explains the two waves of popularity of Pastis & Buenri in Malta. The first one was during the late 90’s when hardcore and trance were peaking. The second wave today draws its popularity thanks to the viral videos on TikTok of Pastis playing absolutely mad hardcore music.
Makineros at heart

“We are better clients than DJs” says Buenri as we chuckle over the fact that both are just as good ravers as they are record spinners. “We enjoy the dancefloor and I would like to be a raver again, but that is no longer possible.”
But let’s face it – these guys belong behind the booth. They tend to play on four decks, loading up firecrackers with BPMs in the high 180s, just feeling off the other’s tracks and anticipating each other’s moves. As comfortably as they play on CDJs they can spin vinyl, too.
Before Malta they two were playing in Bratislava, Belgium, Berlin… October they will be in Spain, and then their November dates include Portugal, Colombia and Zurich. From Catalunia to the world.
Referring to their Boiler Room set from a few years ago, Pastis mentions that “we’d like to play at Primavera Sound again next year, let’s see what happens!”
What keeps them coming back?
It’s very clear that Pastis & Buenri absolutely love what they do. After thirty years in and out of parties, clubs and festivals, this is what keeps them coming back:
“Love and passion. To come here and make people dance is spectacular.” says Pastis.
“It’s passion. This is our hobby. The fact that people work the whole week and want to see us play on a Saturday night is marvelous.” smiles Buenri.
Thanking these two legends for their time, they set off to get some beach time in before their set tonight.
Lift off at Liquid
Arriving at Liquid club around half midnight, we expect Pastis & Buenri to be a little late. However, we are totally mistaken spotting them arrive a few minutes before their set. Just after the last track of the warm-up act, they are blasting through the speakers at full speed. “Shoutout to all the espagnoles in the house!” Half the club cheers and that’s when we realize a good representation of Spain is present tonight.
They blast off with 90’s sounding tracks flowing into hard dance and then straight mákina. Considering these rave veterans saw a peak of their popularity in the 90’s, it’s amazing to see younger crowds vibe with it for a second peak. I’m unbelievably happy hardcore is back in style.
As per standard BASSTEK format, people arrive to the club decked out in fancy dress. We spot a Mario & Luigi couple, a guy sporting a gas mask with a hazmat suit and somehow, as expected, a guy dressed up as the pope. All of this to the sound of banging hardcore.
It’s around half-two in the morning when a delivery scooter from Wolt pulls up outside the club. Damien greets the driver and goes back inside with bags of pastizzi, greasy yet so savory Maltese stuffed pastries. If Pastis & Buenri know how to get a crowd started, the BASSTEK guys sure know how to keep them going.