PURGE ON THE DANCE FLOOR: SAFETY TRANCE RETURNS WITH SACRIFICIO
Born in Venezuela and now based in Barcelona, Luis Garban, known under the creative monikers of Cardopusher and Safety Trance, is one of the most forward thinking artists navigating the electronic underground right now. Rooted in IDM and UK breakcore, his music is one of the clearest examples of this current era of frictionless cultural blending and genre-less music. While Reggaeton remains the obvious reference point for the artist, his sound flirts with dark atmospherics, and menacing energy, a wicked combination that has resulted in his tracks becoming a staple in many techno, electro and industrial leaning DJs.
His most recent alias, Safety Trance, has seen Garban take a more collaborative route, joining forces with a slew of renowned names in the music scene such as Virgen Maria, Brodinski, and fellow Venezuelan artist Arca.
With the release of his newest album sacrificio, Garban returns with a record not short in ambition. Exploring the moment of transmutation one might find in a club, the album combines gentle trance, industrial and experimental hard techno with a slice of goth and dembow rhythms. Building on his collaborative philosophy sacraficio sees guest appearances from, Arca, Thoom, Sega Bodega, Eartheater, Six Sex, as well as many more.
GATA recently had the opportunity to catch up with Safety Trance just prior to his album drop, chatting to the artist about balancing the rawness of the underground with pop sensibilities, the global rise of reggaeton, as well as the importance giving back to his hometown of Caracas.
GATA: Could you introduce yourself to the GATA audience?
Safety Trance: Hi, my name is Luis and I make music under the aliases Safety Trance and Cardopusher. I’m originally from Caracas but I’ve been based in Barcelona for a while now.
GATA: I’d like to start with your two identities. How do you see the relationship between Cardopusher and Safety Trance?
Safety Trance: Good question. Sometimes it’s hard to tell even for me. In my head they kind of fuse and also go against each other at the same time. Right now, I’m mostly focused on Safety Trance, as it’s consuming most of my time and energy.
GATA: Why “Safety Trance”? Is there a particular meaning behind the name?
Safety Trance: I just liked how those two words sounded together. There’s something strong about it that I can’t really explain, but I immediately knew this was the name.
GATA: Congratulations on the new album sacrificio! I had a listen prior to writing this interview—such a powerful and expansive sound. How does it feel to finally get this record out to the public?
Safety Trance: I feel like I’m decompressing after releasing this record. It’s the first time I’ve worked on a project like this, with so many collaborators and so much detail involved. I’m really excited to finally share it with the world.
“Breakbeat and IDM were my obsession when I started making music. I learned a lot from those scenes and they definitely paved the way for who I am now. Even today, that influence is still very present in what I do.”
GATA: Arca, Eartheater, Six Sex and many more, this album is filled with major collaborations. Working with such a wide range of talented creatives, what did this experience teach you?
Safety Trance: For me it’s very rewarding to collaborate with artists I admire and also consider friends. Each artist is unique, so the experience of working with different minds feels almost infinite. I’m really grateful for that. Watching how they work, how they approach ideas, it pushes you to expand your own musical universe.
GATA: Did this project change your approach to production or songwriting in any way?
Safety Trance: I would say there’s always a before and after when you finish a project, but this time felt different because it’s the first time I let so many people into my universe. I wouldn’t say it completely changed my approach, but it definitely expanded it.
GATA: There’s a tension in your music between raw underground club energy and a more melodic, pop sound. How do you navigate that balance?
Safety Trance: I honestly don’t think too much about it. I’ve been making club music for a long time, so now I’m just trying to translate that energy into a more pop structure. It’s very instinctive, I just flow with it and see where it goes.
GATA: Is that instinctive, or something you’ve refined over time?
Safety Trance: It started very instinctive, but I’ve refined it over time. I wasn’t used to writing pop song structures before, so it took me a while to feel comfortable with that.
GATA: My favourite track on the album is ‘curiapo’. I love how it cuts through the record like a hazy bolt of lightning. Do you have a personal favourite? If so, why?
Safety Trance: At this point, after listening to the album so many times, I can’t really pick a favourite, which I think is a good sign, because I genuinely love them all for different reasons.
GATA: Are there any artists you’ve discovered recently who have been inspiring you? Who should we be paying attention to right now?
Safety Trance: Not necessarily super new discoveries, but there are some artists I think deserve more attention, like Blood of Aza, Venera, DJ Weed, Spiderwrap, Kavari and Weed420. I’ve been really into what they’re doing lately.
GATA: What is the music scene like in Barcelona at the moment? Are there any movements or communities you find particularly exciting?
Safety Trance: I feel like it’s a really good moment for the Barcelona scene, especially the one I’m more involved in, which is mostly the LGBTQ scene. After the pandemic, the city changed a lot—new people arrived and new collectives started to emerge, which really refreshed things in a positive way.
Shoutout to crews like Latineo, Beso, Blex, and Me Siento Extraña for keeping things exciting and pushing the energy forward.
GATA: I watched your Boiler Room set in Caracas: it felt so full of warmth and energy. What does the city mean to you? Is it home? And how does performing there differ from elsewhere?
Safety Trance: Caracas has a very special place in my heart, even though I left many years ago. When I played that Boiler Room in 2024, it had been 14 years since my last visit, so it was a very emotional moment. I felt like I needed to give something back to the city that gave me so much. Barcelona feels like home now, but Caracas really shaped who I am.
GATA: More broadly, how have you seen Latin club music evolve since your early days? How do you feel about its increasing global visibility?
Safety Trance: It honestly caught me off guard. This music has always been part of my life, but I never thought it would grow globally the way it did. It gave us more visibility, and people started to take it seriously. At the same time, I don’t really like being pigeonholed into “Latin club” as a label, it feels too generic to me.
GATA: Any plans to come to Tokyo soon?
Safety Trance: Not yet, but I’m dying to go soon.
GATA: Finally, what does the future look like for you? Are you already thinking about what comes next, or taking time to sit with this release?
Safety Trance: I can see the future full of music. I’m always thinking about what comes next. I never stop in between records creatively. I like to keep moving forward.