Ryan Staples

6 February 2015
Under the Stars

Slowly the sound intensifies, the lights illuminate and the music begins to play.
The concertgoers are sparse, as the event has just started and the headliners were not
due to perform for a couple more hours. Centered on the stage surrounded by equipment stands two individuals whose passion for music strengthens the bond between
them, and catalyze their performance. Through their music, the creativity of Carlos
Montes and Jaime Guerrero explodes through the sound of speakers and subwoofers,
to the thrill of concertgoers and partiers. Using an identity they came up in 2013,
Starane, the two embark on a journey of audio ecstasy that has transformed them
from simple music lovers into audio architects of electronic music.
Since the day he first picked up the electric guitar and began to play, Carlos
Montes has been an driven individual with a devotion to music. Born in San Diego before living in Mexico for 15 years, Carlos is a magnanimous virtuoso whose skill in music stemmed from his creativity in music theory. In the sixth grade, he had already become proficient in the trumpet, and by freshman year in high school Carlos had guitar
and music theory under his belt. He attempted to write songs of his own, although his
earliest attempts did not amount to anything substantial. However, his failures drive Carlos to always do better, and to always keep improving in areas he may lack in. When he
was attending high school in San Diego, Carlos began to explore the world of electronic
music after being introduced to it by a schoolmate. Since he had become proficient at

the guitar, Carlos became more intrigued at how electronic music was made the more
he listened to it, and was determined to figure it out. Although he had initially wanted to
produce his own music, he instead began to learn how to DJ, which is combining various pieces of musicspecifically electronic musicinto one continuous stream. At first,
he was daunted by how intricate it was to master the basics of DJing, but with a little
persistence Carlos found the skill to be stupidly easy to learn how to do. Soon after
playing a handful of shows in his area, Carlos gained a reputation in San Diego and one
by one night clubs were asking him to perform.
Jaime Guerrero isnt who youd expect out of a musician, because his start in
music only came recently, specifically the start of high school. A tall, nonchalant person
with knack for computers, Jaime is more nerd than musician. Hailing from Santa Ana,
California, Jaime never learned to play an instrument or learned how to read music.
During his freshman and sophomore years in high school, Jaime became interested in
electronic music, and became inspired to learn how to produce electronic music using
specialized programs on a computer. While other kids in his high school were playing
video games like Halo and Call of Duty, my video games were making electronic music
on my computer whenever I could get the chance. Jaimes motto when making music is
that even if I am not forming anything into a song, as long as I am making noise and
putting sounds together, I am still getting better at making music as a whole.
Both Carlos and Jaime applied to California Polytechnic State University in San
Luis Obispo, where they were accepted as undergraduates for electrical engineering
and civil engineering (respectively). They met after Carlos was looking at potential clubs
to join: one in particular that stood out to Carlos was the Audio Engineers Club, because

it incorporated music production within the clubs parameters. After joining, he found
Jaime on the social networking site, who had been looking for any other members who
were interested in music production too. The two decided to meet in Jaimes room in the
North Mountain Dorms, and the two bonded instantly over electronic music. They spent
hours talking about their various tastes, their role-models, and how they wanted to produce music. That night, after an exhaustive evening of debate and inquiry, the two
agreed to start Starane, which would be the name of their collaboration on producing
electronic music. The two friends had no idea that they would be thrust into a renaissance of electronic music in San Luis Obispo.
Before performing on the main stage of an event or a house party, their work begins in a small studio in the duos apartment off Stenner Street. Call it a music studio on
a college budgettheir workstation consists of a small wooden table with a laptop, a
keyboard, a pair of expensive speakers, and a microphone worth more than all the furniture in their apartment combined. Unlike other electronic music producers in the business, the boys of Starane record every single song from scratch using various items
around their apartment. We could simulate a snare drum by the sound of brushing your
teeth, or using the sounds of clapping your hands. Then you can use this wicked program to alter these sounds so that it can be used in a song without sounding like bluegrass. Once they had a library of sounds, they started to put them together to make
melodies that sounded right. If it wasnt the right sound, we wouldnt use it, regardless
of the time it took to get to that point. When it comes to making a track, the journey begins with Carlos and his shower moments, or moments where a lot of the eureka
moments happen, ideas just pop into his head and have to instantly be written down or

else the epiphany could be gone forever. Once Carlos has his ideas down, its up to
Jaime to begin assembling sounds into a song, and this process is where rifts and
roadblocks appear between the two. While Carlos envisions a song one way, Jaime
may produce it to sound differently, resulting in arguments that can lead to one of them
having to walk away and vent their frustration to the sky. A compromise is reached after
many skirmishes between the two, with a product that satisfies the visions of both young
producers but still lacking its glamorous details. To make the song a masterpiece, they
enlist the help of their friend Ashley, a vocalist whose voice is one that amazes you with
her range and clarity. Once the singing is recorded on the duos expensive microphone,
they merge the instrumental of the song-in-progress with Ashleys vocals to complete
the masterpiece. With the work done, it is ready to be played live for audiences.
Although Starane got their rise initially playing in small house parties and fraternity events, it was time for them at look for bigger opportunities for Starane to perform in
front of larger audiences. While scoping out for availabilities, they received a call from a
local promotor looking for an opening act to play before a major artist, and the boys instantly seize on the opportunity. They spent a week preparing a list of songs theyll play,
some being their own work and others are made by some of the largest names in the
industry. The day of the performance comes, but the boys of Starane are calm, cool,
and collected. We didnt care how many people were going to be there, nor did we care
about what everyone will think of the songs wed play. Carlos and Jaime were there to
show off their passion for music to others by doing what they loved and having a blast
while doing it. Before they perform, a glimpse of Carlos and Jaime can be seen, and
where others may be anxious, the two friends were fearless. Carlos is calm and collect-

ed, calculating his next moves and mentally preparing for the performance ahead of the
two. Jaime is ecstatic, thrilled that finally the opportunity to play in front of hundreds of
people has come for him. While Carlos journey in electronic music production had only
recently begun, Jaimes journey had started way bak in high school, and at last his dedication had paid off. Finally, it is time for the show to begin, and they are more than
ready. Slowly the sound intensifies, the lights illuminate and the music begins to play.
At the end of their contribution to the show, the now larger crowd roars with satisfaction, and cheering as the next DJ takes over after them. Backstage, the headlining
artists congratulated the two on their performance, and offered them tips on how to
push their experiences and skills even further. The night a success, the two return to
their apartment thrilled at what had been the biggest night of their lives thus far. Today,
they continue to push the boundaries of their music, and have recently completed a full
album in which they will release for sale, pending the approval of a major record label
company. Since their initial meeting at Cal Poly to crafting songs to opening for major
DJs, the relationship between Carlos and Jaime has flourished from their passion for
music. While sometimes differences in their wants separates them, the musicians always come back together to get the job done. They strive to push the limits of their talent, and theres nothing standing in the way of these artists from making their dreams a
reality.