Life & Work with Daniel Gonzalez of Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Gonzalez.

Hi Daniel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
So, my story really starts at home. I grew up in a family full of music, my brother played guitar, my sister played piano, and my parents were big into classical. I was lucky to be exposed to so many genres from a young age, everything from classical to punk rock. Bands like the Misfits and Rancid were actually a big influence on me as a kid.

I’ve always been drawn to vibration, almost visually and artistically, so I knew music was something special, I just hadn’t found my thing yet.

That changed when a friend took me to a rave. I used to think electronic music was kind of repetitive until I saw this DJ perform, and something just clicked. That DJ later became my mentor and one of my closest friends, and he’s really the one who opened the door for me into this world.

I was hooked pretty fast.

Like a lot of people, I started with the more popular stuff, just exploring as a regular human being, and then slowly found my way into the deeper, cooler corners. Artists like Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, and The Orb completely changed how I heard music. I’m so glad I went down that road, because that’s really where things started to make sense for me artistically.

At 13, I was already playing at a bar in Mexico, which was a blast until the police showed up and they had to hide me because I was way too young! lol I’d honestly do it again in a heartbeat.

I started with one of those all-in-one DJ kits; it was definitely not great, but it was fun. Then I got into Ableton and Cubase, which honestly looked like alien technology to me at first. 

Everything changed when I got a MIDI keyboard and a UC33, and I realized the possibilities were just infinite. I started taking production courses, learning about sequencers, drum machines, and MIDI, and I fell completely in love with it. It became a real obsession in the best way.

Around that time, my cousin heard some of my early tracks at the gym and actually liked it, so naturally, we started collaborating, and did some shows together. I eventually moved to Mexico City and was doing shows for over 2,000 people, which was equal parts terrifying and amazing.

Through all of this, I’ve been going by the name GS Daniel, you can look me up on all your streaming platforms!

But at some point, life pulled me into a regular job that had nothing to do with music, and it just felt… off. 

Like something was missing from my soul. So I made the decision to quit, pack up, and move to Los Angeles to fully commit to this. Best decision I’ve made. I’ve met an incredible community of people out here.

Right now, I’m running my own record label called Anadigma, focused on pushing new talent in House, Techno, Jungle, DnB, and Bass music. 

And, funnily enough, I now work in the plugin industry, which I didn’t even know existed when I was first figuring out what a VST was. It all came full circle.

Most recently, my track “Lost” was featured on KCRW, which was just mind-blowing to me. It’s a station I’ve always admired, so hearing my music in the same space as artists I look up to and knowing some of them vibe with it? felt completely surreal. It’s still one of the most meaningful moments I’ve had so far.

And right now, I’m really excited because I’m in the studio working with some outstanding people, actual gifted musicians, and we’re planning to collaborate and put out a lot more music soon. 

So honestly, this feels just like the beginning!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t! But I’m really grateful to have the chance to do this now. The struggles are real, for sure, but I think they’re just part of the journey. In the beginning, there are a lot of rejections and not many people listening. Still, I believe things will get smoother over time. And even if they don’t, I’m living my best life here in LA. A lot of sun and walks on the beach are just a natural part of me now.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I go by the stage name GS Daniel, and I’m an electronic music artist first and foremost. I’m releasing more music now, mainly focused on house and techno-influenced sounds, but it’s really about my love for the culture around it. I’m especially drawn to powerful, loud sound systems. I’m particularly proud of my record label, Anadigma, which is still pretty new, and also of the music I’ve put out so far. You should definitely give it a listen.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Definitely doing more shows and touring a bit. Releasing music that I love and playing live all around the world. I think as an artist it’s really important to always create and perform what feels most meaningful to you in the moment and what you truly stand for. If you do that, people will naturally find you interesting.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://anadigma.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gsdaniell
• Twitter: https://x.com/GSDanielmusic
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/gsdaniel