Since Stereo’s inception, Brooklyn-based DJ/producer Angel Moraes has had his hands more than full with the Montreal dream club he opened in the fall of 1998. And now that Stereo’s established itself as one of North America’s top house-music venues with a lineup of residents that includes David Morales and a custom sound system Moraes himself designed, Moraes has begun to again devote more energy to the studio-oriented projects that built his reputation.

His latest full-length, Back From Stereo (Hot N’ Spycy), mixes anthemic garage cuts and bangin’ club tracks, and his remix for Taana Gardner’s classic "Work That Body" (West End) has gained favor with old-school and house-leaning DJs. Other upcoming projects include remixes for P.M. Dawn’s "Night in the City" and Human Movement’s "Love Has Come Again." The man who became known to house-heads for his worldwide club smash, "Welcome to the Factory," is back with tracks and DJ Times caught up with him for a few words on his latest developments.

DJ Times: Back from Stereo stays true to your garage roots, but it also offers some really bangin’ tracks. What kind of record were you trying to make when you went into the studio?

Moraes: When I came up with the concept of Back From Stereo I was intending to make a project that would please anyone who is into house music, whether soulful or on a more hard-edge level.

DJ Times: On the Taana Gardner remix for "Work That Body," what did you do that was different from the original?

Moraes: Doing the Taana remix was a great pleasure for me because I grew up listening to that record. I come from where all this came from, so I think it fits in terms of doing the mix. For me, it was a surreal experience. I didn’t really want to do much that was different. Instead I wanted to beef it up, so it sounded like it was done for our time. So my approach was simple in that I recreated most of the original elements and pumped it up a bit.

DJ Times: How’s Stereo and the Montreal nightlife progressing? What’s your vision for the club?

Moraes: Stereo is doing wonderfully, I’m pleased to say, except for a few glitches here and there, but still a very cool party. As for Montreal, you have to go to understand. As far as my vision for the club, all I can say is that it’s happening – slowly and hopefully surely.

DJ Times: You take a lot of pride in your sound system there. How would you describe it?

Moraes: The sound system at Stereo is very dear to me because it was a labor of love. Since the first time I saw and heard a system like that I wanted one and when you spend that much time and hard work on something, then you’ve got to love it. The best way I can describe it is to say that it’s "alive." It’s like a great machine at work when all the parts are right and you take care of it.

DJ Times: I always enjoy your DJ sets because you really know how to mix in the vocals with the great tracks. Is there a secret to that? How do you approach your sets?

Moraes: First of all, let me say thank you for the compliment. The truth of the matter is that I play as if it were me on the dancefloor, and the bottom line is I think at the very minimum every third or fourth track should have some kind of vocal in it. And if it’s a song, then even better because there’s nothing more beautiful than when a dancefloor full of people come together for the sake of a common song. That’s how you create unity within your dancefloor because not everybody in it understands house music. So it’s for those people who need to hear the songs so that they can see where it’s coming from and identify the rest of it and, in the process, not feel left out.

DJ Times: There’s been a lot of talk recently about the Paradise Garage and the early days of New York disco. What are your fondest memories?

Moraes: My fondest memory of the Garage was the very first time I went. I was introduced to it by a friend of mine by the name of Edwin Laureano – who is no longer with us, I’m sad to say. Just the sheer joy of the look on his face when he walked me up that ramp brings a tear to my eye every time I think about it. Long live the memory –thank you, Edwin.

DJ Times: What’s next for Angel Moraes?

Moraes: I’m currently working on a remix for P.M. Dawn, more gigs, more records and you’ll have to wait for a surprise!