BACKSTAGE AT ANTS: RANGER TRUCCO INTERVIEW

Ranger Trucco is a house DJ from Michigan, US. He’s part of the new wave of great American house DJs. Since 2021, the Midwest native has DJed across the States and worldwide, releasing infectious deep and minimal house tracks on Defected, Heavy House Society, Rossi.’s HOME/.GRXWN, and his own label, natural range. He’s making the trip to sunny Ibiza to play the ANTS Closing Party on 3 October 2026. There he’s going B2B with Robbie Doherty, as part of a handpicked lineup for the final ANTS takeover at Ushuaïa Ibiza.

We sat down with Ranger Trucco to talk about growing up without nightclubs, the gig that changed his life, and what we can expect from his set on 3 October.

Hi Ranger. So, did you get into electronic music when you were growing up?

I'm from Traverse City, Michigan, which is in the middle of nowhere. It's about four and a half hours north of Detroit and about three hours north of the nearest nightclub. I got into raving by going to festivals, travelling to them. Whether it was to Chicago or a Michigan festival, or sometimes we would even fly across the country to go to some in California. I wanted to go raving after going to those festivals. I was yearning for it so hard. I think it just made me a lot more passionate, a lot more hungry to discover. 

Do you remember a moment when you fell in love with house music?

It was Snow Globe Music Festival in Lake Tahoe, California. It doesn't exist anymore but it was the sickest festival. It was on New Year's and it was like right at the base of the Mountain of Heaven. I saw an Option4 set followed by Justin Jay. It was all these West Coast house DJs I ended up going back the next year and seeing Chris Lake and AC Slater back to back, and Wax Motif. But it was that Option4 set where I remember just dancing, and I loved the room that people gave each other. I loved the energy. It wasn't like a mosh pit, it was very chill. You could talk to people, you could have a good time. My brother had tapped me and said, “Let's go” and I was like, “No, I'm staying”. Then on the flight home from that festival I was skipping every non-house song in my EDM playlist.

Did you want to become a DJ after that?

Well, the set that really made me want to produce was Sidney Charles. Sidney played at PIV at Miami Music Week in 2022, and just hearing his breakdowns and how fast he played. I couldn't believe that I was listening to the same genre that I had been listening to previously, you know? It felt like this brand new thing. I was making rolling, American-influenced tech house, but when I got home I wanted to groove a bit more. I wanted more synths. I wanted that European influence.

When it comes to making music, do you have a specific formula? 

I'm super emotionally tied to the music production process. What I mean by that is, I really have to go into the studio feeling good and optimistic and happy with what’s going on in my life, or in my week. I try to take care of myself and my physical health and all these other things and just be already in really good spirits. Then I can usually go create something. I get really frustrated when I go into a studio and sit at a desk and just plug away without a lot of inspiration. I wait until I hear an idea or I get a little bit of inspiration and then I'm ready for it.

Then do you start building a track from there?

I like to start with the chord progression so that I can build off of that. So if I am going to throw something into Ableton to get started, I try to do something with as much musicality as possible because then I can write counters off of that. That’ll inspire a melody Then you can kind of jump from melody to melody. When you start with drums, or even with drums and a bassline, it doesn't really spark anything for me.

And you sometimes do the vocals on your records, right?

Yeah, I did them a lot more when I first started out. I like to do little ones or like whisper vocals and layer them in the background because they always sound really nice. The last vocal I really did was a RUZE collab. I did some ad libs for “Need Ur Lovin’”, which is on their label.

Do you take inspiration from other DJs who also do vocals?

There are so many guys that have such good vocals. Guys like Deeper Purpose were doing it. I think AYYBO does a really good job of doing his vocals on tracks. I haven't been doing as much of my own recently, but I need to bring it back. Now that I'm making beats, I always have a line or something that pops into my head while I'm producing.

Great. So your upcoming show is in Ibiza. What’s your relationship with the island like?

It's so funny because I feel like it's such a pilgrimage for people from the UK and Europe. It's a part of your guys' vacation schedules and stuff like that, but honestly I hadn't even heard of it until 2022 [laughs]. The same year I saw Sidney Charles. Then I learned about the seasons and how it operates. I was kind of learning on the fly. 

Have you visited the island?

The first time I went was three summers ago and I was just captivated. One of my favourite parts about it is actually outside of the club life. It's just how much of a magical place it is, you know? The last couple years I've started making the rounds in the clubs and seeing all the parties and who plays where. I’ve learned the history which has been one of the most important things. Not having much pre-existing knowledge of the scene over there has actually kind of been a blessing in disguise because I get to learn it for the first time while I'm over there. That’s really cool. 

It feels like its own world.

It is its own territory, completely. The entire island centres around the culture of what we do. It’s like the Mecca of it, because you can't go anywhere without seeing a flyer or something related to a party. I've never experienced anything like it. 

So tell us about Ushuaïa Ibiza. Have you been much over the years?

Yeah, it's incredible. In my opinion, it is probably the most iconic day party in the world. I love watching the planes fly over. I love seeing it when I’m landing. I mean, the history and just the magnitude of DJs that play there throughout the week… It’s a huge honour to be a part of that..

One thing I really love about ANTS is not only the sound and who they book, but the branding of the party. It’s so cool the theme this year, that stripped-back stage, allowing fans or teams on the stage behind the DJ. I love the freestyle dance team activations, the flags and everything. It is such a cool look this year. I think it's very music-forward. 

We’re happy to have you. So, what can we expect from your set on 3 October?

I’ll be back-to-back with Robbie Doherty, he's an absolute beast. We’ll no doubt play fast and a bit trancey and really synthy. I have a lot of fun when we play together. I've played with him so many times now that I have my “Robbie” folder with tracks that work for how we gel together. With the outdoor vibe, the daytime vibe, I want to get the energy nice and flowing throughout the day. 

If people are new to you, where should they start?

I've got a lot of sets out on YouTube. I'm always uploading new stuff, so you can get a feel for what I do there.

Is there a song you like opening your sets with at the minute?

Me and my roommates just released a tune on HOME.GRXWN., Rossi.'s label called “The Bridge”. I have been using that as an opener quite a bit. It has this really cool way that the organ comes in for the first time and it's a moment. Also a tune of mine called “Numb The Pain” with Late Replies, or there’s an unreleased Jordan Peak song called “Be With Me”. Those are three tunes that I've been opening with because they just have this breakdown and reintroduction moment that I really like. 

Is there another song that you love playing at the moment? 

There's a two-track EP out on my label this month actually by a guy named AMMIL. He's from the Netherlands and the songs are called “Bring That Beat Back” and “Break Your Back”. They are so, so good. Really well-produced groovers that I've been playing in every single set. 

Nice. So, as well as your set at ANTS, what else is going on for you at the minute?

I'm in the midst of a summer tour at the moment. I'm living in Ibiza through closing, which I'm really looking forward to. Off the top of my head, I’m playing Atlanta, Miami, Mexico City, New York, and Chicago. My new release is my remix for RUZE's track “Another Night”. I also have a tune with Cloonee that's coming out on his label. I want to say I've got four more releases before the year's out. I'm still trying to clear a couple tracks, but I'll try and keep them coming every month. 

Great stuff. Before you go, what do you love about DJing?

Man, I love music. The fact that I get to DJ, I love everything about it, man. It is such a pleasure. It's an honour. I'm so thankful and grateful that I've gotten to where I've gotten to. The fact that I'm from Traverse City and I’m playing Ushuaïa Ibiza, that's not lost on me. When I stop and take that all in, how far I've come, from a place where we don't have a club. It's unbelievable. So every day I just try to stay grounded in where I started this journey. DJing has shown me the world. I've met some of my best friends through it. I will take it as far as I can and just make sure that I'm always appreciating it in the process.  

Catch Ranger Trucco at ANTS at Ushuaïa Ibiza on Saturday 3 October. He’s playing B2B with Robbie Doherty, and sharing the lineup with Franky Rizardo, Nic Fanciulli B2B Sosa, Bontan B2B Rafael, Meeshy and Raul Rodriguez. Tickets and VIP tables are available now.