Marco Leo Channels the Spirit of Festival Anthems on “Esperanza”

The idea behind “Esperanza” came from a simple goal. Marco Leo wanted to create a record that could deliver the energy of a classic big room anthem while carrying a deeper emotional message. By pairing powerful festival-driven production with warm Spanish vocals, he found a balance between intensity, passion, and hope.

The name itself reflects the feeling he wanted to create. “Esperanza” meaning hope, carries a message beyond the drop. While the track delivers driving energy, uplifting melodies, and dancefloor momentum, Marco Leo also wanted listeners to walk away feeling positive, free, and inspired. Whether surrounded by thousands of people at a festival or listening alone, the goal is the same: create a moment where everything else disappears and the music takes over.

That fascination with large-scale emotions is also what led him into electronic music in the first place. Watching massive crowds react to a single song made him want to understand how those feelings were created. What began as curiosity quickly became a passion and eventually a mission. Today, his goal is simple: create music that gives other people the same feeling that originally inspired him.

Among all artists, Tiësto remains his biggest influence. Growing up, he was fascinated by the way Tiësto could control the energy of an entire crowd while creating moments people would remember for years. That balance between emotion, connection, and powerful dance music continues to shape the way Marco Leo approaches production today. He describes his own sound in three words: powerful, energetic, and uplifting.

One of the experiences that reinforced that mindset happened at Ruhr in Love in Germany. While attending the festival, he watched a close friend perform his debut DJ set. Beyond the performance itself, what stayed with him most was the atmosphere behind the scenes. The sense of community, support, and shared passion reminded him why he fell in love with electronic music in the first place and motivated him to keep pushing forward as an artist.

It's no surprise that his dream festival remains Tomorrowland. For Marco Leo, it represents everything that originally inspired him about dance music: the energy, the international audience, and the magical atmosphere. The idea of sharing his own music there with thousands of people remains one of his biggest goals.

Outside of music, his interests move in a completely different direction. He has a passion for sports cars, motorcycles, and anything connected to speed and adrenaline. Traveling is another major source of inspiration, with Bali standing out as one of his favorite destinations because it allows him to disconnect, recharge, and reset creatively. He also reveals something many people don't expect from a DJ: besides producing electronic music, he can sing, rap, and dance.

Creativity rarely arrives when he is sitting in the studio. Some of his best ideas appear while driving, walking, or even standing in the shower. As a result, his phone is filled with voice notes containing random melodies and unfinished ideas waiting to become future releases.

Looking ahead, several new releases and festival appearances in Germany are already planned. While performances remain important, his main focus right now is spending time in the studio refining his sound and building momentum through new music.

One funny moment happened while testing “Esperanza” during a preview set. He became so focused on the drop that he completely ignored a friend standing directly in front of the booth trying to get his attention. After the drop finished, his friend jokingly told him that he could have been on fire and Marco probably wouldn't have noticed. For him, it was a reminder of how powerful music can be when you're completely immersed in the moment, which is exactly the feeling he hopes listeners experience when hearing the track.

His philosophy remains surprisingly simple. If a drop doesn't make people jump, it doesn't belong in the song. Overthinking kills energy, so he prefers to trust instinct, move quickly, and keep the creative process fun. Or as he puts it: "Less thinking, more kicking." And if the bass doesn't feel like it's knocking on your chest asking to come inside, the track isn't finished yet.


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