Emilio Lander
from Desert Island Tricks Hosted by Alakazam Magic
A beginner magician walks into a magic shop and gets overwhelmed fast. Now imagine he works there. Emilio joins us from the Alakazam team to build his Desert Island list: eight tricks he’d keep forever, one thing he’d banish from magic culture, plus the “book” and everyday item he’d take to keep performing anywhere. We talk through why practical close-up magic staples still dominate in the real world. Emilio breaks down why Triumph remains a perfect crowd-pleaser, why a strong sandwich routine earns a permanent spot and why Bank Night plays so clean when everything happens in the spectator’s hands. We also get into performance structure for walk-around and restaurant gigs, including why a fast visual opener like Paper To Money can feel like a cheat code when you’re approaching a table cold. Then we go deeper on what new magicians rarely hear: self-working magic is not a shortcut, it’s a different kind of hard. Sequencing, timing, memory and presentation are the real “moves.” Emilio shares how he practices sleights like the Elmsley Count, why recording yourself beats living in the mirror and how dyslexia shaped his preference for video tutorials and lectures over traditional magic books. We also hit the emotional side of the craft: the one miracle he refuses to learn because he wants to keep the wonder and the bold routine he’s scared to try because it feels too exposed. If you’re building a working set of magic tricks, refining your close-up case, or figuring out what to learn next, this one will give you a clear blueprint. Emilio’s Desert Island Tricks: Welcome Pack: Triumph JoKing Bank Night Confusing Coins Four Card Trick Horizontal Card Rise PK Touch Paper to Money Invisible Deck Banishment: People who speak down about self workers Book: No Book - Oliver Meech’s Studio Live Item: Close up bag Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk
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What this episode covers
A beginner magician walks into a magic shop and gets overwhelmed fast. Now imagine he works there. Emilio joins us from the Alakazam team to build his Desert Island list: eight tricks he’d keep forever, one thing he’d banish from magic culture, plus the “book” and everyday item he’d take to keep performing anywhere. We talk through why practical close-up magic staples still dominate in the real world. Emilio breaks down why Triumph remains a perfect crowd-pleaser, why a strong sandwich routin...
Chapters
- 0:00 Why Self-Working Tricks Deserve Respect
- 1:15 Meet Emilio And His Magic Origin
- 4:49 Desert Island Rules And The Deck
- 5:12 Triumph As A First Real Winner
- 7:06 Sandwich Routine With Built-In Stopping Points
- 9:41 Hands-Off Bank Night For Any Crowd
- 13:29 Confusing Coins And Finding Performance Style
- 17:25 Four Card Trick And Learning Elmsley
- 21:49 A Miracle He Refuses To Learn
- 24:21 PK Touches And The Fear Of Bold
- 27:49 Pitch Your Trick Idea To Alakazam
- 28:41 Paper To Money As The Opener
- 32:49 Honorable Mentions And Method Bias
- 38:40 Invisible Deck As The Ultimate Safety Net
- 42:54 Banish Snobbery About Self-Workers
- 47:31 Learning Without Books And Picking A Lecture
- 50:49 The Close-Up Case That Saves Everything
- 54:05 Where To Watch Making A Magician
- 55:53 Alakazam Unlimited Membership Plug
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