Pure progressive groove from Camila (AR)…
CAMILA (AR) is an emerging electronic music artist from the province of Chaco, in northeastern Argentina.
With a sound that is rooted in progressive house, she regularly explores the edges of the sound. It’s a space where bright, emotive passages give way to darker, immersive stretches. The result is music built as much for introspection as the dancefloor.
It’s this ability that has seen her sign with Balance Music, with a forthcoming release set to further underline the depth and versatility of her sound.
On this Balance Selections, the producer has compiled a journey of deep progressive filled with colour. Featuring tracks from Morttagua, Andre Moret, Simply City & Solis [US] alongside a host of original productions, this is a 60-minutes plus of pure groove that never lets go.
Tracklist
1. CAMILA (AR) – Intro
2. CAMILA (AR) – Lultide (Original Mix) {White Label}
3. Morttagua – Sirians (Rubia Remix) {Timeless Moment}
4. CAMILA (AR) – Unveil (Original Mix) {Nightcolours Recordings, unreleased}
5. André Moret – One World (Extended Mix) {Univack}
6. CAMILA (AR) – Pharos (Original Mix) {White Label}
7. Abity, Luca Abayan, Andy Frangi – Space Frogs (Original Mix) {Synthesis Recordings}
8. CAMILA (AR) – Amaran (Original Mix) {Balance Music, unreleased}
9. Abity – Black Roses (Extended Mix) {Univack}
10. Amonita – Tranquility (Original Mix) {Moments}
11. Rossie – ID
12. Simply City, Solis [US] – Tisno (Original Mix) {Balance Music}
13. CAMILA (AR) – Eledén (Original Mix) {Balance Music, unreleased}
Name: Maria Camila Rolon Fretes
Location: Resistencia, Chaco. Argentina
Alias/Producer name: Camila (AR)
Labels affiliated with: UV, Tronic, Sprout, Univack, Polyptych, Colorize, Natura Viva, Natura Viva Black, Timeless Moment, Nightcolours, Melodic Therapy, Plaisirs Sonores Records, Volt Crew, For Senses Records, Freegrant Music, Venture Records, Sunexplosion, Zerothree, Fluxo.
Music was always very present in my life. I grew up in Argentina listening to a lot of local rock — Cerati, Charly García, Andrés Calamaro, Babasónicos, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs — as well as international artists like Coldplay, Michael Jackson, Queen and Madonna.
My family has always been involved in the musical instrument business, so I was surrounded by music and instruments from an early age. I also studied piano, guitar and singing.
Looking back, I think that variety shaped my taste quite naturally. I’ve always been drawn to different genres, but especially to melody and emotional depth, which are still very important elements in the music I make today.
I probably first came across electronic music as a teenager, during the Flogger era in Argentina, around 2008–2009. I was actually one of those girls who knew how to do the “electro” dance, haha.
At the time, I didn’t really understand electronic music as a genre, but I remember hearing those sounds everywhere—and I genuinely liked them. Tracks like “The Salmon Dance” by The Chemical Brothers seemed to be everywhere.
My real connection with electronic music came many years later, around 2021, when I started going to electronic music events. That was when I began listening to it in a completely different way and became curious about the world behind it.
My first electronic music event was in 2021, at Lio, one of the most well-known clubs in my city. Tiefstone was playing a progressive and techno set that night.
It was my first experience with those genres in a club, and I remember being fascinated by the atmosphere and the way the music could shape the energy of the room.
Over the following months, I started going to different events and exploring different genres, which gradually helped me develop my own musical taste and criteria.
I became increasingly curious about the role of the DJ and how a set could become a journey.
Interestingly, a few months later I got to know Tiefstone, and he became the person who showed me this world from the inside. He eventually became my mentor and taught me how to DJ and produce.
I’m very influenced by artists from the progressive house scene. John Digweed is one of my biggest influences, and I feel that his approach to music has influenced my own sound quite a lot.
I’m also inspired by Guy J, Spencer Brown, Quivver and D-Nox, especially for the way they approach melody, atmosphere and storytelling through their music.
I also have a lot of admiration for Hernán Cattaneo, not only as an artist but for everything he has built through his music and the community he has created around it. He has such a strong artistic identity and a career that I find truly inspiring. I’m part of that community myself.
Outside of electronic music, I also listen to very different genres, from classical and country to hip-hop, depending on my mood. I find that listening to music outside of my usual environment can sometimes bring unexpected ideas and perspectives into my own work.
At the same time, I don’t always need a musical reference to start creating. Sometimes I just open Ableton and begin experimenting, following an idea or a feeling without thinking too much about where it should go.
I enjoy that process of creating freely, without feeling conditioned by a particular sound or genre.
Recently, I downloaded the Higher EP by D-Nox and Andre Moret, released on Plaisirs Sonores Records. I was drawn to its melodic and atmospheric character, and I really enjoyed the depth of both tracks.
D-Nox is also one of the artists who inspires me, so this release immediately caught my attention. 
I currently do most of my production in the box, working primarily on my computer. I use Ableton Live and rely heavily on software instruments and plugins, including Diva, Hive and Serum. I enjoy working this way because it gives me a lot of freedom to experiment and develop ideas quickly.
At the moment, I’m also building my own studio and gradually putting together the equipment I want to work with. I have a MIDI keyboard, and I’m planning to incorporate more hardware into my workflow over time.
For mixing and mastering, I also work at Solitude Studio, a production studio based in my city, where I have access to a wide range of hardware, including a Moog Sub 32, Virus, Prophet 8, Juno 6, Roland TR-8, Vermona drum machines and Elektron gear.
I really enjoy the character that hardware can bring to the sound, so I’m looking forward to incorporating more of it into my own studio as it develops.
When I DJ, I usually play on CDJs, and I really enjoy having three or four decks available. It gives me more freedom to layer different elements, work with loops and acapellas, and build more dynamic transitions throughout my sets.
I have several releases coming up over the next few months.
I have a couple of collaborations with Tiefstone on the way. One of them, “Desire,” will be released on October 23rd on Colorize, and Estiva will also be featuring the track in his upcoming Colorscapes Mix, which will be released on September 18th.
The other collaboration will be released on Plastic Fantastic Records.
I also have a remix of a track by Briccio and Carlos Bacchus coming out on For Senses Records, and I’m currently working on a new remix for Droid9 Recordings, which is expected to be released towards the end of the year.
And, of course, I’m very excited about my upcoming EP on Balance Music, featuring “Homing,” “Eleden” and “Amaran.” It’s a release that means a lot to me, and I’m really happy to finally be able to share it with everyone.
I don’t have any confirmed dates at the moment, as I’m currently focusing mainly on production and the upcoming releases. You can follow my SoundCloud, where I regularly upload DJ sets and mixes.
For the Balance podcast, I wanted to do something different and keep the set dynamic and fun. I included several unreleased tracks, as well as music from artists I really like.
I wanted the mix to reflect different sides of me as a DJ, but also give a glimpse into what I’ve been working on in the studio lately.
I think it’s a good representation of where I am musically right now, and I hope you enjoy it!
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Peaky Blinders
My favourite holiday destinations are Miami and the south of Argentina. I love the energy, beaches and atmosphere of Miami, but I also really enjoy the landscapes and tranquility of southern Argentina.
