Balance Selections 332: Paula OS

Paula OS Delivers a Deep, Cerebral Journey for Balance Selections…

Paula OS is a Chilean-born, Argentina-based producer, singer, and DJ crafting atmospherically rich electronica influenced by acts like Radiohead, Portishead, and Björk.

She launched her solo live project in 2017—dreamy vocals with hypnotic textures—which eventually led to a collaboration with Hernán Cattáneo and Soundexile on Renaissance: the alluring ‘Harvest’ EP.

Earlier this year, she founded her own label, Sopor Music, kicking things off with ‘Image’, a solo six-track album coded with electronica and emotional hues.

On this Balance Selections mix, Paula OS delivers a dynamic take on progressive, filled with cerebral moments and pure dancefloor diesel.

Featuring tracks from Stimming, Analog Jungs, Stereo Underground & D-Nox, this tightly programmed session is proof that she’s transmitting a unique frequency that’s hard to ignore.

Name: Paula Ortega
Location: Argentina
Alias/Producer name: Fabri Lopez
Labels affiliated with: Sopor Music

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My first clear memory of music goes back to when I was five years old in my hometown of Mulchén, in southern Chile.

I was in class when a teacher asked me to sing a song in front of my classmates. It was a movie theme song, and for some reason, I wasn’t afraid—the silence in the room was overwhelming, almost sacred.

It was a magical moment that’s stayed with me ever since.

Over the years, my dad encouraged me to keep singing and to learn guitar. He played in a band called Retro, covering Anglo-Saxon rock from the ’60s and ’70s, as well as ballads, salsa, bossa nova, and more.

They’d often rehearse at our house, and as I got older, I started joining in—first at home, and later in small pubs, performing solo with my guitar.

I covered songs by some of the most iconic female voices of the time—The Cranberries, Alanis Morissette, Dido, Portishead, Natalie Imbruglia, and others—artists who would go on to shape my own musical identity.

I remember riding my bike through quiet summer evenings in my hometown, still using a Walkman. Getting music wasn’t easy—we didn’t have any record stores, and radio signals barely reached us.

The only way to discover new sounds was by borrowing CDs or cassettes from friends. In my circle, it was all about punk, ska, hardcore, and rock.

That’s how I first came across Radiohead, Björk, Portishead, and Massive Attack—artists who completely shifted my perception of music.

Then, somehow, Breathe by Télépopmusik ended up in my hands. I didn’t fully understand what I was hearing, but the sound was utterly mesmerizing.

I became obsessed—listening to it every day, on every bike ride. It was like discovering a whole new dimension.

That turning point came much later. Back then, I never really went out dancing—I didn’t enjoy the music played at the clubs in my town, so I always gravitated toward different kinds of gatherings.

Years later, while living in Argentina, I was invited to a birthday party at a club called Palacio Alsina in Buenos Aires. It was my first real experience of an electronic music party.

I don’t even remember what style of electronic music was playing that night, but what struck me was the atmosphere—people were simply enjoying the music, each in their own world, completely respectful of one another.

I had never experienced anything like it before. It was a revelation.

I always return to Radiohead, Massive Attack, Portishead, and Björk—no matter my age. Their music feels truly timeless. Even after hundreds of listens, I still find new layers, new emotions, new details that surprise me.

They’ve become part of my inner landscape. When it comes to artists more rooted in the electronic world, I deeply connect with Jon Hopkins, Kiasmos, Stimming, Max Cooper, Tom Baker, and David August. Their ability to merge emotion, atmosphere, and rhythm resonates with me in a profound way.

In my studio, I work with both software and hardware. I use a few Korg Volcas to create samples and an Arturia DrumBrute Impact for sequencing—tools I use for both producing and performing live.

For vocals, I rely on a TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch, which allows me to experiment and process my voice in real time. My favorite synthesizer is actually a software one: Omnisphere.

For my DJ sets, I use CDJs and a mixer, incorporating live vocals and, more recently, adding sequencers to bring a more dynamic, hybrid element to the performance.

I have two releases on the horizon: one coming in September with some incredible collaborators I’m eager to share, and a solo EP—very much in the spirit of my debut album—scheduled for 2026. Both will arrive on my label, Sopor Music.

I have a show coming up in Mar del Plata on July 5th, followed by my debut performance in La Pampa on July 12th—both in Argentina.

On August 23rd, I’ll be performing in Cádiz, Spain, at a festival in Zahara de los Atunes.

Then in September, I’ll be at the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria, where I’ll present my live album and offer a sneak peek of what’s coming in 2026.

Balance-Walter Balance

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