By Dj Mag
Buenos Aires’ breakout techno star Sol Ortega cuts thunderous grooves with an old school sense of swing for the Recognise mix series, and speaks to Claire Francis about hometown loyalty, staying true to her tastes, and nurturing a passionate underground community with her Máquina Latina party
You might say Sol Ortega brings a sunny side to techno. Or more simply, that she dissolves the lines between house and techno altogether – folding thunderous grooves into joyful, hands-in-the-air melodies, inspired by the pioneering influence of both Detroit and Chicago. A product of Buenos Aires’ thriving underground and a champion of emerging Latin American artistry, she’s built a sound that’s rooted in dubby synths, infectious vocal hooks, old-school rave energy, and a refusal to bow to trends.
From her pivotal Boiler Room set in 2018 to her mammoth, scene-stealing b2b with Greek DJ Annē at Stone Techno Festival in 2024, there have already been plenty of milestones in what’s been a breakout few years for Ortega. The Argentinian DJ and producer has steadily carved out her own unique space, releasing on FJAAK’s Crowd label and Rhythm Nation, and turning heads with podcasts and vinyl-only mixes for the likes of Slam Radio and Detroit Classic Gallery. But in spite of her rising international profile, she remains firmly rooted in her home city.
“I do feel the pressure to move,” she admits, speaking while on the road in Europe during a busy touring month. “Everyone tells you it would be better to go. And I get that – right now I’m working a lot here, and it would make sense. But I want to make my career in Buenos Aires. That’s why I keep coming back and forth.”
That back-and-forth has become a rhythm of its own, with global tours balanced with community-building at home. For Ortega, staying connected to her scene is essential, not just artistically but politically. “I’ve seen people leave and never come back. All of a sudden, they’re forgotten. As soon as you are gone, you can’t do much for your scene from the outside. I want to be present in Buenos Aires. My team is there, my community is there, so it’s easier for me to execute everything. I’m also in touch with new artists everyday. I like that. I like being there. It works for me.”
“We need more infrastructure. It’s not easy to find venues with good teams. And electronic music is still seen through this lens of drugs. But there are so many passionate people trying to bring something to the cultural scene.”
Ortega’s path into music was almost inevitable; music, technology, and fashion were the three pillars of her family life growing up. Her father was a DJ too, spinning funk, disco, hip-hop and house. “He introduced me to Lil Louis, Kraftwerk, and Juan Atkins,” she says. “But I never planned to be a DJ. I wanted to be a photographer, actually. That’s what I studied. That was my ‘Plan A’. I have felt very connected to art, ever since I was a child. I always need to create something, that’s how my mind works.”
From there, she dived into the depths of electronic music. “I remember seeing Robert Hood – that was the beginning of this,” she laughs. “But Madga also really inspired me. I saw her among all these men playing minimal, super dark sets. It got me curious. That was my introduction.”
Ortega started out as a resident at Underclub, one of the largest techno institutions in Buenos Aires, during a time when hypnotic and deep was the dominant sound. Her selections – housier, groovier, full of warmth – weren’t always well-received, at first. “People were a little reactive to it. Some liked it, some didn’t. I got a few comments about it, because that sound wasn’t in fashion at the time. But I kept going. That’s what I’ve always liked, and staying faithful to that is what got me to where I am now.”
That loyalty to her own taste is clear in tracks like ‘Dabz’, released in February as part of the Berlin-based Seven label’s ‘SEVENVA01’ compilation. It’s classic Ortega – dubby and a little bit dark, but undeniably danceable. “It represents me a lot. It’s techno, but housy. I love dub-style synths, dark vocals, but there’s no formula. It’s always different when I’m producing.”
The track is perhaps the most polished moment yet from her increasingly solid body of work, which also includes the funky 2023 ‘Return To The Classics’ four tracker on the Leipzig imprint Unitas Multiplex, and the peak-time track ‘Soul Of The Dancefloor’ for last year’s RAW Summer Hits 5 compilation. On the performing front, things have moved fast: a string of key festival sets, gigs in Europe, Asia and throughout Latin America, and a growing international fanbase. But one set in particular still stands out – her Boiler Room debut.
“That was definitely a moment for me. At that time, I was still a resident DJ and I was playing warm ups for international DJs, which was big for me. But all of a sudden, this Boiler Room set happened, alongside Richie Hawtin. I wasn’t expecting it to go as well as it did. It hit like a million views in just a few weeks. After that, I got an agency, and they said, ‘okay, let’s make your first European tour’. I was 25 years old at the time. That’s when it all started.”
She’s since gained a passionate following, especially among Latin American fans. Her comment section is a flood of love — “Sol es la reina del techno sudamericano”, reads one. “La mejor de LATAM.”
“We’re passionate people,” she smiles. “And we can be very nationalistic. You see it with football, and Maradona. I actually see a lot of Argentinian people at my European gigs, which is super nice. They are screaming, holding football shirts – I signed a shirt the other day!
“I feel their support, and it’s lovely. And that’s why I don’t want to leave my country. That’s an important thing for me. It can be a lonely job, but I have this.”
Community in all its forms is a through-line in Ortega’s work. Beyond DJing and producing, she’s the founder and artistic director of Máquina Latina, a party series and forthcoming label that aims to elevate Latin American artists in the global conversation. “It was initially supposed to be a label, but first it became an event. It’s all about visibility.”
In a country where club culture is still often stigmatised, projects like Máquina Latina serve a vital purpose. “We need more infrastructure,” she says, speaking about the Argentinian scene. “It’s not easy to find venues with good teams. And electronic music is still seen through this lens of drugs. But there are so many passionate people trying to bring something to the cultural scene.”
That energy feels especially important in light of Argentina’s current political climate. “It’s harder now. The new president has made things more difficult for artists. But there’s a resistance, and Máquina Latina is part of that. We keep going.”
Still, there’s a deep sense of optimism in her outlook, a belief in community and the importance of staying grounded. This extends to her relationships with other artists, particularly with the DJ Annē, with whom she played that powerful Stone Techno b2b. The pair are next due to make their UK b2b debut at London’s Venue MOT this month. “I love playing back to back sets. And with Annē, it was love at first sight,” Ortega laughs. “We understand each other. We always have fun. Plus you can go to the bathroom if you need to!”
Who else would she like to go back-to-back with? “It would be really interesting to play with Oscar Mulero. It would be a whole thing for me to play with someone like this, with so many skills and so much experience. But I’m staying with Annē for now!
She’s also hard at work in the studio, with both an album and EP in progress. “One’s more techno-focused, the other is more ravey, with vocals. I’m actually collaborating with a singer,” she reveals. “I can’t say much yet, but I’m excited.”
Her DJ Mag Recognise mix, recorded on the road between shows, reflects that playful energy. “I like to play things I wouldn’t normally play in clubs,” she says. “It’s a chance to show different sides of myself.”
Being many things at once, without losing focus, is exactly what Sol Ortega excels at. While her sound may slide between house and techno, it never strays from who she is – Latin American, and proudly so. “I feel part of a community,” she says. “That’s what keeps me here. That’s what keeps me going.”
