- A steamy, hypnotic journey through club music of all stripes.
- If Bitter Babe was a perfume, her scent would be animalic—heavy musk, bergamot, worn leather and burnt spices. The Bogotá-born, Miami-bred and now Berlin-based artist has a heady, ultra-rhythmic sound that feels made for sweltering summer nights and escapist fantasies. Combining pan-Latin styles with hard drum and industrial touches, she's crafted a singular mood that defines her DJing and production: hazy, high-energy and sensual.
Her ascent on the international circuit has largely been tied to her role in Miami's electronic renaissance. Whether exploring proto-reggaeton, dense ambient or guaracha, her sets and productions are characterised by evocative low-end, darting synths and distorted frequencies that exude drama. With releases on TraTraTrax, Air Texture and SVBKVLT, she's cemented her position as an experimentalist, leaving the door open for more deconstruction and abstraction.
As cofounder of multidisciplinary project LATITUDES, Bitter Babe seeks to unify Latin America's electronic music communities. Her mixes are a great source for discovering under-the-radar acts from Peru, Brazil and beyond, some of whom are featured on her RA podcast. Starting with subby downtempo before moving onto swampy baile funk, technoid mutations of dembow and cheeky UKG, it showcases her expertise for trippy yet deeply kinetic grooves.
What have you been up to recently?
I've been back home in Colombia for about a month and a half, detoxing from social media, spending a lot of time with my family and with myself, finally with some time to work on music that will see the light this first half of the year, plus watching tons of movies, reading a lot and nurturing my body.
How and where was the mix recorded? And can you tell us the idea behind it?
This mix was recorded at a DJ studio in Bogotá (Ross Rec) with three Pioneer CDJs and a Pioneer mixer. It had a few changes since the starting idea. In the end, I decided that without the pressure of having a dance floor in front of me, I wanted to focus on my way of intertwining music, still showcasing my sound but without the hurry of getting somewhere, just enjoying the ride basically. I would love it if people can listen to it while they go for a run, hike, or even driving to nowhere.
What's one club or party that had a major impact on you as an artist?
From my early beginnings in my hometown, two now-defunct clubs: Baum, where I first started playing, and Billares Londres, probably one of the best designed clubs to ever exist and where my love for all this started. Also, having the opportunity to play De School, which for so long was my favorite club, is something I will cherish forever. And I know it's not a club or party but playing with my friends to a filled Greenhouse tent at Dekmantel is something I constantly dream about.
More broadly, Latin American club music has never been more popular globally. Why do you think that is?
I don't know exactly why but I think timing has played a big part. The club has evolved to be more open and accepting of different sounds. It's helped to create space for music that has been around for years and years to finally be heard.
Whatever the reasons, I'm glad the focus has shifted a bit from only the North and Eurocentric vision but I do think, in this case, popularity means little if it's not being reflected in actual support of the region. I'd really like to see more artists from Latin America touring the world. Booking them is the easiest way to support them. I'd also like to see agencies betting and signing artists from the region.
I'm lucky to have been able to live and craft my career abroad with opportunities that are very difficult to get in Latin America. But recently I was chatting with Entrañas, a friend and one of my favourite producers from Ecuador, and he was expressing how for him the idea of touring Europe is a far reality. Yes, government things like passports and so on are involved but also the little tools and opportunities from people and entities that can do a difference in Europe.
What's one social or political cause you want the world to pay more attention to?
In the world we're living in at the moment, where human rights are being violated or removed every single day in front of our eyes, it's impossible not to choose that as the main one. One more personal to me is animal and nature welfare. I'd like to see more initiatives that promote their well-being and conservation. Also water: we need to pay more attention to this resource that nature gives us and be more responsible with the use we give to it.
What are you looking forward to in the near future?
Releasing new music, going back on tour and meeting friends around the world, visiting new places and discovering new forms of inspiration. Also I'm gonna start my own series of parties this year and I'm excited to showcase some of my favourite artists. Most of all, though, all the unknowns that are yet to come.
TracklistDJ Ojo - Spherical Cows
Ellian - A8
Masha - Are They Back
Toma Kami - Amapicante
Zutzut - No Case No Face Edit
Impey - Dry Toke
Ultima Esuna, Destrata - Semillas y Clavos
IDLIBRA - RACAO
Tobby - Razzgo
Siu Mata - Nuna
DJ Double Oh! - Tidal-Skinn
Ripio - Sueno improbable
Nicoba - Acelerao
Coffintexts - I Like The Way She's Moving
Ayesha - Lurk
Entranas - Yapa (Forthcoming TraTraTrax)
Surusinghe - HooHooHoo
De Grandi - Of Course
K Wata, Sputnik One - Back Innit
Conducta, Biji - Gold
Renslink - Pull On...
??????? - ??????
Cardozo - Xoxo
BZZHOUND, Clementaum - BOTA DURO
Dual Monitor - Left/Right
Batu - Other Means
Siu Mata & Amor Satyr - Twinkle
Laza - Ceu Azul
Bluetoof - escape rope
TSVI - ????? (Forthcoming TraTraTrax)
Deetron - Batuque
Regal86 - Close
CHMSTR1 - Ark8 (Amaliah Remix)
Mac Declos - Voy Voy
TSVI - HHG (feat. Dj Babatr)
Trade - Villasenor
anyoneID - Gobelet Drum (Naeja Remix)
Neida - Halfway
Hylu - Earl