From promise to reality, Ezequiel Arias has cemented himself as a purveyor of emotions as he thrusts electronic dance music into the future. His production skills and technique behind the decks continually mesmerize global crowds as he imagines infinite worlds through his vision.
The Argentine maverick is a staple of Hernan Cattaneo’s Sudbeat brand and has graced some of the most important imprints in electronica like Anjunadeep, Balance, and Odd One Out; while his sound is championed by globe-trotting tastemakers like Guy J, Nick Warren, Yotto, and Guy Mantzur.
By now, Ezequiel Arias has firmly taken his place on the dancefloors as a complete artist with performances at world-class venues and events like the Amsterdam Dance Event, D.Edge Festival (Sao Paulo), The Bow (Buenos Aires), Akvarium (Budapest), Warpp Club (St. Petersburg), Resonancia Festival (Brazil), and career-defining warm-up sets for Hernán Cattáneo at Cordoba’s Forja.
EG caught up with Ezequiel Arias to learn more about the drop of his new ‘Melomania’ EP on Melorama Musica, the label’s first showcase, his incoming European tour, and more.
EG: Hi Ezequiel! It’s a pleasure to have you here with us today. Where are you based right now? How have you been?
Ezequiel Arias: Hello friends! All is well here! so far a great year with many shows and happy with what follows. I’m in Córdoba, fresh from Brazil after playing at Club Vibe, preparing everything to travel to Europe next week for a new tour in May.
EG: So, congratulations on the release of your new EP, ‘Melomania’! What has the initial reception been like?
Ezequiel Arias: Thank you so much! I’m very happy with the feedback from fans and many colleagues and DJs that I admire.
EG: What’s this one all about? What can your fans expect to find on ‘Melomania’? How long have these two pieces been in the works? When do you decide it’s time to let them go?
Ezequiel Arias: Both tracks are very important to me as a producer since they mark a sound and style that I have been working on for years and represent me as an artist. There’s also a bit of my mania for melodies and groove for the dancefloor and my taste and passion for stars and space.
It’s been about 3 years since I first started playing them in my sets, and luckily, I still feel them fresh. Many fans have been asking for them and that is something that helps me decide to release them, knowing that the passage of time fits them well and also that people continue to react well to that sound. It’s something I’m aiming for as a producer, and I’m very happy that it’s happening.
EG: And this is out via your newly co-founded label, Melorama Musica. How is the imprint doing? Is there anything else you can anticipate on that front? How do you guys go about selecting which piece is right for the project?
Ezequiel Arias: Being able to launch them on our label is super rewarding, and at the same time, a great challenge! Melorama is doing very well, advancing step by step. We did the first label showcase in Fruta, a club in Cordoba, and it turned out better than we expected! Bringing the label to the club was a great experience that luckily happened quite quickly since we started and the support of the people was great. Being a boutique label, we release very little material per year, trying to look for music that represents us and we select it very carefully, trying to find pieces that will withstand the test of time.
“Many fans have been asking for them and that is something that helps me decide to release them, knowing that the passage of time fits them well and also that people continue to react well to that sound”
EG: And now you’re also returning to Anjunadeep as well, right? Congratulations. You must be very excited!
Ezequiel Arias: That’s how it is! I feel very lucky to have been able to work with them for some years now, and to be able to release music on their label regularly is quite an honor. Also, being able to remix such important artists on the imprint like James Grant & Jody Wisternoff on ‘SpaceTime’, or now with the new remix of Marsh’s ‘Blue’, is something that motivates me a lot.
EG: You’re also behind your own ‘Limbo’ podcast, which is actually doing better and better in terms of numbers with each passing installment. How did you manage to make ‘Limbo’ grow organically? What can your fans find here? Do you approach ‘Limbo’ differently than your live sets?
Ezequiel Arias: The support for ‘Limbo’ is getting bigger and a lot of people talk to me about the episodes, so it’s something that invites me to keep thinking about the brand and how to keep growing. Track selection is fundamental to me, which is why each episode comes out approximately every 2 months, to be able to do this job with the dedication it needs. Most of it is music that I use in my live sets so it is a representation of what I offer as a DJ as well. Some of the last episodes have been recordings of my shows and I plan on keeping that going as well as being accompanied by a regularly changing 3D intervention.
EG: We know that you are gearing up for your first tour of the year. How do you feel about this? How do you prepare mentally and musically to take on such a challenge?
Ezequiel Arias: Yeah! It will be my fourth time in Europe, and every year it gets better, with new cities and bigger shows. During the year I travel a lot, and that gave me experience to manage well the breaks and the energy that being on tour demands, such as schedule changes, the number of flights, airports, itineraries to meet, and at the same time, being in a position to be able to give a good show without being burnt out. I try to lead a healthy life, rest well, play sports regularly, and take care of myself with meals as much as possible. I’ve also been doing therapy for a while. I think it’s something that helps a lot to get to know oneself, relate to the people around us, and improve as a person.
EG: By the way, you guys just hosted Melorama’s first showcase ever! How does one translate all that revolves around the label (music, visuals) into a showcase? Where do you see the future of these showcases?
Ezequiel Arias: As I said before, the showcase was amazing! The response from the people was very good, we had a full club, and being local is something very gratifying. We wanted to add some details to the show, adding visuals with the cover art of the releases, which is something that we place a lot of emphasis on at the label, looking for 3D scenes that accompany the music, without overpowering it. We also made t-shirts and decals for the people that we were able to distribute during the night. Hopefully more will come and we can invite new artists to join the label.
“I’ve also been doing therapy for a while. I think it’s something that helps a lot to get to know oneself, relate to the people around us, and improve as a person”
EG: How do you keep entertained when not in the studio? Are there any good new books, movies, or albums that you’d personally recommend?
Ezequiel Arias: I spend a lot of time in the studio, haha. But when I’m not, I like to be outside, go out to eat, and enjoy with friends. Exercising is also something that I really like, as well as going to enjoy nature. Luckily, I have the mountains of Córdoba close by, which help to disconnect a bit from the city. I always listen to music and I try to go for other genres, not just electronic. Some of what’s been on my playlist lately are Tame Impala, Fred Again.., Mac DeMarco, Men I Trust, Nils Frahm, Chemical Brothers, and Agnes Obel. I also enjoy watching series and movies, the last ones being ‘Severance’, ‘True Detective’, and ‘House of the Dragon’.
EG: So, what can we expect from Ezequiel Arias in the near future? Where can your fans catch you next?
Ezequiel Arias: Now focused on Europe. I am going to visit Barcelona, Milan, Madrid, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Budapest. The next few months are already scheduled with shows in Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and more coming, to the end of the year with my debut in Australia, which is a country I really wanted to go to!
EG: Thank you so much for your time Ezequiel! We wish you all the best. Take care!
Ezequiel Arias: Thank you very much as always for the support! Big hug.
Ezequiel Arias’ ‘Melomania’ EP is out now via Melorama Musica. Purchase your copy here.
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