Few artists capture the emotional pull of progressive and melodic electronic music quite like Ezequiel Arias. The Córdoba-based producer has spent years shaping a sound built for long sessions and slow-burning journeys, and with his new six-track EP ‘Estimulo’ now out on Anjunadeep, he’s entering one of the most significant chapters of his career.
Photo Credit: Ezequiel Arias – Official
The record’s launch was anything but conventional. Rather than debuting it in a club, Arias presented ‘Estimulo’ inside Córdoba’s urban art museum, an invitation from Dahaus! alongside the province’s local authorities and the city’s Department of Culture. It’s a fitting backdrop for an EP that explores where creativity actually comes from: that hard-to-define internal impulse that pulls an artist into the studio with no roadmap, just the urge to play.
We caught up with Ezequiel as he heads into his final European run of the year. He tells us how a long-admired voice brought HANA into the fold, how an ambient track from emerging Argentine artist FJL became ‘Color Divino’, and why he’s counting down to an extended set in Barcelona, the Anjunadeep festival in Malta alongside Guy J, and his return to ADE after two years away. Back home, a milestone awaits: his first co-headline show at Córdoba’s Forja, a moment he calls pivotal after years of hard work.
EG: Hi Ezequiel! Welcome back to Electronic Groove. As always, it’s a pleasure to have you with us. How have you been, and how are you feeling now that ‘Estimulo’ is finally out in the world?
Ezequiel Arias: Hey guys, thanks so much for the invite. I’ve been very well, just finished a small break from shows, spent some time in the studio, and now starting the last European tour of the year.
EG: You presented ‘Estimulo’ at a museum in Córdoba, which is a very different setting from the club environment where this music will ultimately be experienced. What made you want to introduce the record in that kind of space?
Ezequiel Arias: Dahaus! invited me, along with the local authorities of the province of Córdoba and the city’s Department of Culture, and I thought it was an excellent way to present my art. Even though this is music meant for clubs and dancing, I felt that being able to present it in such an important venue as the city’s urban art museum was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Being able to bring electronic music into these spaces is something I’m proud of, and I feel it contributes something different to the scene.
EG: ‘Estimulo’ is a six-track record that moves through different shades of your sound, with collaborations alongside FJL and HANA. What did you want the EP to communicate as a complete body of work?
Ezequiel Arias: Thinking about the creative processes that artists sometimes go through, and trying to understand where creativity comes from and how it works, I arrived at ‘Estimulo’ reflecting on the impulse that drives me to enter the studio and create. Without a roadmap, without thinking too much about what I want to do- just that moment when everything becomes a game. It’s something hard to explain, but basically, it’s a kind of internal stimulus that leads me to make music, and I wanted to capture it as a concept.
EG: Collaboration seems to be an important part of the record. What did FJL and HANA bring into the process that pushed the music somewhere you might not have reached on your own?
Ezequiel Arias: I had been wanting to collaborate with HANA for a long time because I really love the tone of her voice, and the timing was just right to make it happen.
Fausto (FJL) is an emerging artist from the interior of Argentina who has been sending me music for quite a while. A few years ago, he sent me an ambient track with an incredible melody, and I immediately told him to send me the stems because I wanted to try something for the track. That’s how ‘Color Divino’ was born.
“I arrived at ‘Estimulo’ reflecting on the impulse that drives me to enter the studio and create. Without a roadmap, without thinking too much about what I want to do”
EG: Ajunadeep has become an important home for your music, and ‘Estimulo’ continues that relationship. How has being part of that ecosystem influenced the way you’ve developed your sound?
Ezequiel Arias: It’s a very open label, with a wide variety of artists and projects that cover almost every genre of electronic music, and that makes it possible to find inspiration everywhere. Although I believe and feel that my sound is not ‘directly’ influenced by them, they have undoubtedly been a fundamental part of my growth over the past few years.
EG: There’s an interesting contrast between presenting an album in a museum and then taking that same music into clubs and festivals. Does changing the context change the way you hear your own tracks?
Ezequiel Arias: My music is inspired by the club, long sessions, the journey, the melodies, and the musical content. I believe that within all of that, there is always an element that invites you to listen to it in any environment, not just in a club.
EG: You’re now heading into a particularly international period, with upcoming European shows, ADE and festival appearances with Anjunadeep. What are you most looking forward to about this next run of dates?
Ezequiel Arias: It’s hard to choose just one because there are so many exciting shows in this last part of the year. I have an extended set in Barcelona, where I already have a very special audience. Then there’s the Anjunadeep festival in Malta; last year it was incredible, and this year will no doubt be one to remember, especially getting to share it with Guy J. Returning to ADE also feels amazing since it’s been two years since my last visit, so I’m really happy and looking forward to all the shows.
EG: You’ve spent a lot of time developing your identity within the progressive and melodic side of electronic music. Has playing to audiences in different countries changed what you understand about the way your music connects?
Ezequiel Arias: Without a doubt, the experience of being able to travel, play music in different places, events, and for diverse audiences is something that opens your mind both artistically and creatively. It’s also the constant experience of playing music and seeing how it works in different settings. These are processes that greatly help to keep creativity and inspiration alive.
“Returning to ADE also feels amazing since it’s been two years since my last visit, so I’m really happy and looking forward to all the shows”
EG: You’re also preparing for your first co-headline show at Forja in Córdoba. What does reaching headliner status in such an illustrious space mean to you as an artist? What does something like this mean for your professional career? Where do you go from here?
Ezequiel Arias: This is a truly pivotal moment in my career, and it feels like the result of many years of hard work. The fact that it’s happening in the city where I live and truly feel at home gives it a beautiful extra touch, because the love I receive from my audience is immense. Where do I go from here? I don’t know…my goal is always to wake up every day excited to make music, and let it take me wherever it’s meant to go.
EG: Looking at the journey from ‘Estimulo’ to these upcoming shows, does this feel like a moment of consolidation for the project, or are you finding yourself drawn toward new territory?
Ezequiel Arias: Even though these tracks are ones I’ve been playing long before the release, they’re still present in my sets; they feel fresh, and they’re also fan favorites, so I enjoy giving them that gift.
EG: Thank you so much for your time. We wish you all the best with ‘Estimulo’, the upcoming European dates, and everything ahead. Take care!
Ezequiel Arias: ¡Gracias, equipo!
Ezequiel Arias’ new ‘Estimulo’ EP is out now via Anjunadeep. Purchase your copy here.
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