Vetor Interviews: Salomelody & Perla Preciosa

Two Madrid-based producers and DJs from different corners of the world, united by a shared obsession with dembow and the ever-shifting language of the dancefloor. Together they present THEYTHEMBOW, an entirely self-produced record that reimagines familiar dembow voices through trance, hard techno, Brazilian funk, tribal, guaracha, and reggaetón, asking what happens when those sounds are heard in entirely new sonic contexts.

Interview by Efe Çilek

Photography by nodejesdellorar

We don't need to tell you how much global music continues to be shaped by Latin culture. Latin diaspora DJs, queer collectives, club nights, and a new generation of artists have become part of the same movement, one that has transformed the European club landscape arguably more than anywhere else. We know that the dancefloors don't lie, bodies across Europe are moving to these rhythms like never before. Artists move between cities, scenes, and communities, carrying their sounds with them and refusing to leave them behind because they know they are carrying something valuable from their life-stories. Salomelody and Perla Preciosa are part of that movement.

Raised in Bucaramanga, Colombia, Salomelody has taken her sound across San Francisco, Medellín, Montreal and Mexico City. Her sets have become a sonic map of the Global South, weaving together Latin club, Brazilian funk, global bass, and reggaetón. Meanwhile, Perla Preciosa describes her own sound as "electronic folk perreo core," which is a fitting way of capturing her blend of urban music, Hispanic and Latin folklore, and electronic production. Together, they handled every stage of THEYTHEMBOW, producing, mixing, and mastering the EP themselves, a significant achievement in a scene where women remain underrepresented behind the production desk.

The record asks a deceptively simple question: what happens when the unmistakable voices of Arlene MC, Yailin La Más Viral, La Más Doll, and Luna Gil are lifted from their familiar surroundings and placed within entirely different worlds? Trance, hard techno, Brazilian funk, tribal, guaracha, and reggaetón meet with the same ease as they do on the dancefloors that shaped both artists. The result feels less like a remix project than a reflection of contemporary club culture itself, where genres, communities, and geographies overlapped long before the music industry found the language for it. We are blooming under the lights, spreading love and continuing to be shaped by the music around us.

Photography by nodejesdellorar

Dembow was born in the barrios of Santo Domingo, rooted in Jamaican dancehall riddims, and it took decades to reach mainstream attention — THEYTHEMBOW arrives at a moment when that conversation is already moving. Rather than claiming to invent something new, both artists openly acknowledge the producers and communities reshaping Latin club sounds for years. Their record joins that lineage through collaboration, queer community and the dancefloor instinct that has always known genres bleed into each other long before the industry catches up.

We spoke with both artists about the collaboration that brought THEYTHEMBOW to life, the inspirations shaping the EP, and what it means to make this kind of record right now. Alongside the interview, Salomelody and Perla Preciosa recorded a set for Vetor Magazine's program 'Back2back'. Enjoy! ;)

EFE: First of all — how are you both feeling now that THEYTHEMBOW is about to enter

the world?

Salo: Very excited and a little sentimental because to me THEYTHEMBOW is the completion of my production journey. Perla was my mentor so it's a big honour to work with her and release the first of many collaborations.

Perla: It’s awesome to experience the release of a project we’ve been dedicating so much

time to these past months, so I feel full of joy. It’s an absolute dream to have walked this

path together with Salo, since both of us have learnt so much from each other.

E: How did the two of you come together for this project? Walk us through the creative process behind it and also, how did the name THEYTHEMBOW happen? Give me the tea :)

Perla: This project was born organically because I started giving production classes to

Salomé and she was giving me DJing classes, that’s how we became close. We love a lot of

Dembow songs, especially Mamazota by Arlene MC, so our first idea was to remix it. As we

started it, more ideas came to our minds and we thought we couldn’t stop in one song, we

had to take more Dembow songs into our world. That’s how we started. The creative process started off with a vocal, then switching between building the drums, the bass, and the synths. The name THEYTHEMBOW was Salomé’s idea, I don’t remember when (laughs) but as soon as she said it I was like “Yes. 100%” I think it came from her mind (laughs).

Salo: The creative process was mainly us fighting over the MIDI, changing in between

laptops, Perla fighting me over buying her plugins so we could have a better workflow, and

loads of ass shaking. There’s no better proof if something works than to let go of the laptop

and just start feeling it. The name was honestly something I came up with when naming my rekordbox playlists, I always like to be a little silly with it like my Dance Hall playlist is named “Dance living room”, so when it came to Dembow I just made it non-binary. And then when we did Mamazota we agreed we couldn’t stop there and Theythembow found its home.

E: There is something playful but also confrontational about taking dembow vocals

and throwing them into trance, hard techno, tribal, guaracha... When did this stop

feeling like remixing and start feeling like its own universe?

Salo: I think this EP is very telling that both of us are DJs. If you listen to it, it feels like one

of our dj sets. Djing is beautiful because we get to join universes that can’t meet in a random

spotify playlist. So in my mind there’s never been a conscious choice to make this our thing,

it's just what we love to do. Music scenes are very separated, and techno wants to be super pure, the same as reggaeton. We wanted to have fun and give our take in the exploration of what these genres have in common.

But we are not the first ones to do Dembow remixes, Siu Mata has made 3 amazing EPs

( named Speed Dembow) exploring this. Wost, L’Miranda, CRRDR, and many more have

explored many Dominican rhythms like merengue and bachata through different electronic

genres way before us. So I think it also came from respect and love to the latin electronic

music scene that has been innovating for some time now.

Photography by nodejesdellorar

E: Trance, hard techno, Brazilian funk, tribal, guaracha, reggaetón... there are so many

sonic worlds colliding inside the EP. What is the thread holding everything together?

Does it come more from politics, emotion, or fun?

Perla: Like Salo said, both of us admire the latin electronic music scene and have been

soaking it all in, so all of these genres are naturally inside of us and we enjoy all of them. In

my experience, it came from an emotional side and having fun making music without a

specific aim. Make music to explore what’s inside of us.

Everything has a political side to it, I think one of them is just to be free, doing what comes to

our minds without paying attention to all the “shoulds” (where should it fit, how it should be,

etc.).

Salo: There’s something to be said about hybridisation in an era that keeps pushing strict

norms and fantasises with fascism. Any work of art that stands in a direct opposition to being

nicely tied to old structure is a political act. To us, music and partying have always been

invaluable refuges to our authenticity, and we hope to contribute to those spaces around the

world with this EP. We care a lot about giving back and contributing to building community

any way we can.

E: The project begins with a question: How would the voices of Arlene MC, Yailin La

Más Viral, or La Más Doll sound in sonic universes far removed from Dembow? But

someone has to be the one to actually move them, shape them, decide what they

become in a new sonic universe. You produced, mixed and mastered everything

yourselves. Does it matter that it was you two? Would the experiment feel different if

someone else were handling it?

Salomé: The first thing is that we are both non-binary, and Perla is actually from Spain. But

we have the inside joke that she is an honorary latina, she even has a fake latina card that

our friend Axel Sugarheart made. She also did our makeup in the shooting for the artwork,

so a big shoutout to her and her work as a filmmaker and makeup artist.

I think art can’t be separated from the artist, that's why in art schools when there are a lot of

painters and a bowl of fruit in the middle, none of the paintings are the same. Our personal

experiences of gender, queerness and music overall have shaped our proximity to these

sounds and to the divas that openly talk about their will, sex and power. So, in my mind,

especially in today’s scary times of restrictions and going back to traditional norms, being

able to shake ass to the sound of Luna Gil, one of the internet mothers of colombian dolls,

talking shit about a big dick is political, necessary and personal to us. Actually, Perla and I

became friends because she was quoting Luna Gil at a birthday party (laughs). These girls

are symbols that bring us together as a community.

E: Some moments on the EP feel euphoric and sexy, while others almost feel violent

or overwhelming. What emotional state were you both in while making it?

Perla: We did this in several sessions over 7 months, a lot of things can happen in seven

months...

Salo: I’d say we were mainly in an open heart space so anything that needed to flow could

find its way out. As you said, it has an ample registry so it’s hard to attach a specific feeling

to it.

Photography by nodejesdellorar

E: What was the funniest, most chaotic, or most unexpected moment during the

making of this EP?

Perla: There are a lot of funny moments when ideas start coming to our head and we try them

out and they work together!

Salo: I especially remember that in the Mamazota ending Perla went into god mode and

started making the rhythm of the whistle sound and I started screaming because it was so

good and chaotic. And I have the same feeling with the hard techno outro in Putititika

because she made that bass line in no time, especially being the first time she tried out that

genre. It was amazing to be present in that big brain moment.

Perla: I remember when Salo started making the Coketa track, I had another idea for that

track but as soon as she added the cumbia bass line my body started moving in a very

tropical way (laughs) and I loved it. It’s also a part of the process to change ideas and to

adapt, and I think the result is a very unique moment inside the EP that only she could’ve

brought up.

E: Sonically the project feels futuristic, but visually I imagine internet culture, divas,

rave archives, telenovelas, old digital aesthetics, and low-resolution club flyers all

colliding together. What visual worlds are inspiring you lately?

Perla: I’ve always been inspired by internet aesthetics, from vaporwave in the 2010s to

arabian drift core and trashy low resolution aesthetics in general (laughs). But our inspiration

for the EP’s artwork was clearly Harajuku japanese style, because we wanted to make a

parallel between all the clothing, layering, and the different complements and jewelry this

style has, and all the different sounds and crazy mixes we have on the EP.

Salo: Andrés (nodejesdellorar) has been a huge help and directing hand in both our

personal projects and this could not be the exception. He has an amazing ability to create

fantasy worlds that wonderfully understand and convey the nature of our music.

E: Which track on the EP feels the closest to your actual personalities? Are there any

personal stories hidden inside the project that nobody would immediately notice?

Salo: Self perception is so hard that we decided we are gonna answer this question for each

other (laughs). I think Perla is more like Suba Bien Loko because of its soft and sensual

synths in a vintage femme fatale kind of way, just like her. How they sum up to that high

energy drop, I think Perla has several registers in her softness, and that track encapsulates

them very well.

Perla: The first track that comes to my mind when I think about Salo is GATA, I did the

production but I think that she breathed new life into the song when she did the lyrics and

the melody in her verse, it was also her idea to do the vocal chop for the chorus and the

bridge idea when her and Polemik spell “G-A-T-A” which is very cheerleader-like.

It represents her because her verse is super sensual and it reminds me of old Factoría

songs, which Salomé also loves so I associate those with her, and it was the strength and

power she holds. The cheer reminds me of 2000’s Disney movies and that’s very her too.

Photography by nodejesdellorar

E: Which artists, scenes, or cultural references have been shaping your work?

Salo: I think for both of us, Spain is undergoing a very interesting mix right now. The latin

diaspora is getting the recognition in the electronic scene it’s been owed for decades. Just to

see DJ Babatr have a residency in Razmatazz and Bclip producing songs for Bad Gyal goes

to show how our music traditions are bonding more than ever.

Perla is DJing for Spanish urban artists, and I’m touring in different American countries and

bonding with the latin diaspora. Being in contact with different languages, symbols and

resistance and also being life-long fans of ancestral genres like flamenco, boleros and

cumbias, allow us to take inspiration from both tradition and innovation.

Perla: Since I started discovering Latin-American electronic music, I felt a special attraction,

respect and admiration for the work of the DJs and producers that take part in the Mexican

label Naca Worldwide, like Negraconda, Brujaprieta, Dj Weed, La Jelboi, Addly Muff... In my

opinion they have created some of the dopest tracks that I carry on in my pen drive, and

they also happen to be trans. Trans women have had a fundamental part in the creation of

electronic music and they keep pushing the boundaries further and further. It’s such a

blessing to enjoy all the music produced by them.

Also, my universe has been changing a lot these past months since I started djing for the

spanish urban music superstar L0rna, replacing my beloved sister Ruptura in some of her

dates. Getting to work on a tour throughout Spain has been such a wonderful opportunity to

learn about the music industry and meet amazing people, but also very demanding.

E: What is the song currently defining your life?

Perla: Lately I have been listening a lot to Y Para Qué... (Asere) by Niña Pastori. It’s a chant

to enjoy life, dance and keep dreaming and going on with whatever is happening. It brings

me a moment of joy in these dark times that are slowly coming, regarding the global political

situation.

Salo: Probably Gracias a la vida by Mercedes Sosa, it’s a beautiful folk song where she

expresses all her gratitude to the world and life in general. I’ve been feeling super blessed

lately and also excited for what’s yet to come.

E: You are throwing a party, what does it look like, where are we going?

Perla: Well (laughs) we are actually throwing some parties! Salo and I have become part of

the queer collective Ninfekta, which is based in Barcelona. There’s gonna be one in Bogotá -

Ninfekta x Farra - the 12th of june, featuring Salomelody, Dasein, Miaw, Neon Soul Girl and

Iphi. And another one in London - Ninfekta x Nexo - the 13th, with Perla Preciosa, Briana

The Gemini, Latin Goblin, Santzz, XS Bully and Kapo.

Salo: I think there can’t be a party thrown by us without Trans and Latinx presence. Loads of

crazy mixes, dancing and LOOKS. And most importantly a caring audience, people looking

around for each other, laughing, getting closer, letting themselves loose and have a lovely

time! That’s precisely what Bri (Briana The Gemini) has created in Ninfekta and we’re so

excited to now be a part of it!

Photography by nodejesdellorar

E: Finally, tell us about your favourite fashion item you own. What makes it so

special to you?

Perla: My most precious fashion item is a pair of Adidas x Jeremy Scott sneakers I inherited

from my older brother, the ones that are white with two wings in the back. They are so dope

and 2014 swag, I love them so much.

Salo: Anything hand made by my Nona Eloisa, she’s such a talented fashion designer and

is always working in something for me regardless of my pleads for her to rest. The latest

thing she gave me is a crocheted two piece rainbow set I wore for my first recorded live

show that’s coming out in collaboration with La Piscina Vacía. It holds a special place in my

heart cause it felt like the beginning of a new era, and doing that with her present in the set,

with such a wonderful team and in my hometown makes me very happy, so