EDM Artist News
Boddhi Satva Interview: Origins, Afro House in 2026, and His New Album Closure
Grammy-recognized Afro House pioneer Boddhi Satva opens up about his Central African Republic roots, the album trilogy that defined his sound, and what is really happening inside the genre right now.
Boddhi Satva called in from Lisbon, relaxed and unhurried. One of the true architects of Afro House and a Grammy-recognized DJ and producer sat down with EDM House Network to talk about growing up in Central African Republic, the Kevin Yost album that changed his life, the parent-tribute trilogy at the center of his discography, and his honest take on where Afro House is headed. He also has a new album coming. It is called Closure, and the name says everything.
You’re calling from Lisbon today, what made you want to live there?
Quality of life. I was born and raised in Central African Republic in a warm, familiar environment. When I first came to Lisbon in 2009, I was blown away. A close friend of mine had already moved there. Every time I came to perform, I felt at home. Every time I flew back to Brussels, something pulled me back. Portugal felt like Africa and Europe at the same time. I responded to a calling of my soul.
Where does the name Boddhi Satva actually come from?
My parents hosted a man named Bodhi Satva Satva Varti in the Central African Republic before I was born. A Buddhist monk, musician, and film director. Incredibly humble. Quietly extraordinary. When my older brother told me his story, something in me reconciled. I had always felt pieces of myself I could not explain. The moment I heard about him, the picture clicked.
My legal name is Armani Kombot-Naguemon, and DJ Armani never felt right for the music I was making. The Bodhisattva in Buddhist tradition is a being committed to the liberation of others. That matched who I felt I was becoming. Around 2002 or 2003 I committed to it and never looked back.
You started in hip-hop. What was the moment that made you fall in love with house music?
My uncle brought home Kevin Yost’s One Starry Night
just before I left for Belgium to study. I had never heard anything like it. Rhythmically complex, soulful, no vocals, just extraordinary layered percussion and deep textures. It rewired everything I thought music could be.
Then around 18 or 19 I discovered Alton Miller’s Sweet in the Morning
He eventually became my mentor. We were roommates for almost four years. You project a dream, meditate on it, and somehow the person you admired ends up sleeping down the hall.
How did growing up in Central African Republic shape your sound?
Music was everywhere at home. My dad was soul and funk. My mum was Beatles and open-spectrum pop. But the deeper influence came from Bria, 600 kilometers from the capital. In the evenings you would hear women preparing food, percussions transmitting messages between villages like Morse code, the river. Constant sound but not noise. The sound of life.
My brothers sent cassettes and mixtapes of everything they were discovering. Then satellite TV brought channel O, the South African music channel. Kwaito, Pantsula culture. We were absorbing more variety back then than most people are now with infinite streaming.
Afro House had its biggest year in 2025. How do you feel about where the genre is right now?
We all knew it was coming. It was always a matter of timing, boldness, and being in the right place. Look at what Black Coffee was doing well before his global rise. The South African invasion at WMC around 2009 to 2011 was already a frenzy. It just was not global yet.
Now it is everywhere and the sound has been gentrified. I expected that. If you love the music and you are good at it, do it. But some of us sacrificed a lot building this. When someone taps in for the hype cycle and taps out, the underground ecosystem absorbs that damage. Doors are opening for a select few superstars, not for the community. Underground DJs are still getting offered $100 a show. I was always told by the OGs, when you get through a door, hold it open. Be a gate opener, not a gatekeeper.
Tell us about the trilogy. Invocation, Transition, Manifestation
Invocation
took nearly a decade to build. Louis Vega signed me and believed in what I was doing before I fully did myself. That album would not exist without him.
Transition
came after my father passed in 2014. Before that I was almost militantly underground, complex to the point of being counterproductive. My dad always told me to make it more digestible. While making Transition, I felt like he was in the studio with me. It cracked me open. DAVIDO, DJ Arafat rest in peace, Nelson Freitas, Paul Randolph, Teedra Moses, incredible people came through out of pure love. That album turned me from a raw diamond into a polished one.
Then my mother passed in 2022.
Manifestation
became her tribute. I had promised her I would get a Grammy with that album. I did not win, but it entered the competition. Being in the same category as Arctic Monkeys and Bjork felt like its own kind of blessing.
How did you and Louie Vega actually connect?
Two people made it happen: Louie Lou Gorbea and Mr. V. I had done a remix with Mr. V, Louie heard it and loved it, released it, and that was the start. We met in New York shortly after, clicked immediately, and he signed me. What made it special is that he saw things in me as a producer that I had not even seen in myself yet.
One moment I will never forget. Louie was playing a club in Belgium and my dad last minute decided to come with me. My dad knew who Louie Vega was, knew Masters at Work. When he walked in and saw his son in that world, he looked at me and said, “Okay. It’s going somewhere.” That was everything.
What can you tell us about Closure?
I am closing chapters that have been open too long. The past several years have been a journey with a lot of weight. This album is the exhale.
Musically I am feeling J Electronica right now. The way he builds worlds through samples and cinematic atmosphere. I want something that feels like a book written in sound. Probably 10 to 12 tracks, aiming for October at the latest, likely earlier.
What is your message for up and coming artists?
Honor the art with a capital A. Fela Kuti said music is a weapon and a spiritual force. If you do not use it with respect, it will turn on you. That is not a metaphor.
You do not learn from your successes. You learn from your failures. Stay committed. Stay humble. Listen to the OGs not because they have all the answers, but because they paved the road you are walking. The road has never been cleaner than right now. But clean roads are slippery. Find your grip.
Follow Boddhi Satva:
Instagram: @boddhisatva
Spotify: Boddhisatva
Bandcamp: Boddhisatva
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Miami DJ and entrepreneur Eddy Palermo announces BPMATHON, a world-first challenge to run 50K while DJing live at The Underline in Miami on August 8th 2026.
Taking place on Saturday 8th August 2026, BPMATHON will see Eddy Palermo attempt to complete a 50K run while performing a continuous live DJ set, combining two of his greatest passions, music and endurance sport, in an event designed to inspire and create meaningful impact.
BPMATHON will take place at The Underline, Miami’s 10-mile linear park and urban trail stretching from Brickell to Dadeland. A landmark public space beneath the Metrorail, The Underline has become a vibrant corridor where millions come to move, live and grow together. To make the challenge possible, Eddy will perform using a custom-built, self-pushed DJ rig on wheels, allowing him to run and DJ live simultaneously throughout the full 50K challenge.
The initiative will raise money for Friends of The Underline, a Miami-based nonprofit dedicated to transforming public space into opportunities for healthier, more active living. In a world increasingly shaped by AI, screens and social media, Friends of The Underline’s mission is to encourage people to be active, move their bodies, and decompress from the stresses of modern life through running, biking and walking. The BPMATHON aims to help more people build healthier habits and reconnect with the outdoors through accessible, community-driven movement.
During BPMATHON, Eddy’s event brand ZENSKI will also activate along the course with a live pop-up party experience on the route. Designed to transform sections of the race path into immersive music moments, the activation will bring together runners, spectators, and Miami’s local music community through sound, movement and energy. Founded by Eddy in 2024, ZENSKI has evolved into a Miami-based events platform known for immersive decor, inclusive experiences, and a commitment to female-forward lineups within electronic music culture.
Eddy Palermo Comments:
“BPMATHON is the fusion of endurance running with the magic of music. The idea came about when I saw videos online of people running 5Ks while DJing, and I said to myself, “why not run 50K?”. This is a real challenge for me because just running 50K without DJing is difficult, and just DJing for seven hours without running is difficult. Doing both at the same time will definitely push me to a new limit.”
Estimated to take seven hours, BPMATHON is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one. Running 50K alone is a major feat. DJing continuously for seven hours requires intense concentration, stamina and energy. Combining both simultaneously creates an entirely new level of endurance.
Born in Miami to Cuban and Italian parents and raised in Weston, Florida, Eddy’s life has long been shaped by music, sports, and passion. From discovering his love of electronic music as a teenager at Ultra Music Festival then later spending hours at Club Space, to building a career in events, sales and entrepreneurship, he has consistently pushed himself beyond conventional limits. Between 2020 and 2025, Eddy completed 14 endurance races, including 7 Ironman competitions and 7 marathons, using endurance sport as a foundation for discipline, resilience and mental strength. Those same values now sit at the heart of BPMATHON.
Eddy Palermo Shares:
“The deeper purpose behind this is that music and running are both huge passions of mine, and there’s nothing more I want to do than make a positive impact on the world through music. If this inspires even just one person to get out there and pursue their passions, or start running, this is a huge success. We’re raising money in support of Friends of The Underline, helping to encourage more people to get outside, be active, and step away from the stresses of modern life through running, biking, walking, and movement.”
At its core, BPMATHON is about proving what can happen when passion meets discipline. It is a challenge built not only around pushing boundaries, but around inspiring others to pursue ambitious goals, prioritise wellbeing, and redefine their perceived limits.
BPMATHON marks the first chapter in a wider global movement uniting music, endurance and wellness, created to inspire communities, promote positive lifestyle choices and encourage people to push beyond their perceived limits, with plans to curate further BPMATHON events globally.
Official Partners for BPMATHON include:
- ZENSKI
- AlphaTheta
- MIAFMTV
- Orbit Baby
- StrollRunner
- Buzz Bomb
- + more to be announced
Location: The Underline Inter Stage, 805 SW 1st Ave, Miami FL, 33130
Date: Saturday August 8th, 2026
Start Time: 6:30pm
Find Out More & Follow:
Eddy Palermo: Instagram | TikTok | Spotify | Beatport | Traxsource
The Underline: Website | Instagram | Facebook | X
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Skrillex Says AI Songs Can Go Viral, But His Comments Point To A Bigger Issue Around Human Connection In Dance Music.
The debate around AI music has often focused on fake vocals, copied artist styles, copyright issues, and whether machine made songs should be labeled clearly, but Skrillex has brought the subject back to something more human. In his first formal interview in over a decade, published in 032c Issue #49 Summer 2026, Skrillex spoke with Ecco2K about creativity, rave culture, and the limits of AI in music, including the idea that AI songs can go viral while still missing the feeling of being seen by another human being. That distinction gives the topic more depth because he is not only questioning whether AI can generate music that performs well online. He is asking what happens to dance music when a song can reach listeners quickly, but the person, history, and lived experience behind it become harder to find.
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Why Skrillex’s View On AI Is Not About Rejecting Technology
Before Skrillex became known as a producer and DJ, he was the vocalist of From First To Last, a post hardcore band that already placed him in a scene where live emotion, distortion, and internet era fandom were closely connected. His move into solo production did not erase that background; it carried some of that intensity into songs like Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites and Bangarang, where chopped vocals, aggressive bass design, sharp edits, and software based production became part of the identity of the record. The same artist who helped make those sounds reach a wider audience is now saying that AI songs can go viral, which is why the point cannot be reduced to fear of computers in music.
His own career shows the opposite: technology can still carry feeling when there is a real person making the decisions behind it. In the 032c interview, Skrillex discussed making Mora in GarageBand before moving into Pro Tools and Ableton, along with ideas like Bangarang beginning from rough recordings on Snowball mics or laptop mics. Those details show that electronic music does not lose its human side just because it starts from rough digital material, software, or imperfect recordings. The difference is that an artist is choosing what to keep, cut, distort, rebuild, or leave imperfect, while a generated song can imitate the texture of those choices without carrying the bands, scenes, failed ideas, studio accidents, and years of taste that came before the final record.
Why Viral AI Songs Do Not Prove Listeners Are Connecting
When Skrillex talks about AI songs going viral, the point is easy to connect to cases the music industry has already dealt with. Heart On My Sleeve, the fake Drake and The Weeknd song made with AI vocals, did not become a talking point because listeners had discovered a new artist with a real story. It went viral because people were trying to work out how close the vocals sounded, whether the artists had approved it, and what it meant if a fake collaboration could travel that quickly. That kind of attention can make a song look successful on the surface, but the reaction is tied to the stunt, the confusion, and the technology behind it, not to a real connection between artist and listener.
Dance music has its own version of that problem because records often gain meaning before they are officially released. Rumble by Skrillex, Fred again.., and Flowdan was already circulating through DJ set recordings and crowd clips before its official release, while Baby again.. by Fred again.., Skrillex, and Four Tet gained more attention after being played live, including during their back to back set at Madison Square Garden. That path is different from an AI song going viral because it sounds close to an existing artist or copies a familiar vocal style. In dance music, the memory around a song is often tied to the DJ who tested it, the crowd that reacted to it, the festival or club clip that kept circulating, and the months of people asking for the release. AI can copy the sound of a viral record, but it cannot recreate the human trail that makes people care about where the song came from.
What This Means For AI Music Going Forward
The next stage of AI music will probably come down to what artists, labels, and platforms are willing to make clear before a song reaches listeners. John Summit’s call for human made music labels points to one possible response, especially as fake vocals and copied artist styles become harder to spot at first listen. David Guetta’s experiment with an AI generated vocal in the style of Eminem showed how quickly a technical demo can raise bigger questions about likeness and consent, while deadmau5 has already warned about deepfakes and false endorsement. Once a voice, image, or artist identity can be copied well enough to confuse people, the problem is no longer only about whether the song sounds convincing; it is about whether listeners know who actually made what they are hearing.
Skrillex’s point is closer to what listeners may start caring about as AI music becomes more common. AI may keep producing songs that go viral, especially when the hook feels familiar, the voice sounds close to someone famous, or the curiosity around the technology is strong enough to push the clip online. But dance music has always depended on more than a first reaction. People remember the DJ who played a song before release, the set where they first heard it, the crowd clip that made them search for the ID, and the artist history that made the record feel connected to something real. AI can copy parts of that format, but without a person behind the choices, the trust becomes weaker, and that may be the difference between a song people click on once and a record they keep returning to.
As AI music becomes easier to make and harder to identify, the future of dance music may depend less on whether listeners reject the technology and more on whether they still trust the people attached to the songs. Skrillex’s comments point to a problem that goes beyond one viral record or one copied vocal, because the deeper risk is a culture where the source of a song becomes unclear and the relationship between artist and audience starts to feel less certain. Dance music has always moved through clubs, festivals, IDs, edits, and shared recordings, but those moments only last when people believe there is a real person behind the choices, the risk, and the history of the record. AI may continue to create songs that travel quickly online, but the harder question for artists, labels, platforms, and listeners is whether speed can ever replace trust, and whether a song can still mean something long after the first reaction if no one can feel the human life behind it.
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Blank, Roo Contreras, Furia and Jack Lucid “Éxtasis” is a new acid-tech house single born from a transatlantic collaboration between Mexico and Spain. It is out now on XTR Records.
When artists from two different countries decide to build something together across time zones and oceans, the result is rarely guaranteed to hold together. “Éxtasis”, is the new single from Mexican acts Blank and Roo Contreras. Spanish producer Furia and vocalist Jack Lucid join them. This proves that it can, and that the distance can become part of the music itself.
Specifically, the track arrived on June 12, 2026, via XTR Records, and sits at the crossroads of acid and tech house. This sound feels equally at home on the dancefloors of Mexico City and Madrid.
Two Countries, One Track
Blank, Roo Contreras, Furia and Jack Lucid “Éxtasis” began the way many international collaborations do: with calls, voice notes, and a shared idea passed back and forth between cities. Blank is the Mexico City duo of José Rodríguez and Cristian Aranda. They are known for their melodic and progressive house. From there, they connected with fellow chilango DJ and producer Roo Contreras. Together, the group then crossed the Atlantic to link up with Furia. Furia is a Madrid-based DJ, producer, and founder of XTR Records. Furia’s real name is Marco Octavio.
mize=”16″>Rounding out the lineup is Jack Lucid, a multidisciplinary artist based in Madrid. His vocal performance on “Éxtasis” gives the track its emotional core. His voice moves between light and shadow in a way that matches the tension built into the production. Moreover, his performance hooks the listener from the very first listen.
What the Song Is About
Éxtasis is not a complicated concept; however, it is a precise one. Specifically, the track captures one very clear feeling. It is the moment when someone you thought was out of reach is suddenly right in front of you. The anticipation, the electricity, and the sense that the night might change everything are all translated into sound.
That emotional thread runs through every element of the production. The acid lines carry the tension. The tech house groove keeps it moving. Jack Lucid’s voice holds the whole thing together. It is a dancefloor track, but one with a story underneath it.
The Bigger Picture
For Blank, “Éxtasis” marks an important step in the project’s international footprint. The duo already has releases on labels across Spain, Brazil, and Mexico, and operates across three interconnected pillars: Blank as the core artistic project, SECTA/JOIN US as their events concept, and RAVER MX as a Spanish-language editorial platform for electronic music.
For Furia, similarly, the release is a natural extension of what XTR Records set out to do, find and define a sound that is different, sentimental, and full of energy.
“Éxtasis” is available now on Spotify, Apple Music, Beatport, and all major platforms.The official video was filmed between Mexico City and Madrid and is out now.
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