With a sound that seamlessly blends emotional depth and dance-floor energy, Joan Retamero has emerged as a powerful voice in the global electronic music scene. Hailing from Argentina, their productions resonate with melodic storytelling, textured synth work, and genre-bending arrangements that defy trends and embrace timelessness.
Photo Credit: Joan Retamero – Official
Recently, Joan Retamero joined the prestigious Armada Music family, marking a new chapter with the celebrated remix of ‘Pasilda’ by Afro Medusa — a record crafted for both intimate headphone moments and peak-time festival stages.
As an official member of the esteemed group Afro Medusa, Joan’s dynamic and versatile sound has earned him a prominent place on the global electronic music scene. Now based in London, his productions and DJ sets have resonated with audiences at some of the world’s most iconic venues, including EGG London, E1, and Ministry of Sound.
In this interview, we sit down with Joan Retamero to learn more about this milestone, the summer success of ‘Pasilda’, his take on the dancefloor, and much more.
EG: Hello, Joan! Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us. It’s a pleasure to have you here. How are you? How’s this year treating you?
Joan Retamero: Hello friends, I’m very happy to be talking to you. The pleasure is mine. I’m doing well. 2025 is turning out to be a very interesting year from every point of view. I returned home after living abroad for 10 years. I had some great presentations throughout the year, and since July, I’ve been fully engaged with the Armada release, which is crazy. Now, we’re seeing how the future is shaping up, with changes and decisions to be made, as always.
EG: First of all… Congratulations on what was a milestone in your career with the release of your remix of Afro Medusa’s ‘Pasilda’ in collaboration with Tomas Crow! What are some of your feelings now that the track has had its time to mature in the public arena?
Joan Retamero: Thank you so much. I still can’t believe what these past few months have been like. The track came out on July 4th, and since then, we’ve been receiving daily updates, new support, messages from people, and many suggestions that have surprised us immensely.
We understand that the remix helped a lot of people discover the original, and, being a remixer myself, I think that’s an achievement. It created something really wonderful and made me very happy.
EG: How did this opportunity to remix ‘Pasilda’ come about? What does this release on a label as prestigious as Armada Music mean to you?
Joan Retamero: Armada is a total dream; it’s one of those labels you dream of being a part of someday. And ‘Pasilda’ is a timeless house classic, so the combo is incredible. Personally, it’s almost completely changed my perception of what a record label is and how it works, and I’m still amazed by how it operates and the incredible team they have. We learn everything instantly and are in constant dialogue.
Regarding how the opportunity came about, last year I was working in Afro Medusa’s studio, learning a lot and being inspired. I love the Afro guys and have enormous respect for them. In one session, while sorting through files, I found the stems from the original. It was a real blast for me. I asked Nick if I could bring the stems to have fun and see what would come out with those well-known sounds. When I saw Tomi (Tomas Crow), the idea of doing a remix together came up, something we had always wanted, and we really liked it.
EG: What attracted you most to the original version of the song? What was the studio process like for this track?
Joan Retamero: I don’t know if there was anything that specifically appealed to me the most. We sat in the studio for a couple of days, and the remix came out. It was more about having fun and spending time with friends than anything else. The weather was amazing in London, and I personally really enjoyed making this remix with him, between beers, sunshine, studying, and barbecues. When you listen to the remix, I think that’s noticeable (laughs).
“Armada is a total dream; it’s one of those labels you dream of being a part of someday. And ‘Pasilda’ is a timeless house classic, so the combo is incredible.”
EG: And how did the connection with Tomás Crow come about? What made you think they’d be a good pairing for this release?
Joan Retamero: Tomi is my first close friend who introduced me to music, along with Juanpi Esquivel. They had a duo called Rockin Beats, and we met while learning production. We connected instantly, and Tomi became like a brother to me. We literally lived together for years, including the pandemic, and besides how much I admire him as a person, he’s one of my favorite artists, so doing this remix with him means a lot to me.
EG: In your opinion, what is the key or keys to a “successful” collaboration?
Joan Retamero: I don’t know if there is a key; I think it depends on each case. In this particular one, I have to emphasize that we did it to have fun and enjoy time together, and that there’s a great and long-standing friendship that made the remix very special. Before making the remix of ‘Pasilda’ with Tomi, we had already spent hours and hours studying and enjoying music together.
EG: Were you shocked to see the impact this remix had as one of the highlights of the European summer? Do you think your next release should replicate this level of success? How do you handle that?
Joan Retamero: I really can’t believe it, because while there’s always the possibility that a release will do well, I didn’t expect THIS MUCH support. These have been days of constantly receiving or finding videos of the remix playing everywhere, with support from artists I respect and who are incredibly important in our scene, such as Marco Carola, Solomun, Carl Cox, Sonny Fodera, Loco Dice, Pawsa, Luciano, and The Martinez Brothers, among others.
Many artists of this caliber also privately requested the remix. I took the opportunity to meet them and am in contact with them. I must have more than 150 videos of the remix since the track. In that sense, it truly exceeded all expectations, and I’m feeling it in the affection and feedback from the people.
As for whether the next thing has to replicate that level of success, I don’t know if I think about it much. It’s quite subjective. I want to enjoy the process of deciding what to do with what’s coming next, and hope it’s the best decision possible; that’s it. I have some ideas, and I’m just seeing what happens.
EG: Now, stepping back from the studio, how do you see the current state of the scene? What would you like to see more of and less of?
Joan Retamero: Question for a multi-season podcast (laughs). I recently spoke about the topic, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many debates or different opinions. I like to read everything and think about it. To put it simply, some changes are already a fact, and we have to accept them even if we don’t completely like them, and sooner or later, I feel like people will start paying attention to music again. An album is a hundred times more meaningful than a TikTok video. For me, there’s no doubt about that.
“I must have more than 150 videos of the remix since the track. In that sense, it truly exceeded all expectations, and I’m feeling it in the affection and feedback from the people.”
EG: Finally… What can we expect from Joan Retamero in the coming months? Where will your fans be able to see you next? Do you have any tours lined up?
Joan Retamero: Honestly, I don’t know (laughs). I had a European tour already lined up for October and the Amsterdam Dance Event, which I had to postpone for personal reasons. The whole remix thing made me want to slow down the shows a bit and really sit back and create and figure out how to continue. We’re working on it.
Find your copy of Joan Retamero & Tomas Crow’s remix of ‘Pasilda’ here.
Follow Joan Retamero: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram
