Buenos Aires DJ and producer Bodaishin has developed his sound around deep, melodic, organic, and progressive electronic music since beginning his artistic journey in 2015. His work has taken him to cities and scenes across Europe, the Americas, and beyond, while his Circle Of Life project operates as both a record label and an outlet for his wider creative vision.
Photo credit: Zane Branger
His latest release, ‘Circle Of Life’, represents the first glimpse of his forthcoming album ‘Circles’ while also marking the 100th official release of his career. The album explores cycles of transformation, resilience, and self-discovery across ten different moments.
In this conversation, Bodaishin discusses the new release, the ideas behind ‘Circles’, his relationship with touring and creativity, and what reaching 100 releases means to him.
EG: Hi Bodaishin, welcome to Electronic Groove! It’s great to have you with us. How have you been, and how does it feel to arrive at such a significant moment in your journey with ‘Circle Of Life’?
Bodaishin: Hello guys! I feel amazing. I just came back from a silent retreat in the woods, and I’m feeling more energy to share all these new projects I’ve been working on. I need time and space to process everything that happens in my life, and it feels like the right moment for the release of ‘Circle Of Life’.
EG: First of all, thank you for your contribution to our EG Podcast Series! What can fans expect to find on this one? Is there a concept or thread running throughout? How do you tend to approach these kinds of mixes?
Bodaishin: It’s a real pleasure to share this mix through your platform. I’ve been following all the work you’ve done for the industry for many years, so it’s a true honor for me to share my new music with the world together with you.
Every mix has a different approach for me, and for this one I wanted to share some really special music that hasn’t been released yet. There’s music from my upcoming album, remixes, edits, live improvisations, and music from artists and friends that I really admire and who are also part of my circle of life.
EG: Now… ‘Circle Of Life’ is both the first glimpse of your upcoming album ‘Circles’ and the 100th official release of your career. When you realised these two milestones would coincide, did it change the way you approached the track?
Bodaishin: I knew release number 100 was coming at some point. I was in the mountains in Córdoba, Argentina, trying to make some music, and then I had this feeling that I wanted to give the new song a special intention. I thought, “This one could be that special song.” At the same time, I found these samples from The Lion King, the live theatre version, and that was it. The name was already there. That’s how ‘Circle Of Life’ was born.
EG: There’s a strong sense of celebration in ‘Circle Of Life’, but also of transition. What were you trying to capture emotionally when you began working on the track?
Bodaishin: To me, life works in circles. Relationships, emotions, patterns, karma, nature, the animal kingdom, Universal Law. With the vocals, I wanted to create a feeling of a mantra. With the melodies, I wanted to reach the peak of the emotions, while the pads and atmospheres hold that space, almost like a feeling of home. Arriving somewhere where you can finally feel at home.
EG: The idea of cycles seems to sit at the heart of both the single and the album. How did this concept develop into the broader narrative of ‘Circles’?
Bodaishin: The idea of cycles came from seeing life as a constant process of transformation. With ‘Circles’, I wanted to explore that journey through ten different moments, from origin and awakening to dissolution, revelation and rebirth. The cycle never really ends, it simply transforms into something new.
“The cycle never really ends, it simply transforms into something new”
EG: You describe the album as an inner journey through transformation, resilience and self-discovery. Was there a particular period or experience in your life that set this creative process in motion?
Bodaishin: Yes. I remember it perfectly. When I started touring around 2019, I had a show in Russia and then another one in Serbia. I didn’t feel good being far from home and living as a nomad. I felt like I was running from myself and trying to avoid that feeling.
Then, in Serbia, I had some health issues. I went to the doctor and they found 25 stones in my gallbladder. I came back to Argentina for surgery, and after that I wanted to spend a full winter season in Andorra, in the Alps, just making music and working on my first album, which was released a few years later on Do Not Sit.
But before leaving home, I had another issue that didn’t allow me to take that flight. I was convinced that I had to make that trip and spend that time in the Alps, focused on music and growing as an artist. So I didn’t follow the doctors and I didn’t really listen to my body. Music was the main thing for me, and it felt almost like my mission.
That whole journey was really crazy, and maybe today, with a calmer mind, I wouldn’t do it again. But it was my decision and my path, and I had to learn a lot through resilience and transformation.
With those 25 stones, I actually built a kind of shaker texture that I used in one of the songs I made in the hospital after the surgery. There are many more stories, but maybe that’s for another opportunity!
EG: Reaching 100 releases means looking back across a substantial body of work. When you listen to some of your earliest productions today, what stands out to you most about the artist you were then compared with who you are now?
Bodaishin: I think the biggest difference is that I understand myself much better now. In the beginning, I was searching a lot, trying to understand where I wanted to go and what my sound was supposed to be. Today, I’m much more comfortable with not having all the answers.
I still experiment a lot, but I trust my intuition more. I think the music has become more connected to who I am and what I’m experiencing in life, rather than trying to fit into a specific sound or expectation.
EG: ‘Circle Of Life’ also feels like a thank-you to the people, places, and experiences that have accompanied you along the way. How important has that sense of connection been to your development as an artist? Are there any plans to present ‘Circles’ in a live setting?
Bodaishin: It’s hard sometimes to do everything I would like to. I have so many different projects at the same time, plus shows, running the label and personal life, so I have to understand when it’s time to give energy to each of them when you’re doing almost everything by yourself.
My gift to people with this album is to not think about algorithms, to give them the full versions in the right order, and to give them the best experience possible when they listen to the full album.
I’ve also been thinking about performing some of the tracks as live versions in the studio. The good thing is that I can do whatever feels right, at the right moment, because the studio is my home.
EG: You’ve built Circle of Life into more than simply a label, giving the name a philosophy that extends into your music and your life. How has having that independent creative space influenced the way you work?
Bodaishin: Everything has happened in a really natural way. If I change, the label changes. If I evolve as an artist, the label evolves with me. Everything is connected, and the fact that I curate both the music and the visual identity gives it a very personal touch. It feels extremely close to me.
I get inspiration from life and from other artists across different genres, and I naturally put that into everything I do. That’s why, for me, it is a circle. Everything flows inside.
EG: With ‘Circles’ still to come, how much can you tell us about the world you’re inviting listeners into with the album, and what can we expect from the chapters that follow ‘Circle Of Life’?
Bodaishin: ‘Circle Of Life’ is really the heart of the album, but it’s not the end of the story. The chapters that follow, as well as the ones that come before it, explore different moments of the cycle: transition, rebirth, dissolution, revelation and integration. Each track reveals another part of the journey.
Musically, it moves from ambient, deep and minimal sounds into organic, progressive and more melodic territory, but everything comes from the same root.
“Today, I’m much more comfortable with not having all the answers”
EG: Finally, after 100 releases, does this moment feel more like a celebration of everything you’ve accomplished, or the beginning of something entirely new?
Bodaishin: At some point, it’s just a number. For me, it’s more about celebrating all the work I’ve done over the last few years and finally putting it out into the world, without fear.
Understanding that it’s not perfect. You can always do more. You can always do less. And releasing a lot of music doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s great or better. For many producers, the right path is to release only a few songs, focused on something specific and with a specific goal.
For me, every song I make, if I’m happy with it, I want to give it to people. It’s also about releasing an emotion that I was holding inside and that was very personal to me. It’s time to let it see the light.
I’m changing all the time, so I feel that the new songs I’m making, which might be released by the end of this year or next year, are more focused on the club and feel fresher to me. So I’m excited about that.
I’m just going to make what I feel in the moment, and if I’m happy with it, I’ll share it with the world.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Bodaishin. We wish you all the best with ‘Circle Of Life’, ‘Circles’, and everything that comes next. Take care!
Bodaishin: Thanks so much for opening this channel of curiosity, and thanks to everyone who stayed until the end of this interview and spent some time with me. I know how difficult it is nowadays to keep people’s attention for more than 30 seconds, so I really appreciate it!
Bodaishin’s ‘Circle Of Life’ is out now. Stream and download your copy here.
Follow Bodaishin: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram
