Emil Toledo’s musical journey is one shaped by geography and introspection. From the melodic grooves of South America to the hypnotic and high-energy sounds of Europe, each stop has left a distinct imprint on his sound. Now based in Los Angeles, Toledo finds himself more connected than ever to the music he creates and the purpose behind it.
Photo credit: Emil Toledo – Official
When we last spoke, Toledo was celebrating the self-release of ‘OLGA’, a project that marked his entry into the scene. Two years later, he returns with ‘The Sound of Hope’, his first official label release—this time via Lane 8’s This Never Happened, in collaboration with close friend Rinzen.
Along the way, Toledo has dedicated himself not just to refining his production skills, but to deep personal growth, cultivating an artistry rooted in presence, self-awareness, and intention.
In this conversation, Emil Toledo opens up about transformation, creative intuition, and the path ahead.
EG: Hi, Emil! Welcome back to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been?
Emil Toledo: Thank you for having me, and the pleasure is mine! It’s been quite a ride since we talked last time—I remember being so excited back then, as I am now—even though I had no idea of the journey I was stepping into.
The way I see it, the challenge has been mostly introspective; things outside of my control happened pretty smoothly, to be honest. I found myself surrounded by the right people, at the right time—mentors, promoters, artists, labels, everything. But the biggest challenge has been (and I’m sure will always be) internal. At the same time I was crafting my artistry, I was also doing deep work on growing as a person—how I think, how I process my emotions, and how I approach life. I’ve come to the conclusion that, no matter how good I become at making music, my best work will come when I find myself at peace, in balance. Everything else is just happening now, and I can’t wait to see how things develop in the next period.
EG: Last time we spoke, you were celebrating the drop of ‘OLGA’, your first release ever. What have you been up to these past two years?
Emil Toledo: I’m really happy you bring that up! ‘OLGA’ was more of a personal project—something I wanted to release independently. My first official release with a label just came out a few weeks ago! We can dive into that more later, but to answer your question, I’ve basically spent the past two years exploring what Rick Rubin calls in one of his books: The Creative Act: A Way of Being. In just a few words, I had to unbuild myself in order to build my new self—both as a person and as an artist. I’ve become someone who’s in love with who I am, and that helps me be kind to myself through this journey, which is full of both challenges and rewards.
The more I dove into developing my artistry, the closer I came to building a community around me: friends who support me all the way, artists and labels who value what I have to offer, and promoters who resonate with my work ethic.
EG: So now, you’re behind the drop of your first official release, which is out via Lane 8’s This Never Happened. You must be very excited to have this one out. What are some of your thoughts right now? What has the initial reception been like so far?
Emil Toledo: Everything has been just amazing! Having this release out on This Never Happened is the perfect way to present myself officially for the first time. What makes it even more special is that I’m doing it with Rinzen, who happens to be one of my best friends. To share this moment with someone who’s been such a pillar in this experience is not just a professional milestone, but a deeply personal one. It reminds me that this journey is about people as much as it is about music. The response has been incredible—people have shown full support from day one. The engagement and feedback have been beautiful, and it’s a full shot of motivation to keep believing in myself and in what I feel passionate about.
EG: So, what’s this record about? Is there a concept to it? What can your fans expect to find on this one?
Emil Toledo: It definitely has a feeling behind it—the feeling of hope. Fun fact: Rinzen actually surprised me when he came up with the name ‘The Sound of Hope’. I hadn’t shared any thoughts about the name with him beforehand, but this track carried a deep sense of hope for me. I knew the song had something special—it had my voice, my feelings at that moment; “hope” for something bigger to happen in my music career. Not only that, but when This Never Happened signed it, it gave me hope for the future I work toward every day—a future for which I’ve traded experiences, friends, relationships, and more—because I knew it would be worth it.
“I’ve come to the conclusion that, no matter how good I become at making music, my best work will come when I find myself at peace, in balance”
EG: In which ways have you grown as a musician/producer since the release of OLGA? What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve encountered in your path?
Emil Toledo: Well… building on what I mentioned earlier, I realized during this journey that most of the work had to be done on the inside—in order to really hear my inner voice and understand what I wanted to communicate through my art. The other side of the coin was learning how to express those emotions musically. That meant learning my instruments so deeply that they feel like extensions of my mind. Whatever sound I hear internally, I want to be able to bring it to life through my hands, or through any tools—like VSTs—I’m using at the moment. And I have to say, as an electronic music producer, you’re essentially a one-person team—handling everything yourself. That’s why I have huge respect for all the talented producers out there doing it all.
EG: Speaking about releases, anything in the pipeline that you can share with us? Where do you think you’ll go next now that this one is out?
Emil Toledo: I definitely have something coming up that I can share—and I’m super excited about it! I want to keep building my career with the partners I’ve been working with so far. I’m already working on new material for This Never Happened, and I also want to work with two labels that have always inspired and influenced me: Bedrock and Sudbeat. I believe those labels would allow me to fully showcase my scope of sounds—deep, progressive, and melodic house.
EG: What sort of things inspire you these days? Where do you go for inspiration?
Emil Toledo: I’ve been spending a lot of time watching artist interviews—like the ones from Resident Advisor. But I don’t limit myself to music artists—any kind of art. It’s amazing how much you can learn from each creator: how they create space to work, how they overcome challenges, and how they grow through experience. Every artist is a universe waiting to be explored. I always walk away with insightful thoughts from these interviews, reassurance in my own beliefs, and the courage to keep going.
EG: Discussing a broader picture… what do you see as the biggest challenge for artists in the near future? What advice would you give them?
Emil Toledo: Best advice: don’t believe everything you see and hear on social media is true. Don’t overwhelm, discourage, or depress yourself with things you know nothing about. Listen to yourself, believe in yourself, and learn to shut down the external noise. I recently wrote a piece for my magazine PULSE on this topic, and I’ll quote Rick Rubin again with this powerful line:
“Follow your own inner guide. It might not make sense—to you, or to anyone else—and that’s fine. Listen to yourself. Why is it telling you this?”
I love that phrase because it honors the messiness of intuition. Our gut feelings aren’t always neat or logical, but they’re deeply personal. They often point us toward what we really need to do—not what we’re “supposed to do” based on what we see or hear. The real challenge isn’t chasing guarantees or approval—it’s trusting that voice inside, even when it’s unclear, even when it confuses others. That’s where the richest places are.
“This journey is about people as much as it is about music”
EG: Looking forward, what can we expect from Emil Toledo? Where can your fans catch you next? What are your next scheduled shows?
Emil Toledo: I’m definitely focused on continuing to grow my community on the West Coast. Most of my gigs happen between Los Angeles and San Francisco—which I absolutely love. The active season is coming up in the second half of the year, and I’m excited about some unannounced shows still to be confirmed—you know how it works! But for now, I’m super excited about the Echolore Festival happening in Deloro Valley with SET Underground. I’m really going to enjoy that one—both as a gig and as a vacation!
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Emil! We wish you all the best in the future. Take care!
Emil Toledo: Thank you as well. I love having the opportunity to share my journey with you, and I look forward to another moment together!
Emil Toledo’s ‘The Sound of Hope’ is out now on This Never Happened. Stream and download here.
Follow Emil Toledo: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram
