Valentina Moretti is a Los Angeles-based trans Latina artist, producer, and label founder whose work spans electronic music, performance, and visual storytelling.
Photo credit: Valentina Moretti – Official
With collaborations alongside Gordon Raphael and recognition from figures such as Pete Bellotte and Richard Gibbs, she has built a multidisciplinary path grounded in self-expression and independence.
Now, she enters a new phase with the launch of CyberFetish Records and the debut of her alias Soy Machin. Built around the release of ‘Doctor Machin’, the project marks a more conceptual and personal direction.
In this conversation, Valentina Moretti opens up about the origins of the track, the Tommie Sunshine remix, and the vision behind her new label.
EG: Hi EG, welcome to EG. ‘Doctor Machin’ pulls from Electroclash and Electronic Body Music. Those sounds have been due for a real return. Was that a conscious creative decision, or did the track find its own direction?
Valentina Moretti: Thanks for the invite. To be honest, the track started as a theater play that I was writing, sort of a cyber goth opera that explores gender and freedom of sexuality in a world that can make you feel ashamed of your deepest desires. Think of Repo The Genetic Opera meets Blade Runner, but queer, and all the music is made live with vintage synths.
Of course, this is something that takes a long time to develop, and I’m still working on it. But I just couldn’t wait, so I condensed part of the first act of the play into a song that I could release alongside a new music project. I felt like releasing the song would help me with the process of making the play. Having said that, the genre came out naturally with the aesthetic and themes I’m exploring.
EG: You brought Tommie Sunshine in for the upcoming remix coming mid-May. He has decades in the American electronic music scene. How did that collaboration come together, and what did he bring to the track that you did not expect?
Valentina Moretti: I love what he did with the remix. He brought a club and festival energy that turned the song into something for DJs to play and for crowds to enjoy. Tommie is such a legend, and I’m a huge fan of his work. I always thought he would be the perfect artist to remix ‘Doctor Machin’ because of his work with artists like Miss Kittin and his influence in the Electroclash scene.
So I took the chance of sending him the track, and I’m honored that he was interested in doing the remix. It made me feel like I’m doing something different in the music scene, something that is worth the attention from people like Tommie Sunshine. I couldn’t be more excited.
EG: CyberFetish was founded alongside SXSW Songwriting Camp Director Mark Gartenberg. That pairing sits well outside the typical label origin story. How did the two of you land on launching a label together?
Valentina Moretti: Mark and I met through my music. He discovered my work and told me he liked it; it all started there. I told him how I struggled to release my music because no labels wanted to put it out. Either it wasn’t commercial enough, or it was because I’m trans, and that pushed me to create my own label, Rex Records.
Mark showed empathy toward my story, and as a songwriting camp director at SXSW, he understands the struggles of independent artists. He works with writers all the time, and he knows how difficult it can be. I’m not kidding when I say that sometimes some of us even struggle to have a fridge full of groceries.
With that in mind, and with the vision of sharing music that feels different, we created CyberFetish. We want to help independent creators — writers, musicians, and designers — through the label. We want to push what it means to create music and what it means to be an independent label, and to build a safe space for artists to express themselves.
“Patience and hard work are key for me, but the most important thing is to enjoy the process and appreciate the small moments along the way”
EG: You are running your Valentina Moretti project alongside the Soy Machin alias and CyberFetish all at once. How do you keep those three creative worlds from bleeding into each other?
Valentina Moretti: Even though it requires a lot of work, it has been a very fun process, and I’m enjoying it. I do feel some pressure, but it’s the kind that pushes your creative side and allows you to discover things you didn’t know about yourself.
Even though they are different worlds, I feel they are part of the same universe, separated but connected. So rather than keeping them apart, I let them complement each other. This allows me to explore new ways of expression, like the theater play I mentioned earlier. I also plan to use other forms of media to expand the stories in my music and enrich the experience that CyberFetish offers.
EG: You performed at EDC twice on the Circuit Grounds stage and held the BBC Radio 1 HE.SHE.THEY residency in 2025. What did each of those experiences teach you about where you want to take your music?
Valentina Moretti: Those were great experiences. They made me feel proud and happy. I’m still learning every day, and I’m still far from where I want to be. Patience and hard work are key for me, but the most important thing is to enjoy the process and appreciate the small moments along the way.
For me, it’s not about the goal, it’s about the life experience, about understanding who I am through my music and my projects. I want to take my music to festivals and stages around the world, and also into film and TV. I want to connect with people on a deeper level and tell my story.
One of the most meaningful things that has happened to me was hearing someone say that my music helped them keep going and not give up on life. When I was alone, without family or support because of who I am, I almost gave up. I’m glad I didn’t.
“We want to build a community, a safe space, and a real music movement. If your music is different and has something to say — especially if it challenges mainstream ideas — then it belongs in CyberFetish”
EG: The longer-term plan is to bring other artists into CyberFetish. What does the label’s sound look like beyond your own projects? Is there a specific corner of electronic music you want to explore?
Valentina Moretti: Electroclash and Electronic Body Music are important pillars for CyberFetish, but we also release Techno, Indie Dance, and House. We are an electronic music label that celebrates all forms of electronic music.
Our objective is not to chase hits or viral moments. We want to build a community, a safe space, and a real music movement. If your music is different and has something to say, especially if it challenges mainstream ideas, then it belongs in CyberFetish.
EG: What is the biggest challenge facing independent electronic labels right now, and how is CyberFetish thinking about it?
Valentina Moretti: One of the biggest challenges is how platforms make releasing music feel like serving the algorithm, and how social media can turn the dancefloor into a place for content rather than real connection.
CyberFetish wants to create a space where musicians can fully express themselves and create meaningful moments through community and music, not numbers or trends.
Valentina Moretti’s ‘Doctor Machin’ is out now on CyberFetish. Stream and download here.
