Mexican-American electronic artist BOLO first got into DJing in high school after becoming fascinated by the DJs at family parties and school events.
"I reached out to a local DJ and started helping with setups, carrying speakers, and learning everything I could," he says. "Eventually, in college, I started playing local parties and bars. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I moved to San Diego, where I spent most of my time going to underground raves and renegades while teaching myself how to produce and remix music. Things really got serious in 2024 when I was fortunate enough to land my first festival set on the art car at Beyond Wonderland Southern California. I used social media to encourage Latino ravers to come check out my set, where I was able to showcase my DJ skills and remixes, make a lot of new fans, and impress the festival organizers enough to earn future bookings. That year was a huge turning point for my career and led to where I am today, touring across the country and internationally while sharing my sound."
BOLO describes his sound as tech house with a hint of Latino elements.
"I grew up listening to reggaeton, mariachi, hip-hop, and a lot of Latin music, while also falling in love with house and techno through the rave scene," he says. "My goal has always been to blend those worlds together in a way that feels authentic—not just putting a Latin vocal over a house beat, but bringing the rhythms, energy, and culture into modern dance music."
His latest release is "Sexy Miami."
"'Sexy Mami' is one of my favorite records because it really captures where my sound is heading," BOLO says. "It's built around catchy Spanglish vocals, which I recorded myself, and high-energy house production that works equally well in clubs and on festival stages. I wanted something that felt fun, confident, and instantly recognizable while still hitting hard enough for DJs to play during peak time. I've been testing it in my live sets for a while, and seeing crowds react before it was even released gave me the confidence that it was something special. I'm excited to finally have it out in the world."
As for gear: "For live shows I typically play on Pioneer CDJ-3000s with a DJM-A9 mixer, which is pretty much the industry-standard setup. I also use in-ear monitors instead of traditional over-ear headphones, and they've worked really well for me over the years. For production, I work in Ableton Live. Honestly, I make most of my remixes and edits on the road, usually straight off my laptop speakers until I have the chance to mix and master them properly in a studio. I don't have a super fancy setup—I just like making music wherever I am."
Looking ahead, BOLO has plenty planned for the rest of 2026.
"We have a few unreleased records that we've been teasing in our live sets to see which ones resonate the most with fans," he says. "That'll likely help decide what comes out next. We're also getting ready to announce our biggest run of headline shows yet with our Fall 2026 tour, which will be announced shortly after HARD Summer. The tour will include stops at venues like the Hollywood Palladium and several other major markets. We'll also be introducing our new tour concept called Bolo's Block, which we plan to take nationwide in 2027. The idea is to bring outdoor, daytime block party vibes to every city, and it's something I'm really excited to keep building."
