Colombia's DJ Vandel teams up with Benedetti to capture the essence of Medellin on new EP 'Baby Viche' for his CR43A imprint

Colombian producers DJ Vandel and Benedetti join forces this June for Baby Viche, a two-track EP that channels the spirit of Medellín and the tropical energy of Cali into a pair of richly textured deep house cuts. Blending raw grooves, Latin soul and psychedelic influences, the release captures the duo’s distinctive approach to dance music, balancing hypnotic rhythms with a strong sense of place and culture. We caught up with both artists to discuss the inspiration behind the EP, their creative partnership, and the sounds shaping their musical world.

CR.43A has developed a distinctive identity rooted in underground house music with a strong Colombian perspective. What was your original vision for the label, and how do you feel that vision has evolved since its launch?

DJ Vandel: For me, music is a way of telling stories, personal experiences, everyday moments, anything we dare to express through that language. I can only speak from the experiences I live day by day: Medellín, its streets, its people, my friends, the parties, the frustrations, even fiction. It's endless. All of that helps make my music feel real. That's my vision: speaking to people through my music and my sound. It becomes timeless, like a story where every release is a new chapter.

Medellín has become one of the most exciting electronic music hubs in South America over the last decade. From your perspective, what makes the city's scene unique, and how has it influenced both your DJ career and the direction of CR.43A?

DJ Vandel: For decades, we were heavily influenced by scenes from Europe, North America and the southern countries of South America (and we still are). Back then, with so much inspiration around us and a desire to recreate everything we were hearing, the only way forward was to build real connections between countries and cities. I'm part of the second generation of DJs in Medellín, and I've been able to witness how those communities and working networks helped create a small scene with an INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TALENT AND ENERGY.

Today, I would say Medellín managed to transform all that inspiration from both the North and the South into something of its own. It became a gateway, a South American hub where talent constantly arrives and departs. That has been my school, my inspiration, and the driving force behind both my career as a DJ and my work with CR.43A.

Your new EP with Benedetti, Baby Viche, is described as blending Medellín's street energy with the tropical flavours of Cali. How did this collaboration come about, and what was the creative spark behind the project?

DJ Vandel: Carlos and I have been friends for a long time. He’s an incredible musician and has a beautiful sensitivity toward his city. The project actually started during a night of drinks when I visited him in Cali. We were a little drunk, drinking Viche, a traditional spirit from Colombia’s Pacific coast; in this case, a coconut-infused Viche. Somewhere between the euphoria and the joy, the idea of making music together was born.

Benedetti: It was definitely a night of drinks! We planned the entire record without even having an instrument nearby. We wanted to capture our individual styles in a few tracks while recreating the psychedelic atmosphere that’s so present along Colombia’s Pacific coast.

We were interested in blending raw, street-level sounds; not overly polished, with psychedelic textures and subtle touches of Cali salsa culture. The result reflects both our energies and influences very clearly across the two tracks.

The title track, Vicheventura, carries a strong groove-driven energy while subtly weaving Latin influences into a house framework. How do you approach incorporating local musical heritage into your productions without it feeling forced or overly obvious?

DJ Vandel: Vicheventura literally captures that Cali flavour, the endless groove of neighbourhood salsa parties. I think music made without expectations always carries a natural honesty. It comes from the soul, made with love, and when that’s the case, there’s no need to over-explain or dress it up.

Benedetti: We had waited so many years to finally get together and make music that the track almost wrote itself. In fact, all the saxophone parts, synthesizer solos and many of the details were recorded in a single take.

The Latin, salsa and Pacific Coast influences are deeply embedded in the music. We didn’t want to be obvious through the instrumentation or composition. Instead, we wanted those influences to emerge through textures and atmosphere.

Coco Sensación feels more hypnotic and atmospheric, drawing inspiration from Colombia's Pacific coast and jungle landscapes. Were there any specific places, memories or cultural references that shaped the mood of the track?

DJ Vandel: Absolutely. And Viche itself has a lot to do with that. It’s a special spirit, the effect it has on you feels almost trance-like, hypnotic and repetitive. It’s introspective. If we think of the jungle metaphorically, walking or running alone, entering a deeply personal state, means following a pulse toward somewhere unknown.

Benedetti: As soon as we recorded the bassline using a powerful Moog, it completely hypnotized us. We spent a long time simply sitting there, feeling the groove between the kick drum and the bass.

The goal was to recreate the energy and psychedelia of the jungle, the sensation of moving through a Pacific rainforest, passing beneath a tunnel of trees and vegetation at sunset.

House music continues to evolve globally, but Colombia seems to be developing its own voice within the genre. What characteristics do you think define Colombian house music today, and how do you see it standing apart from scenes elsewhere in the world?

DJ Vandel: As Colombians, we carry a huge amount of inherited musical information within us. It goes beyond theory or academic knowledge and becomes something instinctive. We have a deep understanding of rhythm and groove. It’s in our blood.

Considering that house music and electronic music were originally introduced into our culture from elsewhere, I believe it was only a matter of time before we found our own voice and began sharing our perspective with the world.

Across both tracks there's a recurring sense of psychedelia, spirituality and community. How important are those elements to your musical philosophy, both as an artist and as someone curating releases through CR.43A?

DJ Vandel: In this case, psychedelia is part of the record’s concept; because of the Viche, because of Colombia’s Pacific region, and because of Cali itself. More broadly, though, it’s about emotional transparency, and that’s something that constantly appears in my music.

I see spirituality as an energetic force, a tribute to what is organic, authentic and deeply personal. And without community, none of what we do would be possible. The party, the gathering, the sharing of music; it all exists because of the community and for the community.

Benedetti: Every day there’s new music being released, and much of it is heavily focused on editing and audio processing. With Baby Viche, we wanted to use simple elements and straightforward processes to create something spiritual, something capable of connecting with people on the dancefloor in a different way.

These tracks evoke psychedelia, but at their core they’re deeply spiritual.

Looking ahead, what are your ambitions for CR.43A over the next few years, and what can listeners expect from both the label and your own productions as Colombia's electronic music movement continues to grow?

‍DJ Vandel: The label is still evolving, building its own audience and identity. It operates from a place of sincerity: music made patiently, without formulas, contributing a perspective from Medellín to wherever the music finds willing ears.

‍

BUY LINK: https://www.deejay.de/DJ_Vandel_%26_Benedetti_Baby_Viche_EP_CR43A003_Vinyl__1240927