DENIS, a first-generation Argentine-American from Los Angeles, is making waves in the techno scene with her unique blend of driving tribal rhythms and electrifying 303 acid basslines. As the co-founder of CTRL: Database Research, she supports groundbreaking electronic artists while drawing inspiration from figures like VTSS, Arca, and Sara Landry. Her latest single, “Get Out feat. Claire Hardman,” released on August 1, 2025, features captivating vocals and a post-apocalyptic vibe, showcasing her talent for creating dancefloor-ready tracks. With electrifying performances at underground events and recognition from UMEK for her creative acid textures, DENIS is set to shine on iconic stages like Berghain and Tomorrowland.
In the following interview, we will explore her creative process, Argentine heritage, and the vision behind her exhilarating new release.
How did your Argentine-American roots and the San Fernando Valley’s diverse music scene shape your approach to techno?
Being a first-gen Argentine-American growing up in LA, I’ve always had to shape-shift to move through different spaces. My parents threw all-night parties filled with cumbia, chacarera, merengue, salsa, and rock en español — that kind of movement and intensity made a deep impression on me. I try to match that feeling with electronic music now.
Growing up in the San Fernando Valley meant being surrounded by so many immigrant communities — Persian, Caribbean, and Latin American – alongside native LA sounds. As a dancer growing up, there were other influences that were thrown into the mix that pushed that energy even further. I was exposed to ballroom culture, cholas battling to hard house, west coast hip hop, indie rock and electro… the list goes on.
That gave me a wide lens. It made me fearless about how far I’m willing to lean into something. Experimentation is endless now with technology in electronic music. I’m drawn to polyrhythms, distortion, and sounds that feel raw and unpolished. My approach to techno reflects that chaos.
What was the creative spark behind ‘Get Out feat. Claire Hardman’, and how did you decide to weave tribal rhythms into it?
Finishing ‘Get Out’ came from a place of anxiety. I was putting the finishing touches on it while LA was burning. We were in the first of many spirals, with wildfires getting dangerously close to the CTRL studio. There was, and still is, this heaviness in the air, both locally and globally, and I channeled that pressure into the sound to finish the track.
For the tribal rhythms in ‘Get Out’, I wanted the percussion to feel like it was breathing and to add a sense of urgency, so I concentrated on focusing it into fills and the buildup. As the energy of the track built, the intensity of the drums allowed the tribal vocal to maximize.
How did your collaboration with Claire Hardman through the LvR Mentorship Program influence the vocal intensity of ‘Get Out’?
Claire and I met through the LvR Mentorship Program, which is run by Leticia Van Riel — who also manages Victor Ruiz, Sama’ Abdulhadi, and ANNA. She reached out after I released All Juice, and we started building ‘Get Out’ together.
Claire had already laid out the vocal and the foundation, and I focused on the sound design / synthesis, manipulating and adding ideas, ear candies, that sort of thing. The tribal vocal is one of my favorite pieces of the track. I then took Claire’s vox and processed, resampled resampled resampled, processed chopped and distorted it into oblivion… until it became this tribal chant sort of thing. It was so visceral on the buildup and it made me laugh because it was ridiculously haunting and came out of thin air,, so I decided to expand it in even further by creating these big atmospheric swells around it. For the vocal hook, I processed it, added layers that were resampled chops manipulated with Cableguys Shaperbox, and made it really crunchy and big to emphasize how in your face her delivery was.
Can you walk us through your process of layering chaotic 303 acid basslines with the sound design in ‘Get Out’?
I like to treat the 303 like a character. I start with a simple line, then duplicate it into layers—one driving the mid grit, one handling low movement, one for moments of chaos on the high end. For this one, I used a blend of Xfer Serum and a custom acid rack I have in Ableton. I use filtering and saturation to make each layer speak differently, automate resonance for tension, and sidechain so it still punches with the kick. Sometimes it colors outside of those lines but that’s ok because it adds character to the overall tone.
What role do immersive 3D visuals play in enhancing the live experience of your performances at events like LickNDip?
Visuals are a huge part of how I tell the full story of a track. I think of performance as world-building, and visuals give me a way to translate sound into the environment. Although with CTRL we have an expertise in 3D visuals in particular (HD-4884, our founder, is the master of this), for my visuals I’ve chosen to experiment with cinematic AI. With my background as a filmmaker, it’s been a blessing to be able to translate my ideas from a technical perspective to give my music a world it can live in, which I can then scale to narrative cinema once my project scales to get me the resources I need to make that happen.
At shows and festivals, I want the crowd to not just hear the track, but see what it feels like. That means emotive characters, tribal sci-fi motifs, body horror, microbial patterns, ideas that reflect my internal environment. I want my visuals to carry the same mood as the music. It all feeds into one experience, so the crowd isn’t just hearing the record, they’re in the environment with me.
As a co-founder of CTRL: Database Research, how do you balance fostering a global artist community with your own production work?
CTRL is a label and a creative studio. From our Hollywood hub we develop music, visuals, and live concepts, then we extend that globally through Discord and livestreams. Balancing it with my own work has been natural because it’s the same mission: push experimental electronic music forward. Recently we created visuals for Laidback Luke as he toured major festivals like Tomorrowland, and our recent CTRL release “Fleur à la mort” by HD-4884 featuring Crywolf is gaining traction. I block studio time for my records, then switch into A&R and visual direction in sprints so nothing dilutes.
How do you see your gritty, primal techno style evolving as you aim for stages like Berghain or Tomorrowland?
Bigger systems need bigger architecture. I’m leaning into arrangements that let the low end breathe, and drops that hit harder without losing groove. It’s still cinematic and physical, just scaled for rooms like Berghain or festival mainstays, so the story reads from the front rail to the back fence.
What challenges did you face as a woman in the techno scene, and how have they influenced the themes in ‘Get Out’?
There’s constant pressure to be polished or palatable. I’m more interested in distortion and risk. I still deal with doubt and perfectionism, but I don’t let it shrink the work.. I want to help move female-led experimental sounds forward alongside artists I respect. There are so many female artists out there really getting weird, both in their production and in their sets, like VTSS, Arca, Eartheater.
Now that Get Out has released, what have you got planned in the coming months that your fans can look forward to?
More music. Get Out is the first of several I’ve been holding. I’m also building more visuals to continue to carve out the DENIS world. On the CTRL side, we’ve got more releases queued (HD-4884 x Crywolf was up first, then TAYKEN, BLUUR, Lugobi), plus expanded visual work. Same world, deeper dive.
If you could DJ a set at any fictional venue from a sci-fi movie, where would you play, and what track would you drop first?
Something like the planet in Annihilation. Dense jungle, unnatural light, something haunted in the air. I’d start with a slow tribal techno edit, something unhinged and raw. Probably an unreleased ID that is still in the vault.
An alternate venue could be “The Quagmire” from the San Junipero episode of Black Mirror. A maniacal place created for hedonism in a simulation where people can fully let go, but when the sun rises you’re still able to open your eyes to a wide ocean on a seaside beach town, and flip through party eras if you wanted to. I’d probably play a super edit of ‘get out’ starting with the buildup but instead drop into a hardgroove vibe.
Stream ‘Get Out’:
Follow DENIS:
Spotify – Instagram – Youtube – Soundcloud
