Uji

Argentinean producer Uji, real name Luis Maurette, crafts atmospheric and restrained electronic dance pieces rooted in worldwide folk traditions and acoustic textures, with particular emphasis on Latin American, African, and indigenous sources. He first gained notice as one half of the folktronica duo Lulacruza before issuing his own material as Uji throughout the 2010s, when he aligned with the forward-looking digital cumbia imprint ZZK Records for the albums Alborada in 2018 and Timebeing in 2022.

Although born in Buenos Aires, Maurette has followed a peripatetic path since age two, living in multiple countries across North and South America. While studying sound design and synthesis at Berklee School of Music, he began folding field recordings of indigenous ceremonies and organic environments into his work. Together with Alejandra Ortiz he formed Lulacruza, releasing four albums and one EP between 2006 and 2015 that fused natural sounds and folk instrumentation with ambient electronics and present-day song forms.

Maurette subsequently turned toward more rhythm-oriented productions under the Uji moniker, beginning with a 2017 remix of Nicola Cruz’s “Invocación,” the single “Romper el Hechizo” featuring Fémina, and a guest appearance on El Búho’s album Balance. The 2018 EP Adoro, recorded with Sof Tot, preceded his first proper solo album, Alborada, issued by ZZK Records; Cruz later supplied a remix of its single “Jenga.” At the close of 2020 he collaborated with the Afro-Colombian family group Dinastía Torres on the Marimbas del Guapi EP. Uji’s second full-length, Timebeing, arrived in 2022 accompanied by a short film directed by Jazmin Calcarami.