Today we’d like to introduce you to Santiago Castrillo.
Hi Santiago, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m an independent electronic music artist, DJ and producer from Buenos Aires, Argentina. My journey in music began around 2015, when I became deeply immersed in the world of electronic music and started developing my own approach to DJing and production.
Over the years, I explored different sides of techno, from raw and energetic sounds to Detroit influences, German trance and more melodic and atmospheric elements. That exploration eventually became less about fitting into a specific genre and more about finding my own sound and understanding what I wanted to communicate through music.
Since around 2019, I’ve been releasing my own productions and gradually building my path as an independent artist. I’ve had the opportunity to release music through different labels and collaborate with other artists, while continuing to develop a sound that combines techno-driven energy with melody, tension, hypnosis and a cinematic sense of atmosphere.
Today, I see my music as a form of storytelling. I’m interested in creating a sense of movement between tension, introspection, intensity and release, where melody is used more as a form of hypnosis than simply as a way to create euphoria. A big part of my process is what I call the “search for sound” — constantly questioning what I can improve, what I can remove, and what can make a track feel truly mine.
Outside of music, I also work professionally in sound for television, which has given me another perspective on listening, detail and sound design. Balancing that work with my own artistic career hasn’t always been easy, but it has also taught me discipline and patience.
At this stage, I’m focused on building SAN CASTRI as an Argentine artist with an international identity. I’m particularly drawn to the European electronic music scene, especially Germany and Berlin, and my goal is to continue developing my music organically, releasing less but with greater intention, and reaching people beyond my home country without losing the identity I’ve built along the way.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. One of the biggest challenges has been building an artistic career independently while also having a professional career outside of music. I work in television, where I’m involved in sound operations for a major sports and media network in Argentina. Although it’s a very different environment from electronic music, I’ve always tried to find the connections between both worlds.
Working with sound professionally has taught me to listen in a very detailed way — to understand balance, dynamics, space and how small changes can affect the way something is perceived. I bring that perspective back into my own music, so in a way, the two sides of my life constantly influence each other. At the same time, balancing a demanding job with production, DJing, releases and developing my artistic identity requires a lot of discipline and time.
Another challenge has been learning not to rush the process. In electronic music, there can be a lot of pressure to constantly release music, play more shows, grow on social media and always be visible. Over time, I’ve realized that this isn’t necessarily the path I want to follow. I would rather release fewer tracks that I truly believe in and take the time to develop my sound.
There have also been periods of uncertainty — wondering whether a track is good enough, whether a release will reach people, or whether the next opportunity will come. But those moments have taught me to trust the process and keep improving rather than depending entirely on external validation.
I think one of the hardest and most valuable parts has been understanding that developing an artistic identity takes years. You have to be willing to experiment, make mistakes, change direction and sometimes let go of things that no longer represent you.
Today, I see those challenges as part of the journey rather than obstacles to overcome. They’ve helped me become more patient, more selective and much clearer about what I want SAN CASTRI to represent.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work as an electronic music artist, DJ and producer under the name SAN CASTRI. My work is centered around developing my own sound and creating an experience that combines energy, tension, hypnosis, introspection and different states of perception.
I’m particularly focused on the relationship between sound and the way it can affect the listener. I like to create music that can be powerful and physical while still having depth and atmosphere. Sometimes I want a track to create tension, sometimes hypnosis or introspection, and sometimes simply a strong sense of movement and energy. For me, music is a way of guiding the listener through different states.
I’m very detail-oriented when it comes to sound. I care about dynamics, space, texture, balance and the way a track evolves over time. My professional work in television, where I also operate sound, has reinforced that attention to detail and has given me another perspective on listening and sound design. I’m constantly trying to find connections between that technical world and my artistic work.
What I’m most proud of is having developed SAN CASTRI independently over the years while maintaining my own identity. I don’t want to simply follow what is popular at a particular moment. I prefer to take my time, release music with intention and continue refining a sound that feels genuinely mine.
What sets me apart is the way I approach electronic music as a form of storytelling. I’m interested in the balance between the physical experience of techno and something more cinematic, atmospheric and introspective. A track can have darkness, beauty, tension, silence and release without losing its energy.
My main goal now is to continue building my own catalog of music, take SAN CASTRI to more places around the world, and increasingly play my music for audiences in different countries. Ultimately, I want my music to reach more people globally and to be able to travel, perform and connect with people through the sound I’ve spent years developing.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I haven’t had the opportunity to spend much time in Michigan yet, so I wouldn’t want to pretend that I know the state firsthand. But there is something about Michigan that has always resonated with me deeply as an artist: Detroit, the birthplace of techno.
Coming from Buenos Aires, a city with its own powerful musical identity, I have a particular appreciation for places where music becomes part of the DNA of a city and eventually influences the entire world. Detroit represents much more than a place on a map to me. It represents a moment when technology, machines, creativity and a very particular human spirit came together to create something completely new.
That legacy is one of the reasons I would love to experience Michigan firsthand someday. As an electronic music artist, there is something very special about visiting the place where a sound that has influenced generations of artists around the world was born.
So, I can’t really say what I like least about Michigan yet — I think I still have to earn the right to answer that question by actually going there.
What I do know is that I would love for music to eventually take me there.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/san.castri
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/dhnwN7S3RnRC7uAB2D
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/59IVdsgGUdqvwsEGlnd2PE?si=QYVdkXWUS4qurTaAQmcIZg&utm_source=copy-link
