Last month, Latin EDM powerhouse Deorro dropped his highly anticipated third studio album, BOTAS & RAVE. Blending the vibrant rhythms of cumbia, banda, quebradita, and tribal with high-octane EDM, the 11-track project explodes at elevated tempos of 160 BPM, delivering heavy drops and boundary-pushing energy that marks a bold new chapter in his discography. Featuring collaborations with Mexican music icons including 3BallMTY, Voces Del Rancho, and Montez De Durango, BOTAS & RAVE perfectly embodies the genre-blending movement Deorro pioneered—seamlessly fusing the soul of música Mexicana with the raw intensity of modern electronic music.

In this interview, we dive into the creative vision behind the album and his continued evolution as a cross-cultural artist.

“BOTAS & RAVE” pulls from very specific styles like banda, cumbia and quebradita. How do you balance staying true to the traditional structures of those genres while ensuring they translate to a global mainstage EDM audience?

First and foremost, I wanna say thank you to everyone for the incredible feedback and of course, thank you to my team for helping me put this project together. It’s true — it takes a village, and for that, I’ll always be grateful. “BOTAS & RAVE” is a collection of different worlds within one world, that world being the Mexican sound, which comes from many different avenues of la cultura Mexicana. For example, banda — and it doesn’t just stop there. There’s so much depth to that alone. Same with cumbia, quebradita and so many other styles.

The journey for “BOTAS & RAVE” actually began when I was a child, without even knowing it. Being at family parties, for some reason, I would always pay attention to the music. I would hear certain songs come on, and my curiosity would keep me engaged with the overall vibe of the party. Whenever I heard a song that I liked but had never heard before, I would repeat it in my head until it was set in stone. I would wait for songs that had that certain drive and energy that would, without fail, get everyone at the party on their feet. With “BOTAS & RAVE,” I got to dive into the sounds that I grew up with. I had the opportunity to really understand the elements, the traditions and so much more that, combined, create a soundtrack of our culture.

All in all, I think because I’ve had that connection with our music since I was very young, my dedication to this project came naturally. It never felt like work, and there was never any stress while putting the music together in the studio. I gave each project all my time, focusing on every sound and making sure I remained humble, never allowing myself to become too comfortable with my knowledge. Coming from the world of electronic dance music, stepping into different genres can definitely feel intimidating, but being able to apply my Mexican culture to electronic dance music is more than just music production. The moment I began producing “BOTAS & RAVE,” my heart immediately connected to it.

What do you want this album to say about the future of Mexican EDM and its place on the world stage?

Well, if I’m being honest, my dream would be for people on both sides to, in some way, become aware of the other side after listening to “BOTAS & RAVE.” I hope those who aren’t familiar with electronic dance music and maybe only listen to banda, cumbia, música norteña and similar genres give this album a chance and let it grab their attention, even in the smallest way — and vice versa. I also hope those in the world of electronic dance music gain even the tiniest bit of curiosity about Mexican culture. Honestly, with that alone, I’m good. That’s more than I could ever ask for. This album is simply a result of my commitment to music because music has taken care of me and everyone around me. This project is me giving whatever I can back to music. It’s me giving back to my fans, and being able to see that it connects with people is more than enough for me.

As a pioneer of the Mexican EDM movement, how do you feel your approach to “bridging the gap” has changed from your early hits like ‘Bailar’ to the tracks we hear on this new 11-track project?

Well, the truth is, the approach honestly hasn’t changed at all. The respect for what I do has always been there. Again, I’m just grateful to be able to make music. With that being said, when I made ‘Bailar’ with Elvis Crespo, it came together just like any idea would — kind of out of nowhere. Like any crazy idea, I thought combining merengue with EDM was crazy, but crazy in a good way. Crazy enough for me to actually go for it.

Coming from the world of electronic dance music, I was very aware of what I was doing. I was diving into a whole new genre, a whole new world that has history dating back way before me. Because of that, I knew I had to respect it and really approach it with patience while applying myself to understanding the merengue sound. After about two years of listening to merengue and learning about the elements, rhythms, history and traditions, I finally felt confident enough to try making my own version of merengue. After three or four tries — and I mean three or four completely different projects with completely different approaches to combining merengue with EDM — I finally landed on something that literally made me jump out of my chair.

At that point, I felt comfortable enough to send it to someone like Elvis Crespo because I genuinely believed I was sending something he could identify with and hear himself in. I wanted him to feel his sound in what I had created. So, long story short, nothing has really changed. Everything I do today is the same way I approached things back then. Every genre I immerse myself in is a whole new journey and a whole new lesson, and I’ll always give it 110% to make sure I bring these crazy ideas to life in the best way possible.

The album features a range of artists such as 3BallMTY, Voces Del Rancho, and Montez De Durango. Can you walk us through the selection process for these collaborations?

To be able to work with artists such as 3BallMTY, Voces Del Rancho, Montez De Durango and Alacranes Musical is honestly a full-circle moment for me. I know that sounds cliché, but it’s the truth. Again, I grew up listening to these sounds — zapateado, quebradita duranguense, cumbia norteña, tribal — and these are all styles that, to me, represent our culture in such an amazing way.

Being able to make each song with some of the very best artists in each genre, pioneers even, is truly a dream come true. I really appreciate the fact that they trusted me and allowed me to help guide each song creatively. They allowed me to write and compose the melodies, which they then brought to life by recording themselves.

For me, the collaboration process was really about working with artists who genuinely connect to these sounds and who helped shape the culture behind them. That authenticity was really important to me throughout the entire project.

You mentioned that this project allowed you to “relive your youth.” Was there a specific song or rhythm you rediscovered during production that instantly transported you back to a childhood memory or a family party?

Definitely. I think one of the genres that I was completely stoked to work on was zapateado. I have vivid memories of my uncles stomping the ground with their boots, holding a beer in their hands and wearing sombreros on their heads. “Zapateado Encabronado” was the anthem. To experience that music while growing up and then later find myself producing it was absolutely surreal. Learning the rhythms, the instruments, the sound of the tarola and its 3/4 time signature, the transitions and everything else that comes with the genre was more than just music production for me. It became an understanding of a sound that connected with me at such a young age.

You’re signed to Peso Pluma’s Double P Records. How has being part of that specific ecosystem influenced the creative direction or the collaborative spirit of this album?

Double P has honestly been one of my biggest blessings. To be able to have a team like this and a community of people who believe in the same things I do means everything to me. It’s a place that I can walk into and immediately feel welcomed. From management to my A&R team, from marketing to even the staff who don’t directly work with me, I genuinely feel their kindness, encouragement and excitement, and that motivates me so much. Having that kind of support system around me really inspires me creatively and pushes me to give my best every single day. I’ll forever do for them what they do for me because I truly owe them so much. I’m honestly incredibly blessed and lucky to have them.

How will your upcoming “BOTAS Y RAVE” shows be different from your regular club/tour shows?

With the album, I’m really hoping it connects with people so that I can fully bring it into my live shows. “BOTAS Y RAVE” is a celebration of the culture, and I want to take it everywhere, so we’ll see what happens. If it connects, we’ll continue developing it, applying it to the shows and seeing how far the sound can go. Right now, I’m currently working with my team and my band during rehearsals. Our goal is to maybe have a 15 to 20 minute segment during the show where I bring the band out and perform some of the songs from the album live. I think that energy and live element could make the experience really special for the fans.

It’s not a secret that you’re a big fan of tacos. It’s 1 a.m., you’re starving and you just finished a club set — what taco order are you getting?

Well, I definitely go through taco phases sometimes, but to be honest, I just love food in general. I’m not picky at all. I’ll take carne asada tacos, al pastor, carnitas, shrimp, fish, quesatacos, quesabirrias… the list honestly goes on and on. Oh, and as far as sauces go, I’m sorry, but I just can’t choose only one. You will find me putting every salsa available on each individual taco. I like it all!

Anything else that you want to share with your fans about the album or the rest of the year?

I just wanna say thank you so much for all the love and support on “BOTAS & RAVE.” Again, this album is a celebration of la cultura Mexicana, and I hope to celebrate with you soon. Remember, everybody’s invited to the celebration, no matter where you’re from.

¡Arriba México!

Fresh off his coast-to-coast performances at Beyond Wonderland and Ultra Music Festival, Deorro continues to make waves in the EDM space. Known as a pioneer in the fusion of música Mexicana rhythms with EDM, thepowerhouse artist has performed at renowned music festivals like Tomorrowland, Coachella, Lollapalooza, EDC Mexico, EDC Thailand, EDC Las Vegas and more and is the creative force behind tracks like “Five More Hours” with Chris Brown, “Bailar” with Elvis Crespo and hit song “Yo Las Pongo” with Los Tucanes De Tijuana. Deorro is currently gearing up for a lineup of upcoming performances including Suenos Music Festival, his Las Vegas residency and his very own ‘BOTAS Y RAVE’ concerts in San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA. Signed to Prajin Parlay Inc. and Peso Pluma’s Double P Records, Deorro has garnered over 7.8M monthly Spotify listeners, reinforcing his status as a major figure in today’s electronic music landscape.