Latin Electronic Music Is Having a Moment, & RØZ Is Building Its Own Version of It

There is a bigger story here than a Latin electronic act booking a Phoenix show. RØZ, the Mexican duo of Hugo Lara and Manolo Cabrera, released their debut album SE ESTÁ HACIENDO TARDE in August, a 19-track project that Rolling Stone en Español has placed at the top of a fresh wave of alternative electronic music emerging from Mexico.

The album resists the easy “Latin house” label. It moves through trap, reggaetón, indie, and eighties synth sounds, held together by moody, cinematic production rather than a single tempo. Collaborations with Peso Pluma, J Balvin, and Young Cister widen the map without taking away from the duo’s experimental creativity.

Lara and Cabrera came from different listening worlds. One leaned toward reggaetón and regional Mexican music, while the other leans toward indie rock and synth. Instead of smoothing those differences into one sound, they built a project where both exist. It worked out well.

RØZ brings that approach to The Van Buren in Phoenix on November 8. For anyone curious about where Latin electronic music is actually heading, this is the room to be in.