Baltra

New York City-based Michael Baltra (known by his surname) makes house and breakbeat tracks which often feature warm, nostalgic melodies and hazy, bittersweet vocal samples, as well as his own introspective vocals. He gained a following with early tracks like “O’Neal” and “Fade Away (Vocal),” which coincided with the rise of the lo-fi house scene during the mid-2010s. He gradually expanded his sound to incorporate jungle, trip-hop, and hip-house on subsequent released like the 2019 full-length Ted and 2021′s Ambition EP.
Originally from Philadelphia, Baltra moved to New York during the mid-2000s and began releasing music in 2014, starting with the digital EP The Vision. In 2016, he began releasing music through his 96 and Forever imprint, and the video for his song “Fade Away (Vocal)” began racking up views on YouTube. He soon began playing shows in Europe more frequently, and releases appeared on labels such as Step, Lost Palms, and Tape Throb. Additionally, he remixed tracks by DJ Boring and Jacques Greene, and started a project with DJ Seinfeld called Sacamano. No Regrets, initially a 2016 cassette, was released on vinyl by Of Paradise in 2017. The label also released Baltra ’s 2018 EP Can’t Explain It; its title track featured guest vocals by his wife, Angela.
In 2019, Baltra released his ambitious debut full-length, Ted, named after his father who had suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. The album’s 15 tracks ranged from manic drum’n’bass to ambient house, and the tune “Ahead of Time” featured guest vocalist Park Hye Jin. Baltra released two collections of demos, alternate versions, and non-album material in 2020, as well as an EP of ambient loops titled when i said i’m okay what I really meant was please listen. Local Action released Baltra’s more vocal-driven EP Ambition in 2021. ~ Paul Simpson