OUR STORY
About Us
ECHOSYSTEM was born from a conversation between two artists who refused to choose between tradition and innovation, between intuition and technology, between the ancestral and the electronic.
We are Uji and Lola Villa, sound designers, composers, producers, and collaborators who found each other across continents and creative philosophies.
Uji is an ethnomusicologist from Buenos Aires who spent 25 years studying how ancestral soundscapes and trance-inducing electronics can coexist. Lola is a deep ecologist from Bogotá who transforms field recordings into club music. We both grew up in Latin America, then spent years living and working around the globe—San Francisco, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Berlin, NYC, Paris, Tokyo.
That dual existence shaped everything for us as we delved into our sound. We saw how electronic music could be a bridge, not a replacement. How sound design and traditional music weren't opposing forces, but rather tools waiting to be combined. How you could honor your roots while pushing into completely new sonic territory.
But we found out early in our path, most music education doesn't teach that bridge. It teaches you to follow the same workflow, use the same presets, reference the same tracks. To see technology as the goal instead of the tool.
We experienced that firsthand. Different teachers, different methods, different cities, but the same pressure to flatten our differences, to sound "professional" which usually meant sounding like everyone else.
ECHOSYSTEM exists because we refused that framework.
ECHOSYSTEM grew out of that experience. From years of trial and error, collaborations, performances, and teaching. From learning how to translate intuition into structure, and how to use technology without letting it take over the creative process.
This is the space we wished existed when we were starting out—a place where different paths are respected, where tools are taught in context, and where your personal history is part of the work, not something to overcome.
That’s the story behind ECHOSYSTEM.
What we do
ECHOSYSTEM offers online education in sound design, music production, and Ableton proficiency through on-demand courses, live seminars/cohorts, and 1:1 mentorships—supported by a real community.
We teach technique—but more importantly, we help you develop a unique sonic voice rooted in cultural identity and personal expression. Whether you’re refining skills or exploring new territories, our programs transform the music in your mind into sound in the world.
What we believe
Your roots aren't something to overcome in electronic music, they're your competitive advantage.
Synthesis isn't about memorizing parameters, it's about building your own sonic universe from scratch.
The most innovative producers don't erase their influences, they amplify them.
Technology should extend your creative vision, not replace it.
Learning sound design and honoring traditional music can happen simultaneously—and when they do, that's where the magic is.
EchoSystem is for producers
who want to:
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Create sounds from scratch, not scroll through presets
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Build a unique voice, not copy what's already been done
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Merge ancestral rhythms with club culture without compromise
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Use synthesis as world-building, not button-pushing
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Learn from teachers who've actually walked this path—who know what it's like to bridge continents, traditions, and technologies
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We teach what we wish existed when we were starting out: a place where your personal history is your foundation, where different paths are respected, and where the goal isn't to sound like the industry—it's to sound like you.
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Because the producers who change electronic music are the ones who refuse to erase where they come from.
Join us to access world-class instructors, leading technology, ancestral wisdom, deep ecology and a vibrant community dedicated to the best of sound.
SOUND DESIGNER, PRODUCER, ABLETON CERTIFIED TRAINER & CO-FOUNDER OF ECHOSYSTEM
Lola Villa
Hi, this is Lola Villa.
I was born in Bogotá but raised between Berlin, Amsterdam, New York, and now Mexico City. My practice was shaped by shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) in Japan, where I learned that deep listening is how you understand the world when you slow down enough to hear it.
I've developed a love for field recordings, synthesis, and sound design as a way to connect with my roots, nature, my colombianidad, and my love for house and techno.
I've composed music for documentaries, animated series, podcasts, and films. Collaborated with Ableton, Splice, and Mutek.
I co-founded Future Sound of Nature (a deep ecology label) and ECHOSYSTEM, where I teach synthesis and sound design. Board member of DJs for Climate Action.
As a DJ, I move between dark disco, Italian acid house, Chicago classics, and Balearic gems. My sets weave indie electronica and 80s pop with Latin American warmth. From Sade to Four Tet. Extended sets are my favorite.
I've played Lot Radio (NYC), Burning Man, Garbicz Festival, Fusion Festival (Berlin), Red Bar (Tokyo), and Fête de l'Humanité (Paris).
Music is my love language. Sound is its mother tongue.
10+ years working with nature as muse and co-creator.
ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCER, ETHNOMUSICOLOGIST, EDUCATOR & CO-FOUNDER OF ECHOSYSTEM
UJI
hi, I’m uji — an electronic music producer, ethnomusicologist, and educator with 22 years of experience exploring sound across cultures, technology, and ritual.
I studied Electronic Music and Sound Engineering at Berklee and completed a Master’s in Electronic Music at Mills College, learning alongside artists like Fred Frith and Pauline Oliveros.
I was half of the electronic-folk duo Lulacruza, and my work blends ancestral sound, nature, and modern electronic design. Recent projects include TIMEBEING (ZZK Records), immersive live rituals, film, VR, ballet, and therapeutic sound experiences.
