EME drops debut album ‘gangster-ish’

EME is the artistic banner of Colombian DJ and producer Toby Holguin, who arrives as both an extension of his relentless creativity and a distillation of his diverse influences. Known widely as the lead singer of Monsieur Job, the Cali-based group that’s made Billboard history with more than 50 entries across the Latin Digital Song Sales, Latin Album Sales, Top Latin Albums and Heatseekers charts, Toby has already established himself as a celebrated figure. Surpassing even local legends like Grupo Niche and Guayacan Orquesta in chart success, he’s become the most accomplished artist from Cali on the global stage.

Yet with EME, he sets off on a new path that blends experimentation with intimacy, translating his vision into soundscapes that are cinematic, anxious and profoundly personal. He’s far from a one-dimensional artist; beyond music, he directs videos, shoots models, draws, edits audiovisuals and recently completed Kaiko, a feature-length film offering a surreal, fantastical meditation on existence. When not immersed in art, he retreats to nature, spending time with his dogs and cats by the river or playing football. This balance of creative intensity and personal pursuits feeds directly into his work, giving it a context that’s truly human.

Among his many side projects, Musica Para Mi Madre stands out as an immersive contemporary jazz venture praised by critics in the USA and Europe for its groundbreaking output. With the follow-up, Musica Para Mi Madre 2.0: I LOVE BRASIL, due soon, Toby continues to display his fascination with genre fusion and cultural exploration.

His debut outing as EME comes with the album titled gangster-ish, presenting an electronic sphere shaped by his anxieties, faith and rebellious outlook. Drawing inspiration from drum and bass, progressive house, melodic techno, downtempo and jazz, the record takes listeners on a gripping sonic voyage across twenty tracks. Both experimental and cinematic, it fuses sonic adventures with the conceptual impact of artists he admires, such as Pink Floyd, resulting in a release that ventures into unsettling spaces, reflecting the turbulence of today’s world while maintaining a thread of cathartic connection.

gangster-ish moves through dazzling emotional compositions, shifting from downtempo grooves to hurried drum and bass blasts while his devotion to God run throughout the work, offering art as a vessel for personal reflection and spiritual affirmation. The record also brims with cultural and historical references, transforming its sound into a stage for iconic voices and movements; Charlie Chaplin appears as a protester against war and global injustice, Bruce Lee offers his philosophy of water’s adaptability, Steve Jobs emerges as a visionary, while the passion of football fans rises as an anthem of collective identity.

From the bright piano chords and archive vocal samples of Bruce Lee’s famous water in a cup line on opening track “EMPTYYOURMIND_444_777,” the track drifts through an elegant piano-led scene. Tracks like “BLUME9” cast smokey downtempo electronic spells, offering ominous detours of dark synth textures and slowly marching rhythm. “4give+” injects hip hop grooves where snapping beats and pulsing synth tones form an engrossing listening experience.

With “GOD IS LOVE,” EME creates a glitching electronic jam that rolls with stuttered percussion and chopped instrumentation, putting his creative flair on full display. “FODA” leans into an avant-garde soundscape of intricate beats and kaleidoscopic instrumentation to craft a mesmeric outing where jaunty piano notes offset the boom of trap style bass lines. Charging drum and bass beats and chanting football crowds collide on “RC3+6,” resulting in a thrilling track that’s innovative and exhilarating in equal measure.

Closing the record with “FUCK.THE.SYSTEM_9:15AM_Agosto1,” the flutter of sweeping synth tones and vocal samples expands with the punch of jumping percussion, progressing with elegant vocal leads to conclude the album with a euphoric dance music experience. With gangster-ish, EME confirms his status as a prolific figure in Colombian music and a visionary artist crafting a universe where cinema, philosophy and electronic sound converge in spectacular fashion.

Listen to gangster-ish below