Fragment A Team: Hagamos Ruido (artist and co-director), Lliure Hilla (production and booking) and Efe Ce Ele (artist, founder and co-director). | Photo by Camila Goa
Founded in 2018, Fragment A is an Abya Yalan platform and record label based in Barcelona. Originally created to compile work by artists participating in the Estéticas Expandidas International Festival in Pasto, Colombia, it has grown into a platform that publishes and supports experimental Latin American sound from an intersectional and decolonial perspective.
The Ballantine’s True Music Fund alumni Fragment A have joined forces with En Tiempo Real and Mala Sangre to release SOS COLOMBIA, a fundraising compilation supporting communities affected by the recent earthquake in Colombia.
The release brings together 56 artists from around the world across 58 tracks, spanning acoustic music, rock, soundscapes, club-focused electronic music and rhythmic experimentation.
Fragment A has become an important platform for experimental electronic music and transdisciplinary arts from Abya Yala. What inspired you to create it, and what gap were you hoping to fill?
We feel that Fragment A's mission has evolved over the last few years. From the beginning, we have tried to bring visibility to Abya Yala's experimental sounds internationally, while building a network of collectives, venues, events, and individuals across the continent to support one another through an intersectional lens.
However, after the pandemic, Fragment A relocated to Barcelona with its current directors. Here, we experienced firsthand how the Abya Yala diaspora remains on the margins—not only socially, but also regarding access to music production and performance spaces.
While we preserve our founding purpose of bringing global attention to Abya Yala's music, we are now focusing on creating opportunities for the diaspora, particularly for our migrant queer peers who are constantly striving for a place in this industry. We are currently focusing on education and exhibition, recognizing that visibility alone isn't enough; one of the biggest challenges for our migrant community is gaining access to the resources needed to learn, develop their creative potential, and produce music at a professional level.
For someone discovering Fragment A for the first time, which release would you recommend they start with, and why?
It’s difficult to single out just one. One of the defining characteristics of Fragment A is that the music we release is very diverse. We don’t define ourselves by a specific genre or style, but rather by the questions we ask about what electronic music is and what happens when it is produced by artists from the southern regions of Abya Yala.
For that reason, we recommend listening to TMF x Fragment A, a compilation featuring tracks from each of our albums. It offers a great overview of the diversity and range of our catalog.
Xyamm Angel - Showcase TMF Fragment A 2026 | Photo by Frank Tinjaca
Fragment A approaches music through an intersectional and decolonial perspective. How does that philosophy shape the artists you work with and the stories you want to tell?
First, I think it’s important to acknowledge that keeping this perspective in a coherent way is our biggest challenge. We are constantly questioning ourselves, especially because curating a platform inherently involves inclusion, but inevitably exclusion as well. Because of this, we continuously review our reasoning behind why we choose—or don't choose—an artist for a release.
For instance, in VAs and collective events, we aim for a minimum of 60% women (cis/trans) and non-binary artists. Within the remaining 40%, we ensure that at least 20% are queer male artists, leaving very few spots for cis men—and when we do include cis men, we prioritize racialized individuals. Our roster consists exclusively of artists from Abya Yala or the diaspora, and when we partner with other platforms, we actively seek out collectives that work with artists from the Global South and/or the queer community.
Of course, we cannot always hit these exact numbers, but they serve as our active guideline. Ultimately, we are far more committed to supporting artists within these communities—even if they aren't 'professional' (a term we don't particularly align with)—than to chasing quick recognition through 'famous' names. We know our role is to create space for artists who haven't yet had the access or opportunities to gain the visibility they genuinely deserve.
Fragment A has worked with nearly 100 artists from across Latin America. What have you learned about running an independent record label that you wish more emerging founders and artists understood?
On one hand, we believe it is important to professionalize the way we work. Fragment A is a label that seeks to move away from the logic of mainstream platforms and production systems that exploit music workers. At the same time, we’ve learned that professionalism, at its core, is deeply rooted in mutual respect. The relationship between a platform and its artists must be reciprocal—working with methodologies that allow for a fluid, clear, and fair process helps prevent conflicts before they start.
One of the key things that defines us is that we work with people from very different backgrounds. For this reason, it is essential for us to understand and respect each person’s individuality and lived experiences. We recognize that every artist has different needs, but as a label, we also have expectations—such as respecting deadlines, maintaining clear communication, and putting agreements in writing.
Ultimately, we've learned that the level of resources or the scale of a project isn't what matters most. What truly matters is absolute transparency with every single person we work with. For us, professionalism isn't about reproducing mainstream industry structures; it’s about building honest, fair, and sustainable relationships that honor everyone involved.
You were part of the 2025 shesaid.so x Ballantine's True Music Fund. How did that support help bring this latest chapter of Fragment A to life?
The True Music Fund helped us tremendously in fulfilling our dream of truly accompanying the artists we worked with throughout 2025 and early 2026. We created a mentorship and support program for seven artists—including ourselves—to work intensively on producing and releasing an album (EP or LP).
Beyond the material resources, having the guidance and mentorship of shesaid.so and Engalanan was an incredibly gratifying experience. Being able to share our process with total transparency, explore potential solutions, and gain fresh, external perspectives encouraged us to keep pushing forward while thoughtfully evaluating new directions in a very careful, generous environment. It is truly a privilege to have that kind of support.
One of the hardest parts of staying aligned with our mission is that the industry rarely provides the material resources needed to support us (migrant, racialized, and queer artists from Abya Yala). As a result, we—and most independent collectives—end up working ad honorem most of the time. Having a portion of our material costs covered allowed us to dedicate the time these projects truly required, ensure fair compensation for collaborators, and, above all, execute the initiative without the usual precarity we so often face.
Camila Rizzo - Showcase TMF Fragment A 2026 | Photo by Frank Tinjaca
After presenting the releases live earlier this year, you've taken some time to pause and reflect. What have you learned from this chapter of Fragment A, and how is it shaping what comes next?
One of the main things we have learned is where we want to take the project at this stage. During this period of reflection, we realized that certain paths set by the mainstream "industry" are simply not the ones we want to replicate. That definition of "industry" often includes practices that just don't align with our values. Because of this, we need to prioritize creating our own models—understanding what tools to take from existing systems, and where we truly need to build new alternatives, interests, and possibilities.
On a practical level, we would love to secure a physical space where we can work, set up a studio, and access the resources needed to produce music under the best possible conditions. We have also been thinking a lot about building sustainable financing methods without selling out to major brands, turning ourselves into stress-generating machines, or reproducing economic models where resources always flow in the same direction. Instead, we want to cultivate economies where resources are distributed as equitably as possible.
Beyond releasing music, one of our major goals is to create a school where people can access knowledge related to cultural production in a democratic way, always informed by our worldview and political perspective. To make this possible, we felt it was time to step away from organizing regular events and focus instead on producing showcases and one festival per year, shaped by our own approach to the contexts and conditions in which live music is presented and shared.
Ultimately, what we are learning is how to build a project that is genuinely aligned with our way of making culture—one in which resources are not always funnelled toward the same people, places, or structures, and where dissident sounds from southern Abya Yala are heard everywhere.
Maia Basso (Artist) - Showcase TMF Fragment A 2026 | Photo by Frank Tinjaca
Can you tell us anything about what you're working on in the near future, or share any news about upcoming releases or future projects?
We have a lot of ideas! But the most concrete projects for the near future are two:
First, after the wonderful two-day showcase we hosted for the TMF releases, we decided it was time to bring back the festival we organized three years ago. We already have the dates set for the next edition: March 12 and 13, 2027, in Barcelona. We are extremely excited because we are planning some beautiful collaborations for this edition that will make it truly special. We can't reveal too much just yet, but stay tuned for upcoming announcements!
Secondly, as we mentioned before, we are working on a project that requires a bit more development and pre-production: the "Escuelita de Producción Migra." This initiative aims to provide free classes and resources in music production, composition, and technical skill development for migrants in Europe. We are currently in the funding phase, but we are confident that we will bring it to life next year.
Beyond that, we are always releasing music! While we slowed down a bit after delivering the seven TMF albums, we are now working on the debut release of Vieja Loka, a fantastic non-binary artist from Argentina. We are currently in the mixing and mastering stage, targeting a release in November, starting with a few singles before dropping the full EP.
What's one piece of advice you'd give to someone looking to build a community-led platform or independent label that champions underrepresented artists?
We should never forget something very important: a community is built around the common good.
SOS COLOMBIA - VV.AA
Initiative & Organizers: En Tiempo Real x Mala Sangre x Fragment A
All proceeds from Bandcamp downloads will go directly to local communities, families and grassroots organisations supporting reconstruction, community healthcare and food aid.
* Listen & Buy Link
Participating Artists (56): Aeonfelit, ágata, anímala, Arekipe, B4MBA, Blue Rojo, Carlos Vázquez, Carolina Morales Vallejo (with María Teresa Ramírez Nieva), Carolina Segura, Cátodo, Comusik, Diego Quintus, DJ GÄP, Eisebelle, ESE, Evelyn Vega, GENOSIDRA, Hagamos Ruido, Inés Terra, Jennitza, Jetpacc, Jorge Haro, JRM, Killer Estralandia, Kinda, La Bregadera, La Mujer Cabra, Lozk, Maia Koenig, MENJURJE, Mizu, Mookie, Mórbido, Mutant Thoughts, Natalia Trujillo, Natasha 95, ODDSKIN, Oksana Linde, Palos Que Se Fueron, Piaka Roela, Quizas Dúo, REI TIER, Rosa Nolly, Sara No Sonarás, Sara Persico, SERINADE, STILL, Tania Tovar, TEMNITSA, Titi Calor, Valle de Pantanos, Violeta Genciana, Vladimir Giraldo, Vlahebo, xyae, Zoitsa Noriega & Federico Demmer.
