Billions of views, millions of followers and packed stadiums. How did the Latin trap scene get so viral?
In the mid-2010s, Latin trap music, especially in Argentina, experienced an explosion in popularity. Music videos on YouTube were suddenly getting 100 million views each in no time, with some even hitting the highly coveted 1 billion mark.
"Loca," one of the first big Latin trap hits has accumulated more than 700 million views since its release.
Amid this surge emerged a creative force destined to forever change the region's urban music landscape. That force was Anestesia Audiovisual, a production company established by Facundo Ballve with an audacious vision: to elevate the trap movement and its derivatives through immersive audiovisual experiences.
Facundo Ballve, a photographer and visual enthusiast since the age of 15, embarked on a film degree in college in 2014. This was a turning point. While studying, he dabbled in both photography and coverage of rap events with Radio Doble HH Argentina. It was there that he formed a solid friendship with Alejo, better known today as Ysy A, one of the most popular rappers in the region. This relationship would prove instrumental in Facundo and Anestia's foray into the trap scene. "It happened, initially, through Facu," says Antonio Ballve, Facundo's brother and executive producer at Anestesia Audiovisual. "He was the one who initially got mixed up in that world."
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From that point, their work skyrocketed, with music videos such as "Loca" by Duki, Khea and Cazzu propelling the domestic urban music scene. The track has such a huge hit it even got a Bad Bunny remix.
Despite their association with urban music, Antonio confesses that he and his other brother, Nicolás, Anestesia's artistic and executive producer, had no ties to that world initially. "It was all coming from Facu. But, as the needs of the artists and the industry grew, we entered and made the decision to stake everything on this," he reminisces. At that point, the trap world was far from the cultural phenomenon it is today. But the Ballve family had an unwavering belief in the genre's potential. "We believed it was not a passing fad and said 'we're going to put everything in here. There's no plan B,'" states Antonio.
This gamble soon paid off. The Ballve brothers and Anestesia began to produce music videos for artists at the forefront of urban music, such as Duki, Nicki Nicole, Cazzu, Ysy A and Trueno. This was a time when the demand for music videos to enrich musical content soared. As a result, Anestesia found itself at the heart of this shift, aiding in reshaping the narrative of Latin America's music industry.
But Anestesia is not just Facundo's vision. It has been built and maintained with the spirit of a family business. Nico and Antonio Ballve joined Facundo, completing the team managing the production company, and together they've steered Anestesia to remarkable achievements.
Today, Anestesia has completed more than 250 productions for prominent artists from Latin America and beyond. The recordings are done both in Argentina with international artists and in foreign locations. The recent collaboration with Wisin and Emilia on a music video filmed in the United States is a testament to this.
2023 promises to be a busy year for Anestesia, with a series of ambitious projects underway. "Los del Espacio," its latest and most ambitious production to date, is a project that brings together eight of the most outstanding artists in Argentine urban music. The company is also looking to expand its reach and open offices in the United States and Spain.
“The US market is, without a doubt, a significant objective for us," states Antonio Ballve. But he also emphasizes that Argentina will always be a key market for them. "We'll never stop producing here, because this is where it all started and where most of our artists are."
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In a market as competitive and saturated, Anestesia has found its niche and thrived. "We are the first Argentine production company that almost exclusively dedicated itself to urban music," says Antonio Ballve. "We were born and grew with it; we are of the same generation."
That connection to the generation of trap artists and their profound understanding of the industry's needs and trends have been fundamental to Anestesia's success. The company is consistently seeking ways to evolve and adapt to changes in the genre and industry while maintaining its commitment to quality, art, and creativity.
The story of Anestesia Audiovisual is one of adaptability, audacity, and deep understanding of music and culture. Their ability to meet artists and their teams' needs, manage an artist's image and the quality of their productions, and understand those who hire them has positioned them as leaders not just in Argentina's urban music scene, but also in the global urban music video production landscape. In a rapidly changing world, Anestesia Audiovisual stands poised to lead the next wave of innovation in the urban music universe.
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