Raised in Philadelphia but currently based in New York, Baltra has spent the last decade honing a sound that’s rich on romance and melancholy.
Releasing his first music in parallel with the lo-fi house explosion of the mid-2010s alongside artists such as Mall Grab, Ross From Friends and DJ Seinfeld, Michael racked up millions of plays on YouTube and other streaming services with definitive releases on Step Rec., IDNK (I Do Not Know), Tape Throb Records, Shall Not Fade’s sub-label Lost Palms, Of Paradise as well as his own 96 and Forever Records imprint. Baltra has always had an unstoppable approach and attention to detail that’s set him apart from many of his peers. Often using his own voice, or that of collaborators such as Park Hye Jin, rather than relying on samples, he explored both higher and lower tempos on his 2019 debut album Ted. 2021 saw him release two highly acclaimed EPs on Local Action (Ambition) that had remixes from Yazzus Remix, Martyn Bootyspoon, CFCF, Ariel Zetina and Wawa as well as on Bristol based label Shall Not Fade (Dreaming Of A Disco), respectively. 2022 has seen him return with his latest single ‘Tell Me’, an irresistibly nostalgic party starter, released via the label head’s very own 96 And Forever Records, which is part of his ‘Where I End’ EP that is dropping this fall.