Julia Borelli: "The real education started watching experienced engineers make decisions in real time"

At just 28, Julia Borelli has established herself as one of the leading sound engineers in electronic music, working with artists like Richie Hawtin, Anyma, Moby, Rüfüs du Sol, and Solomun, with over a billion streams to her name. She began as a guitarist before moving into recording studios in Rio de Janeiro, contributing to Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning productions. Relocating to Berlin at 20, she quickly rose to prominence in the electronic scene, securing a residency at Riverside Studios and setting new standards in mixing and mastering with projects for Anyma and Afterlife. Beyond her technical achievements, Julia is a prominent advocate for women in music, engaging in global initiatives and mentorship programs that help make the industry more inclusive and diverse.

You started as a guitarist in Brazil, then became a studio assistant at a very young age, and now you’re one of the most in-demand mixing and mastering engineers in electronic music. Was there a particular moment or project that made you realize: "Yes, I really want to build my career behind the soundboard"?

There definitely was. I started as a guitarist and always imagined myself in a band, but the first time I stepped into a studio something just clicked, it felt like magic seeing how sound could be shaped and transformed. When I became an assistant in Rio, I got to work on a few major albums very early on, and one of them later won a Latin Grammy. That was the moment it really hit me. I could be part of something huge creatively, even if I wasn’t the one performing.

What I also fell in love with was the collaborative aspect of it. Being in the studio means you’re constantly exchanging ideas, energy, and trust with artists and other creatives, even though nowadays it’s mostly all only. It’s this collective process — everyone bringing their own piece to make something larger than any of us could do alone.

Your education includes Point Blank in London and SAE Institute in Berlin, followed by hands-on experience at studios like PostModernMastering and JRS. How useful did you find academic training compared to on-the-job learning? Is there something you wish you had learned earlier, or perhaps a "hidden secret" of the craft you discovered only later?

Academic training gave me the foundation I needed — the technical language, the signal flow, the understanding of acoustics. But watching experienced engineers make decisions in real time taught me more than any textbook could, that’s where the real education started.

If I could go back, I wish I had learned earlier that your ears are your best tools. You can have every plugin or piece of gear in the world, but learning how to truly listen, to trust your perception and not overthink, that’s the real “hidden secret.” The more I focused on intention and emotion over perfection, the more my work started to stand out.

In your mixing and mastering work for artists like Anyma, Richie Hawtin, Ben Böhmer, and Rüfüs du Sol, what’s your vision of the "modern electronic sound"? How do you innovate while still respecting each artist’s unique sonic identity?

For me, the modern electronic sound is all about clarity, depth, emotion and a punchy kick. It’s not just about being loud or clean, it’s about creating an immersive space where every detail feels intentional and alive. Each artist has their own sonic DNA, so my role is to enhance that, to make their sound hit harder emotionally and physically without losing its essence.

I always approach each project from a blank slate. I’ll listen to the references, the stems, and try to feel what the track is trying to say. From there, it’s a balance of intuition and technique, using modern tools and workflows, but in service of something human. That combination of precision and feeling is what keeps electronic music evolving.

As a woman in a field historically dominated by men, what challenges have you faced, and what strategies helped you overcome them? What advice would you give to young female producers or sound engineers who want to break into this industry?

It’s definitely been a journey. In the beginning, I often felt like I had to prove myself twice as much to be taken seriously in rooms where I was the only woman. What helped me was consistency and community. I focused on letting the quality of my work speak for itself, and I surrounded myself with people who believed in what I was doing.

To young female producers and engineers: don’t wait for permission. You don’t have to “fit in”, you can create your own lane. Keep learning, stay curious, and build connections with people who share your values. Representation matters, and every time you show up authentically, you open the door a little wider for the next person.

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