Ela Minus, the Colombian artist and producer, and Nick León, the Brooklyn-by-way-of Miami producer and DJ, have announced qué les pasó a mis amigos?, a new collaborative EP due out August 7 via Domino’s Smugglers Way. The three-song digital EP — its title translates to “what happened to my friends?” — was co-produced by Minus and León and accompanied by new single “espiral.”

qué les pasó a mis amigos? will be released digitally on August 7 via Smugglers Way, with a 12” vinyl edition arriving November 20 featuring remixes by Loidis, Guedra Guedra, and Brenda.

Smugglers Way is also presenting its first-ever label showcase at London’s prestigious ICA on September 3, featuring the debut performance from Ela Minus & Nick León, alongside sets from Alexis Taylor & Mike Simonetti and Guedra Guedra, celebrating a run of recent releases.

Ela Minus and Nick León first met in Mexico City in 2024 while each stood on the precipice of career-defining releases. For Minus, that was DÍA, her acclaimed sophomore album that expanded the shadowy synth-punk aesthetics of her earlier work into something more colorful, vulnerable, and emotionally expansive. For León, it was A Tropical Entropy, his debut album and a deeply personal portrait of Miami rendered through humid textures, buried melodies, and dystopian club rhythms.

Though there was never any pressure to collaborate, the pair immediately recognized a shared sensibility. Questions around artistic purpose, emotional burnout, and human connection naturally became the thematic backbone of the project: What happens if we stop listening? What happens if we stop the music? What happens if we leave everything to chance? The resulting EP became an answer in itself.

Their collaboration evolved organically over several years, beginning with ideas exchanged in Mexico City before taking fuller shape in Los Angeles in 2026. In the interim, the two artists continued crossing paths creatively — León remixed the standout DÍA track “QQQQ,” while Minus appeared on León’s A Tropical Entropy track “Ghost Orchid.”

“It was so free,” León says of the process. “There were unspoken understandings of what we wanted to do. That’s not normal.”

“We immediately felt this kinship,” Minus adds.

With qué les pasó a mis amigos? — mixed by Patrick Holland and mastered by Heba Kadry — the pair embraced experimentation without expectation, creating music that not only expands both of their artistic worlds, but also lays the groundwork for future collaborations. As León promises: “There will be more music together.”

Ela Minus and Nick León
qué les pasó a mis amigos?
Tracklisting
Smuggler’s Way/Domino Records

Side A:

1. qué les pasó a mis amigos?
2. lose my cool
3. espiral

Side B:

4. qué les pasó a mis amigos? (Loidis Reconfiguration)
5. lose my cool (Guedra Guedra remix)
6. espiral (Brenda Remix)

Pre-order qué les pasó a mis amigos? via Dom Mart HERE