Carmen Maria Hillestad, known by her pseudonym Carmen Villain, is a Norwegian / Mexican Electronic Musician recongnized for making a atmospheric music made up of tapestries of sounds combining elements of ambient, experimental pop, folk and electronics. ^[1]

Carmen was born in Mexico to a Mexican mother and a Norwegian father. She grew up mostly in Norway. As a teenager she started to become a part of the modeling world. She traveled often around the world for her modeling work.

She had always been interested in music as a young girl.

The first instrument she learned how to play was the Piano, and later the Clarinet. She also learned how to play the Guitar later as a young teenager.

She was a model for more than a decade appearing on the front cover of prominent modeling magazines such as Elle, Vogue, Marie Claire, and many others.

By the late 2000s, Villain would discontinue her involvement in the modeling world.

She says the following about her modeling experience:

During her modeling career, Carmen had always worked on her music in private.

She then took up the name Carmen Villain as a way to distance herself from her modeling career.

Her debut album Sleeper was released early in 2013 via Smalltown Supersound to great reviews.

In 2017 year she released an EP, which was followed by an album in September, the critically acclaimed Infinite Avenue.