March 2016 – Generation Bass

March 31, 2016

12 Bangers to Get Ready for Festival Season

Over here, the weather is slowly starting to get better and when sun feels warm on your skin for the first time of the year, you know festival season will be there sooner than you think. Time for a teaser roundup with the first hot summer tunes that I’m really feeling. I tried to draw stuff from some different corners of music, varying between dancehall, EDM and the avant-garde club – already-famous as well as lesser known stuff.

The spotlight is on the dissappearing gap between bass & club flavours and vocal songs, not just in the realm of watered-down pop music but now everywhere between the mainstream and the deepest underground. True, the divide is artificial to begin with. As Gaika said in the not-yet-published Sonic Acts interview: dub, dancehall and hiphop are very digital genres where a separation between electronic productions and vocal songs has never existed. But the growing number of collabs where producers team up with vocalists to create songs opens up exciting new possibilities that we will definitely hear back in this year’s sound.

1. KD Soundsystem & Soul Shakers ft. ZwartWerk – Met Mij Mee

The track has been out for about a month already but last week they released the long promised music video. KD Soundsystem (f.k.a. Kuddedieren) from Haarlem and the Ghent based crew Soul Shakers are both pioneers in the terrain between global urban & bass rhythms, dancehall and reggae and accessible mainstream party vibes. Easily compared to Major Lazer or Buraka Som Sistema but, I would say, much more interesting and diverse in style. For their freshest hit, they teamed up with the formation ZwartWerk from Mechelen, who fuse the sounds of afrobeats & kuduro with Dutch rap. ‘Met Mij Mee’ is the best example of how sounds & approaches (tropical bass, EDM, urban mainstream dancehall, rap) that were still totally different worlds a few years ago, are coming together and shaping the popular sound of today.

>> BUY HERE <<

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2. DJ FASTA ft. Superior – Soundboy

DJ FASTA has been pushing this fusion since the beginning. His music is the quintessence of the sound that is heating up dance floors all over the clubs in the Netherlands. Especially now the influence of bigroom and American pop-deephouse is fading away, moombahton and afrohouse are now dominating in the urban-eclectic scene. His new banger ‘Soundboy’ together with DJ Superior, released this week, is one we will definitely hear all over the clubs and festivals this summer.

>>DOWNLOAD <<

Also >> DOWNLOAD << his other recent massive tune ‘Buddy Bruka‘ with the upcoming eclectic bass producer AMEIRO!

https://soundcloud.com/djfasta/new-fasta-ft-superior-soundboy-original-mix

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3. Kid Antoine – Bodypaint

In the avant-garde club underground, this track has already achieved absolute anthem status in the two months it has been out. But this is one, like many of the NAAFI edits and tracks from the likes of Murlo, that have the potential reach much wider audiences this year. The incredibly catchy melody is the most perfect mainstream entrance into experiencing the unique conceptual texture designs – this one feels like the sonic representation of a lubricant gel substance – that make this kind of music so fantastic.

>> BUY HERE <<

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4. Ramriddlz – Hey Mr. RamRod

The Egyptian-Canadian rapper, RnB & dancehall artist Ramriddlz is an important newcomer who has been drawn into the spotlights last year by none other than Drake. I stumbled upon this banger through a repost and was immediately hooked on the vibrant blend of future-dancehall and OVO-esque cloudiness. Judged by the number of plays, likes and reposts, this track is already massive but it could and probably will become even bigger. I could totally see it reach absolute hit status, with a VEVO video. Hopefully we’ll hear this all over the place very soon.

>> DOWNLOAD <<

https://soundcloud.com/ramriddlz/hey-mr-ramrod-prod-cameron-pasquale-jaegen

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5. DotoradO’PrO’ – My Song

Dotorado is back with a brand new banger, that came online just today. Since his eclectic Maluku EP, he has continued his multi-genre explorations with tracks ranging from dubstep-drill-kuduro fusions to kizomba ballads. But now he is back with the signature-sound that made him famous. #Afro-melodico is ready to evolve into a promising subgenre that combines the rhythmical subtlety of afrohouse, the explosive energy of kuduro and the epicness of popular hiphop and EDM. ‘My Song’ is the ultimate successor track to ‘African Scream’: a natural anthem with the potential to grow even bigger.

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6. GUALTIERO & Ray Mautar – Panya

Gualtiero and Ray Mautar are names I’ve mentioned since the very beginning of my blogging time at Generation Bass and later again in my monumental moombahton zombie series. I’ve been enthusiastic about them ever since because they are, among several other important names, keep showing that the Dutch urban club sound that evolved out of bubbling, is still very much alive. The influence of Munchi is obvious, but it’s fascinating to see how subtly but deeply different Munchi is interpreted here, compared to most of moombahton out there. Loud and blunt, but nothing like bigroom house or festival trap, staying true to the roots in oldschool dancehall with a rawness that reminds of the original Portuguese underground. With ‘Panya’, the Dutch underground has fully embraced moombahton as its own and from that point, it can only get better.

>> DOWNLOAD <<

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7. MC Nino ft. Prince Maiki & Gabriel Rowano – Op Iets

Back in 2010, MC Nino collaborated with the influential crew K-Liber4life on the kizomba ballad ‘Geen Stress‘ that became a big hit on Curaçao. His dembow banger ‘Mi Kier Bo’, with Prince Maiki, was again an excitement on the Antilles in 2013. That’s why it’s extra exciting to see him join forces with Gabriel Rowano, still of of the most underrated producers in the area of mainstream oriented global bass. Rowano himself too has made a style switch over the recent years, from oldschool trance inspired, emotional moombahton to a more catchy, accessible party sound, ready for the big clubs and festivals. Big chance you will hear this around in the coming months, especally in the Netherlands. The long announced music video will be also released soon.

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8. STIEKZ-O-MATIC & Dutch Flavourz ft. MC Roke – No Caba

Yet another banger from the Dutch scene. Stiekz-o-matic is a new but already surprisingly established name I’ve somehow never blogged before. He became more active on soundcloud since a year ago, right at the time when I was getting fully consumed by the avant-garde club scene, at the expense of other things. I realise that’s a pity because in the mean time I’ve been missing out on the shift in the Dutch underground towards a blend of afrobeats, dancehall and moombahton. What strikes me most in this fresh collab with the eclectic EDM duo Dutch Flavourz are the synths: refreshingly different from the long worn-out lazer squeeks, yet electrifying and catchy. Combined with the vocals in papiamento by MC Roke makes ‘No Caba’ one of the most innovative moombahton tracks I’ve heard year. Add this to your sets and spread the new sound of the Dutch underground everywhere this summer!

>> DOWNLOAD <<

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9. Maxx Gallo – Equipo

Maxx Gallo, a vocalist and producer from Los Angeles who early on developed his catchy, vocal interpretation of tribal guarachero back during the heydays of the genre in a way that is much more underground than the 3BALLMTY’s pop hits, and at the same time much more subtle and accessible than the heavy peppered Texan sound. His newest release is part of the multi-genre ‘Electronica Global EP‘ by the Monterrey based label Worldwide, with tracks from Erick Jaimez, Yelram Selectah, Wost, Noizekid and El Catorce. ‘Equipo’ is a lush and sultry track that blends the summer-night atmosphere of deephouse with sensual vibe cumbia and dembow and the characteristic urban-latin underground flavour that makes Maxx Gallo a very promising artist, not just for 3ball or cumbia but in the current reinvention of Latin music as a whole.

>> DOWNLOAD <<

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10. Ricky Vaughn – The One Tonight

Another deep, even more soulful tune here from none other than Ricky Vaughn, freshly uploaded on his new soundcloud channel after his old one apparently got taken down by Soundcloud. ‘The One Tonight’ is a unique track, combining the breezy beach flavours not only with an esquisite dembow beat but also with some of the ethereal, even angelic atmosphere found in sad and vapor trap. Whereas last year, there was a great divide between on the one hand great, exciting innovations remaining exclusively avant-garde and on the other hand the big bulk of accessible mainstream music stuck in its own commercial staleness. Tracks like ‘The One Tonight’ give me the feeling that this year, innovation and the potential to reach wider audiences will go ever more hand in hand.

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11. Dj Otto Ft. Ghetto Kids – Rakataka

The fantastic things that the Mexico City based bass formation Ghetto Kids has done for the popularity of global bass in Mexico, integrated with the homegrown sounds of 3ball and cumbiaton is something we’ve praised many times before. This year teamed up for the first time with a member of the famous 3BALLMTY, Dj Otto, for a perreo stomper that fuses the best of oldschool dembow, moombahton and Mexico City’s cumbiaton.

>> DOWNLOAD <<

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12. DjK-ev – India Takata

I preserved this one for the end… Nothing works better for a track to become an anthem than an incredibly catchy melodic hook that people on the dancefloor wil recognise immediately. This easy-listening banger from the Aalen (Germany) based global bass producer DjK-ev has everything to give it this effect on the dancefloor: the dancey chords, the flute and of course the delicious Indian sitar. With enough exposure and momentum, ‘India Takata’ can be THE summer hit of 2016!

>> DOWNLOAD <<

March 26, 2016

Stonkingly Brilliant Lebanese Mix

Yes, as it says, a stonkingly brilliant Lebanese Pop mix here had me swinging from my chandeliers with my Jazz-endured smoked salmon in hand lol!

Nothing massively new in this mix or unheard of before and if you’re into this kind of music, you’ll know many of the artists who are pretty well-known and famous in Lebanon already.

No claims of discovering a stash of dusty old records which are going to be released on vinyl and which the DJ will try to book gigs on the back off lol. Is there anything worse or less cool than that nowadays? I just think it’s a pretty shit way of trying to make it.

Just some gyal in Brazil of all the places not in the Middle East laying down some awesome good time grooves and sharing them with the world without the need for recognition. Just how we like it and isn’t that how it ought to be, just for the love of music?

This is great:

March 26, 2016

BANDISH PROJEKT FEAT. LAST MANGO IN PARIS – LANGUAGE OF LOVE

A gorgeous new sparse, moody & melancholic number from one of our faves, The Bandish Projekt featuring Words & Poetry by Last Mango In Paris, Vocals by Aishwarya Joshi and Bols by Durva Narvekar.

Bandish Projekt say that the track is reminiscent of an earlier track by Last Mango in Paris in 1997, “Accepting Tranquility” which was released on Talvin Singh’s famed Asian Underground Anokha compilation.

You might be wondering what “Bols” are, well we can tell you that “Bols” are vocal riddims based on tabla riddims. Before tabla players learn to play they vocalise the riddim first.

This is gorgeous and I love the subtle hint of Arabia on the track via the beautiful string arrangements.

Classy stuff, I could listen to Aishwarya’s voice all day & night, simply breath-taking:

You can watch a video too HERE.

March 25, 2016

10 Steps : A Sarantis Tribute

A well deserved tribute mix here to Sarantis during his Dubstep hey day. I agree with the author of the mix that Sarantis was and still is a highly underrated producer. He was one of my faves during the Dubstep era and he’s still one of my faves with some of his recent output including the freebie “Karami” EP’s that we’ve released/worked in conjunction with him on focusing on the Arabic sound.

This mix takes in all the classic Sarantis material, most of which was released on London’s Senseless Records.

This mix is part of a wider aim as the dude who did the mix is trying to achieve what he calls the 780 Project:

“Well, I am planning on putting out a ton of mixes this year so that I can feature 780 different tracks by the end of 2016, or 15 tracks for each of the 52 weeks of the year.”

MUNCHI : NAFFIE BACK/PA LO UNDER EP

It’s been 2 years since Munchi’s last release, the brilliant “Perreo 101” which we were privileged and honoured to unveil to the world. Prior to that release was the exceptional Rasterinha EP which ranks as one of my all time faves in the Munchi cannon alongside the legendary “Rotterdam Juke”.

The musical landscape has changed a lot over the past 2 years. A hell of a lot. As Victor has been correctly identifying via his amazing blog posts, standard Global Bass fare now sounds pretty old-fashioned and a product of a bygone era. Things are evolving and progressing. The Global Bass of new is trying to shed its tags and associations as being looked upon as a World Music/Global/Exotic genre and is placing itself alongside standard club music and wishing to be identified as just that, Club Music.

The innovators of this new evolution are mostly kids with their origins in the country from where they take their inspiration. Munchi is one of the First Generation of that ilk which is now being inhabited by the likes of Nazar, Happy Colors, DJ Haram, Bison, Nigga Fox, El Mahdy Jr, Non label, Naafi label and many others.

So where does Munchi fit into all of this. Well he is one of the innovators, one of the Godfathers I guess you could say. Were it nor for him, would we have come this far? Don’t forget he was doing stuff like SkullTrap and other weird, dark and aggressive mutations well before many. This filtered down to this new generation and his influence is undeniable. Even right now he occupies the classic position of an “innovator”, over-looked & barely talked about except by the ever faithful, almost forgotten. That’s what usually happens to innovators, true originators.

This is not the massive come-back, some of us might have been anticipating or wished for. The material could quite easily have come out in circa 2010-2011. The sound and technique hasn’t evolved that much beyond that circa. However, I think it’s totally unfair to have expected Munchi to meet those high expectations at this stage. Let’s not forget, Munchi has not been busy honing his skills, technique or musical growth, he’s been busy looking after himself and trying to manage his ill-health. So with that history in mind, all of this has to be put into some context.

This is just the start, we hope, Munchi is just warming himself up and that revolutionary come back, that new sound some of us are expecting from Munchi will arrive, be rest assured. For now, anything by Munchi is better than nothing by Munchi and I’m just so happy that he is taking little tentative steps to make music again. This must be encouraged and I pray it continues.

It’s not a MASSIVE COMEBACK but a SLIGHT RETURN and a most welcome return too. It would be unfair to expect Munchi to come back and blow our brains with something totally new and revolutionary like he has had a habit of doing in the past. This EP is what he says it is, it’s an EP going back to the roots.

Don’t get this twisted or wrong, this EP is fyah, total fyah and a cut above what everybody else is doing with this kind of stuff. Those damn drums, that tightness of production!!! It’s an education for many, a history lesson, you will learn something from this that will inform your own music making and that will add to your knowledge.

Munchi is just easing himself back into music making again, warming up to it in that inimitable Munchi way by causing total mayhem first before soon silencing us all with his wonder!

Let me hand you over to the boy genius:

<a href="http://selegnarecords.bandcamp.com/album/munchi-naffie-back-pa-lo-under">Munchi – Naffie Back/Pa Lo Under by Munchi</a>

It’s back to the roots on this EP – Bubbling and Reggeton. Shoutout to the originators!

“Naffie Back”

After hearing “Tupac Back” a couple of years ago I knew exactly what to do; “Naffie Back”. This concept lingered in my mind for too long, so in March this year I finally made it happen. Instantly dropped a preview on Soundcloud too, because wtf happened to that Naffie drop?

There was a time that upon hearing the Naffie drop you knew – the club is about to be destroyed. Previously I made two VIP’s of my favorite classics in the form of “shoutouts”. These were literally to just be able to hear the Naffie drop in the clubs again. I recall hearing the “Blow Your Speakers” remix for the first time. This changed my life. I recall hearing the “Satisfaction” remix for the first time. I almost cried due to the amount of that my mind was being blown. So in making the 3rd shoutout of the series, the intent was to make a track that was going to be something like a ultimate shoutout that covered each aspect since this dude did so many genres. The mother of all shoutouts lol! Just the thought alone had me smiling.

So instead of rebranding it or watering it down into the 1.000.000th new genre, imma call it exactly what it is – Bubbling. More like Bubbling O.D. while you’re at it lol with references to the Bubbling dons Shaun D, Master D and De Schuurman. Hopefully they’ll all bless the world with new Bubbling tracks, cause nobody does it quite like them – SHOW THEM HOW ITS DONE.

“Pa Lo Under”

I used to listen to Reggeton’s Dembow rhythm on my walkman all day. Obsessively learning all I could about Reggeton. Fuck it’s crazy, back then all the producers were on the same old forum talking shit to eachother. I even hear the sounds I posted back then scattered in packs or even in productions over the years. This is for all the trademark sounds, all the homegrown labels, shitty VST’s that were only used for Reggeton, the limited sound palette you had to use over and over again, the creative ways to sing the most retarded lyrics and most of all the Reggeton singers that couldn’t sing for shit!
YES, I LOVE IT.

Nothing is as fun as making a Reggeton track. So I present to you another one of those ultimate shoutouts lol. Covering all my favorite Reggeton producers in a Moombahton setting, stuffing it with an impossible amount of references to shout them out haha. You know who you are!

So salute to the Reggeton kings, while throwing on my FUBU clothes for one last time to keep on grinding in this sandungueo. HA!

March 22, 2016

Matanza : Existencia

Matanza are back after a while with 2 brilliant tracks exploring Deep Organic Tribal vibes chokka full of Marimba, shakers and other earthly goodies.

First track is a Matanza original followed by a very impressive Nicola Cruz remix. Maybe 2 of of the best tracks I’ve heard for a little while.

No other info is avilable regarding release etc or who the vocalist is.

March 22, 2016

Zhe Pechorin – Ensō

The amazing Serbian/Bosnian producer Zhe Pechorin who is one of our faves returns with a an amazing new number which haunts and stays long in the memory. The subject matter is “Emptiness” and this is perfectly encapsulated within the track whose mood places you in a state of isolation but of the kind that you enjoy being in, contemplative, alone, happy in your state of nothingness.

There’s a bunch of highly rated producers out there who are turning out numbers that prioritize style over substance but here is one artist, of the genuine kind who pours out substance over style but with a whole load of style in place too.

Breathtaking:

At the right time you will be able to go through the state of emptiness . Ostvarićeš this investigation because of some things and your being will know that you are at the center of absolute emptiness , in the center of the endless circle . ” Omori Rosie

Each Enso is unique and imperfect … as well as its author .

Cover : Ivana Rakic

March 19, 2016

SEXXY SATURDAY CUMBIA

Art by @misskgp

SEXXY SATURDAY CUMBIA WITH LA SELVA – HERE WE GO WITH THE MARCH EDITION

As usual, it is a pleasure to present March´s edition of Sexxy Saturday Cumbia. An incredible variety of incarnations of cumbia await below – cumbialistic sounds abound this month, from the most natural to the strangest you will hear in a while, organic bands as well as dirty electronic beats. It´s a true delight to realise that we keep discovering new names and new influences, and that cumbia keeps on surprising us week after week.

Silly Tang selected:

Julio Inti – Afrolatinbass Venenosa Vol6

I wanted to start my monthly selection with an amazing selection from Julio Inti. A big producer from Paris who has been bringing real freshness to the scene. This mix boasts a good range of new and old sounds, and especially contains a track from my hermano Coconutah!

Culemba – Nunca Pares De Explorar

https://soundcloud.com/sonido-fronterizo/culemba-dub

Here we have an AMAZING new project coming out of Spain which my good mate Sr Luftansa is part of. A group called Culemba, composed of instrument players and digital beat makers. The sound coming out from this group for me is a real grower! They really take so many influences I love it. From dubby beginnings with a hint of chicha guitar and a groovy bassline. Amazing song, big ups familia!

Coconutah – No No No Remix

Here it is! I have been hearing this badboy tune for sound checks and mixdown checks but it has finally arrived here and as a free download! My selvatic brother the all mighty Coconutah drops this killer dancefloor tune juste as the sun starts to shine here in Madrid. What to say very addictive sample to start with, a very complex drum pattern which could remind us of some of the trap snares coming out these days, and sublime horns as backing. Big up my main man!

KayGee – Tropical Sucio mix

https://soundcloud.com/kaygee_laselva/tropical-sucio-en-la-selva-radioshow-23-02-2016

This is the dark side of my second main man and all round player Kaygee man dem ! This fine mix was recorded in our studio for a live session. I really dig the futuristic touch that runs through this selection. I think Kaygee has gone far, the mix is well designed and titghly assembled. I personally love Kaygee´s darker side !

A Toda Madre – Tumba (Caballito Netlabel)

Here we have it, the fine EP brought to us by caballito by the legendary Atodamadre ! Some very experimental tunes which have a balanced influence of tropical and cumbia – this could make any mental patient normal again ? I really dig how everytime the badman from Donostia looks to reach new heights and is not scared of breaking boundaries. This very dark and atmospheric tune could remind us of the beginnings of DMZ or NAFFI. Big ups pirata!

Nazar – Tyranny (Track Meet)

https://soundcloud.com/trackmeetdjcrew/nazar-tyranny

Now what do we have here? A cumbia hybrid brought to us by the very fine producer called Nazar, a track titled Tyranny. As you have probably noticed over the months, I love fusional music that brings essences of cumbia and other darker electronic music. This track is a HIT ! Some very acidy parts and a constant drum pattern followed by a hefty bassline. A delicious piece.

Grita – Drog 16 – Club Súper Sol Mixtapes

Mmmmmmezclada y editada en el estudio de Club Super Sol en Granada. This mixtape has the dark and obscure vibe that hits me deep within. It is a blend of cumbia, electro, reggaeton and porn, all in one to make you sweat, have sex or dry in the sunlight. Very very interesting selection coming at us from El Drog!

Los Gaiteros De San Jacinto – La Cumbia Es Pa’ Gozar

Mathias aka Galletas Calientes who is a legendary Dj and label owner from france but now residing in Colombia has brought us this magnificient piece of vinyl on Galletas Calientes his own label. Such a pure and original vintage cumbia sound, this is a piece of plastic which will go very fast so try and get your copy asap!!!

Tremenda Jauría – Esta noche

To finish my selection, I wanted to bring to your attention the band called Tremanda Jauria. They have been rocking Madrid and the whole of Spain, and I´m pretty sure they are about to rock a town very near you very soon! This clip is from their track called Esta noche, a pure cumbiadelic tune with gorgeous vocals and a really nice post production sound. Big up guys !

Kaygee selected:

Jin Yerei – Foráneo, Calido, Pasmoso (Fertil Discos)

I have slowly been discovering Jin Yerei’s sounds here and there, and just got completely englobed into them with this album, which came out as Fertil Discos’ fifth instalment. I love travelling through music and this has taken me straight from my desk in Madrid to an incredible journey through dense, atmospheric and mystical rainforest paths. All the sounds are so deep, and so well produced. It’s a real pleasure to listen to the entire album as a whole.

Rodrigo Gallardo – Agua De La Tierra (Pata De Perro Rmx)

I am a big fan of the original tune, and a big fan of Pata de Perro, so this was just perfect for me; Pata de Perro has made a wicked groovy and dubby version of it ! They have kept most of the actual tune and added their dubbed out touch and instruments to it and it works really well. I have seen a few videos of the band in Mexico and would really love to hear and see all this live. Make sure to check out their soundcloud page where you can find two other new tunes, as well as a great ‘Buenaventura Mixtape’ !

Lulacruza – Orcas Remixed Vol. 3 (Black Swan Sounds)

http://music.lulacruza.com/album/orcas-remixed-vol-3

It’s becoming a habit and I love it: once a month for the past few months, we have been getting new remixes of Lulacruza’s Orcas album, and this month, they have done it again, with remixes from Desert Dwellers, San Ignacio, Brian Mayhall, and El Remolon. The diversity found in all these remixes is insane. I was actually surprised to see Desert Dwellers appear here, and was really happy when I heard their remix of Uno Resuena. Enjoy!

Lulacruza – Uno Resuena

And while we’re talking about Lulacruza, here’s a new video clip. This tune deserved it’s own video clip. Love it !

Duli – Litoral Ep (La Chimba Discos)

This was completely new to me and what a great surprise ! Andean Bass with heavy guiros, and even heavier kicks, in some kind of psychedelic digital chicha space machine. Take all that and add some fat basslines and you get it ! It’s amazing, and these synths are just banging ! And to top it up, you can enjoy a dembow remix by El Buga, as well as the Inti Kunza Tropical Austral Dub Remix.

History of Colour – Calidoso (Shika Shika)

We had the pleasure of enjoying El Buho and Barrio Lindo’s first collaboration in their project ‘History of Colour’ a few years back with their release on ZZK Records, and now they’re back with another EP, ‘Calidoso’, and it’s one beautiful journey “inspired by slow-dance and flitting between andean folk, marimba, electronica and organic sounds.” (Shika Shika). They have created a great project together, in which both of their sounds, vibes and production touches get together to create the unique atmosphere found in this EP.

The digital download is free but if you want to grab this release on Vynil, please support their campaign and reserve your advanced copy: https://qrates.com/artists/shika.shika/items/11661?show_complete=true#

And while we’re talking about Barrio Lindo, check out this video: “a visual representation” of his Kayak Break EP: https://vimeo.com/158534959

Magico Gonzalez – Pc Futbol (Caballito Netlabel)

Not much is known about Magico Gonzalez, but he has just landed on Caballito’s Netlabel with some heavy Chip Tune Cumbia Bass business ! The whole thing is really interesting, there’s no other way to put it: he mixes typical PC sounds with fat 8bit beats and electronic mayhem and it works! The whole Ep goes from cumbia to reggaeton, with a bit of tribal, merengue, and dubstep; but the guiro is always there !!!

Silly Tang Ft Marta Margaix – Cumbia De Calais (Migrant Beat Foundation)

This is our Silly Tang’s input to one hell of a compilation, which was released this month “to raise money and awareness for those in need who have been displaced by war and oppression in their own countries”.

I’m glad to see him throw the Cumbia into the compilation, with a nice deep & progressive approach to his beat! The vocal is perfect!

Silly Tang’s tune is the only Cumbia beat you’ll find on there but please make sure you check the whole compilation out: support the cause and enjoy a wide range of amazing tunes, going from dub to glitch-hop https://migrantbeatfoundation.bandcamp.com/

Sidi Wacho – Salam Wacho

Check them out ! A perfect blend between Cumbia, Balkan and Rap, even though they prefer to describe it as “a popular expression made in Lille (Fr) & Santiago (Cl) with committed texts which ‘sting’ and remind us that “La Lucha Sigue”.

They manage to blend all of the previously mentioned genres so well, and bring it all to life in this video, also promoting the release of their first album !

Having grown up in France and having seen the direction that part of the French music hip hop scene has been taking, I must say I’m really happy to see a French rapper involved in this project ! Saidou , Jeoffrey (MAP), Juanito Ayala, Boris Viande, DJ Antu, Fred “El Pulpo” Savinien are all involved in many other projects but this one is looking tasty !

Candeleros – Chicha y Wanton (Tierra Candela)

Another great band to keep an eye out for right now, and good friends of La Selva, are the Candeleros. Straight outta Madrid, they are ready and eager to make you dance. Here’s an extract from one of their last concerts in Madrid. This song in particular is some kind of journey from Woodstock to Beijing stopping through Colombia & Venezuela; it has it all !

Nicola Cruz – Prender El Alma (ZZK Records)

Enjoy this great psychedelic video of Nicola Cruz’s ‘Prender El Alma’. I’m sure most of you will have listened to this tune many times and will enjoy these visuals to enhance the journey into the andes.

And just in case you missed it, La Yegros’s album has just popped up ! King Coya’s production is really tight, as always ! These guys are going global, they’re spreading the tropical vibes everywhere, making many people aware that this scene actually exists https://www.soundwayrecords.com/Shop/DownloadDetails?rid=SWR_RE_99

Coconutah selected:

Aurita Castillo y su Conjunto – Chambacu (El Buho Rio Edit)

“a trip down a tropical river” sounds about right for this one of several of el Buho´s new edits. Tastefully revisited with his usual dubby touch, this one adds deep, hypnotic jungle atmospheres to the original, all while keeping the original vibes, melodies, and of course that unforgettable flute that doesn´t seem to ever get old.

Real Cumbia Activa (RCA) – La Cumbia De Reynaldo (Original Mix)

Another big dubby cumbia banger, this will go down as well on a sweaty dancefloor at 3:00 in the morning as it will to warm up a festival on the beach in the up and coming season. This is a true electronic cumbia beat and comes along with thumping bass and beats as well as some lovely trippy dubby sounds and fx. Great Style by RCA.

Camanchaca – TC2000 (Tribilin Sound Remix)

Tribilin Sound´s remix of TC2000 from his alter ego touches upon another style of digital cumbia. This is an electronic, techno infused beat from start to finish, and is one of these really progressive, slowly evolving, entrancing riddims. Big atmospheric pads combine with Tribilin´s rythmic guiros and percussions to great effect, taking the listener into a hypnotic roll.

Doña Chona (Los Tioz Edit) (Worldwide Mx)

Newly released on Worldwide from Monterrey, a label in full form at the moment. This is a heavy cumbiaton which starts with a stupendous build-up and drops into moombah cumbia mayhem. Dancefloor rinse out for sure.

Kuppo – Via Lactea (El Buga remix) (Shango Records)

Out on Shango Records, and “Electronic Afrotropicalismo” is what they stand for. It is certainly a catchy term and the music really doesn´t disappoint, in this case a remix by el Buga, “Via Lactea”, a Afro tropical cumbia that showcase some catchy african guitar riffs combined with afro-colombian beats, a great combo!

Xuxa Santamaria – Conquistador (Turbo Sonidero remix)

Big up to Turbo Sonidero for the weird and wonderful beats, in this a remix of “conquistador”. I love it when the guiros kick in, great laid back psychedelic spooky vibe with some brilliant mallet type percussion. The twisted vocals add to the tension and atmosphere, and some dark swirling synths and FX round the tune off. Good trip into the wilderness!

We hope you enjoy the selection and see you next month for some more CUUUUUmmmmbia!

March 19, 2016

CLU : BLADERUNNIN

You know I’m a huge fan of Bladerunner, the visuals of the movie at the time it came out and even more now completely blew me away and then there was the soundtrack, perhaps one of the greatest movie soundtracks of all time by the one and only Vangelis.

Over the years there’s many, many attempts to replicate the sound and vision of Bladerunner but in terms of sound my favourite so far has been Professor Genius who imbued it with ambient arabic sensibilities and which I borrowed a lot from for my DesertWave Bladerunner Edition.

This new homage by Irish AudioVisual production duo CLU also comes in pretty close. This is Bladerunner in all its glory and the video is pretty awesome too.

March 18, 2016

EQ Why…. Chicago Rules!

With releases on Duck N’ Cover Records and Booty Tune, and recently launching his own record label Equalized, @eqwhy is making big steps both in Chicago and throughout the world. And now we are proud to welcome him to the biggest Footwork label in the UK, @goodstreetrecords.

Rewind back to 2001-2002 when EQ Why started producing and DJing… long before social media, when real work got put in… and you can hear how that era has influenced his current sound – tracks made for the Footwork circle. Hunt out the videos online and you’ll find dancers at Chicago’s Battlegroundz battling to the tracks on this EP.

The raw, syncopated energy in these five tracks is unmistakeably @eqwhy. The conga rolls and tight percussion is an important element of his sound, and has been done expertly in this release. Upbeat tracks such as ‘Swingin Wit Dis’ and ‘SouthWest’ are contrasted with darker, more in-your-face tracks such as ‘My Brothers Keeper’ and ‘Get High’.

An EP full of heat, produced by one of the biggest producers in the game, and released by one of the most comprehensive and relentless labels in the scene. A real power move for both, pushing the Juke / Footwork sound hard in 2016.