In the last decade, Latin American folkloric sounds have found a place in avant-garde music all over the world. New proposals fuse Latin American instruments with beats and electronic machines, shaking up the dance floor not only in South America, but also in Europe and the US. This phenomenon has been driven greatly by the innovative work of ZZK Records, located in Buenos Aires.
Do the concepts of Digital or Floktronic Cumbia sound familiar to you? These are just a couple of the many styles that have been brought to the table by ZZK Records. Since 2008, the label has represented an artistic community that was formed around the 2000s’ at the Argentinian capital’s underground scene, mainly around Club Zizek’s parties. Since then, either by developing events in different countries or by supporting in conforming records, ZZK and its subsidiary AYA Records, have promoted artists from the region. What these artists have in common is their confluence between traditional and contemporary.
Founded by Grant C. Dull, Guillerno Canale and Diego Bulacio, the label is currently a trendsetter in the whole continent, due to its visionary artistic discourse. Under its wing we find great exponents such as Nicola Cruz, Dat García and Chanca Via Circuito, just to name a few. Such is its success, that it even opened its own film studio, in which they produced and launched “Ritmos Bastardos” in 2019. The short film travels through ZZK Record’s history and philosophy. You can see it here:
If you are interested in Latin folklore and captivated by technological music, the South Plug team believes you cannot miss the new projects ZZK Records and AYA Records have developed during this year. Caribbean rhythms, marimba music and traditional sacred songs are a part of the sounds offered in their innovative project.
Ghetto Kumbé – Colombia
From Bogotá, the three members of Ghetto Kumbé combine the rich musical heritage from their culture and link it to digital rumba captivating audience from all over the world. The singles they have released this year next to ZZK Records unite musical motif from África, and the Caribbean coast of Colombia – such as gaita -, dialoguing voices, and Latin percussion accompanied by an elegant Tech/House electronic production. This adds up to a colorful sound landscape with afro-futuristic notes and motivating lyrics you can listen to on Spotify or YouTube. On July the 31st they will launch their fist album, having already opened for Radiohead on their visit to Colombia.
“Batuco”, Son Rompe Pera – México
The band has just premiered a street infused music video for its single “Mi vida sin tu amor” (My life without your love), from their album “Batuco”, released at the beginning of 2020. The five instrumentalists elevate to the point of being heirs of Mexican psychedelic cumbia, with beats to dance to, which are protagonized by marimba and a powerful Latin-Punk note. In 2017 they played in over 40 festivals all over Chile, besides participating in street performances at the popular Bio-Bio “Persa” Market. That’s how they managed to catch the attention of local artists such as Sonora de Llegar, Santaferia, Anarkía Tropical, and the singer Aldo Asenjo, alias Macha who
invited them to play with his three bands: Chico Trujillo, La Floripondio and Bloque Depresivo. In Chile, at the “Perros con Tiña” studio, Son Rompe Pera continued their musical exploration and finished a record filled with collaborations. The album “Batuco” was published this year with AYA Records, which belongs to ZZK. You can listen to it on Spotify or YouTube.
“Otun”, Montoya – Colombia
Raised in Colombia and currently settled in Italy, Montoya’s music proposal flirts with Amazonian and Andes Mountain’s tribal cultures, combined with modern reggaeton rhythms, traditional salsa music and Afro-Caribbean styles. In “Otun”, Montoya’s technical skills are made clear by presenting a precise multi-layered work with a melodic electronic atmosphere. You can listen to this album at Spotify and YouTube.
“Astro”, Mateo Kingman – Ecuador
The talented Mateo Kingman manages to imprint the sound of amazonic earth in his music. In “Astro”, Kingman explores traditional Latin American melodies, retrieving the influence of sacred singing (cantos Íkaros) present in the culture of folk medicine. All this is enhanced by the use of synthesizers and rhythms originally found in urban music such as trap, hip-hop, and electronic music. It al results in a new, hypnotic sound that you can listen to in the album “Astro”, available at Spotify and YouTube. It is clear how ZZK Records and its subsidiary AYA Records broadens the horizon of Latin culture and opens opportunities for new artists who wish to experiment with their music. We look forward to keep being surprised by their projects.
