Records from a diverse community of Latin musicians in the Americas and around the world can be found on Bandcamp. Each month, Maria Barrios will cover the best in cumbia, Afro-Latin dance music, Latin soul, bossa nova, and everything in between. August’s edition features reissued underground shoegaze, a nostalgic work of atmospheric New Age, a futuristic melding of club music, a stunning debut record, and much more.
Modesto Duran
Fabulous Rhythms of Modesto
Vinyl LP
Born and raised in Havana, Afro-Cuban conga player Modesto Duran cut his teeth playing guaguancó under the tutelage of composer Gilberto Valdés before becoming a sought-after percussionist with sideman credits for legends such as Perez Prado, Harry Belafonte, and Eartha Kitt. Originally released in 1960, Fabulous Rhythms of Modesto was one of Duran’s few albums as a composer and bandleader, a role for which, judging by the superb original songs he contributed to the album, he should have received more recognition. With lofty nods to big jazz orchestras and dreamlike exotica string arrangements, songs like “Silent Island” and “Jungle Dream” are immediately accessible but heady cuts like “Afro Cu” and “Angry Drums,” show Duran as the master of percussion he was. Duran’s polyrhythmic West African drumming and Yoruba traditions are inserted amongst the exotica trappings of mid-century America, imbuing this usually whimsical packaging with a core of substance and tradition.
Sexores
Historias de frío
Vinyl LP
For at least 14 years, Mexico-based musicians David Yépez and Emilia Bahamonde have established an enduring presence in Latin American alternative music with the ethereal, obscure music they create under the name Sexores. Originally self-released and now reissued via Peruvian label Buh Records, the group’s second album, Historías de frío, made the rounds back in 2014, becoming an underground classic of sorts and propelling the band to play various festivals in Europe and the States. A delicate balance between dream pop, post-punk, and shoegaze, and full of echoing synth lines and ice cold vocals, the songs on Historias de frío are entrancing and timeless: a perfect re-introduction to a band that, if you missed before, you should definitely check out now.
El irreal Veintiuno
Pulsiones
There is always something refreshing about a great album that does not come by way of a record label or PR agent. It seems as if it was conceived and dropped as if by magic, by the artist for us to discover and enjoy. Such is the case with Pulsiones by Mexico City artist El irreal Veintiuno. A sonic sparring match between three entities—“a good one, a bad one, and a third one that carries aspects of both”—the songs on Pulsiones are largely a melding of club music, dembow, and EDM, where sped-up samples meet aggressive beats cut for the dancefloor. It is ambitious, futuristic music, where genres are chopped and remixed, and eerie, booming grooves are often followed by disorienting, angelic voices, crafting a journey that is both breathless and trance-inducing.
Monito del Monte
Laguna Pudú
Cassette
Labeled as “New Age,” “ambient,” and “fantasy,” Laguna Pudú was created as the soundtrack of an imaginary video game where an ant “carrying a leaf with arcane powers” travels “from utopian kingdoms to hostile lands.” The brainchild of Chilean musician Sebastian Pinto, who goes by the artist name Monito del Monte, Laguna Pudú exists somewhere between thrift store relaxation cassettes, 2000s internet culture, and the arcades of the 1980s. Tranquil water sounds, floaty, wobbly synths, and undulating textures filled with bird chirps and 8-bit melodies akin to Tanning Salon’s Dream Castle or Mort Garson’s Plantasia make for a soft, atmospheric listen, a delightful modern work of nostalgia.
Mariposa
Inframundo
Amsterdam-based, Colombian Italian rapper Mariposa channels her rage on Inframundo, her second EP. Self-released and steeped in the artist’s love for fashion and visual art, songs like the SoundCloud rap-adjacent “Myers” and the glacial “Schizo” live somewhere between the American hip-hop collective Members Only and Arca, with verses that speak of alienation and resilience. Auto-Tuned vocals, haunted house beats, and drippy lyrics full of weed and jealous girlfriends, with enough attitude to reach for the stars.
Caxtrinho
Queda Livre
Queda Livre is the stunning debut of 25-year-old singer and guitar player Caxtrinho, an Afro-Brazilian musician from Belford Roxo, on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. Tapping into samba and MPB (música popular Brasileira), Caxtrinho’s percussive guitar and quick-witted lyrics arrive straight away on songs like “Cria de Bel” and “Branca de trança.” Backed by squeaky accents of cuíca and warm strings of cavaquinho, Caxtrinho sings about being stared down, weaving a biting tale of cultural appropriation through the image of a white person wearing braids. Through explosive psychedelia that doesn’t overstay its welcome and a straightforward vocal style, Caxtrinho’s music will delight anyone familiar with the works of artists such as Tim Maia and Gilberto Gil. Comparisons aside, there is something bold and forward-looking about Queda Livre. With maximalist arrangements of trumpet, Rhodes, and scorching electric guitar, Caxtrinho’s Queda Livre arrives fully formed and is, to me, poised to be one of the best albums of 2024.
Los Yesterdays
Frozen in Time
Vinyl LP
It is incredibly easy to fall in love with an album like Frozen in Time, by Los Angeles Chicano band Los Yesterdays. Making the rounds on TikTok, the album’s opening track, “Nobody’s Clown,” speaks of ever-relatable heartbreak through exquisite guitars and backing trumpets that don’t take the spotlight from vocalist Victor Benavides. “This ain’t my first rodeo, but it’s my first time being the clown,” croons a defeated Benavides, somewhere in between Sunny and The Sunliners and Ralfi Pagan. A brilliant throwback to 1960s Latin soul, Motown hits, and Daptone Records, Frozen in Time is all polished, silky ballads, with heavenly vocal harmonies (“I Want You To Stay”), strutting piano arrangements (“Something Happened”), and nods to Mexican bolero ensembles (“Love Is A Game For Fools”). An absolute gem.
