Fresh off the five-year anniversary of its monthly Tormenta Tropical party, the Bersa Discos crew is back with a new batch of can't-miss dancefloor heat and a new addition to the California-via-Buenos Aires label's roster - DJ Quality.
Hailing from Chicago, the 25-year-old Mexican producer was once firmly rooted in straight hip-hop, but he eventually began combining the Latin rhythms of his youth with more modern club sounds. Now, his efforts have culminated in Bersa Discos #8, a six-track outing that finds him weaving together bits of cumbia, bachata, Southern hip hop, R&B, Baltimore club, and more. Simply put, the results are potent, as the songs marry hard-hitting beats and club-ready sonics with genuine pop hooks - in Spanish and English.
Much like the Little Village neighborhood he calls home, DJ Quality straddles two worlds. Although his Latin heritage undoubtedly plays a significant role in his musical vision, Quality's production sensibilities clearly stem from years of bumping rap music on the radio and hearing high-end electronic music in the club. This intersection of sounds and cultures is something that Bersa Discos has always celebrated, which is what makes him such a welcome addition to the crew.
It's been more than a year since Bersa Discos released a new slab of vinyl, but the West Coast imprint with roots in Buenos Aires' electronic cumbia scene can still be counted upon as a premiere outlet for forward-thinking cumbia and Latin dance music. Label founders Shawn Reynaldo and Gavin Burnett (a.k.a. Oro11) remain at the helm of Tormenta Tropical, the monthly San Francisco party which has served as ground zero for the so-called tropical bass scene. The songs on Bersa Discos #7 may be new to many, but they have all been battle-tested on the white-hot Tormenta Tropical dancefloor.
Side A features Buenos Aires producer DJ Negro, a mainstay in the city's cumbia circuit who first appeared on wax back on Bersa Discos #2. His knack for energizing old-school Latin classics with heavy bass and an eerie, psychedelic vibe remains unchanged, as the record includes his takes on 1970's pop smash "Porque Te Vas" and Andres Landero's "Sabor a Gaita." Rounding out his contributions is "Demencia," which features chopped n' screwed vocals en espaol and just might be one of the darkest, heaviest, and spookiest slices of cumbia ever created.
The flip side of Bersa Discos #7 comes courtesy of the relatively unknown El Nosotros, a Montreal-based producer who first honed his chops in a number of indie, punk, and electro bands. It wasn't until he traveled to Chile and discovered some Latin classics while digging for records that he was inspired to start the El Nosotros project as an outlet to explore different facets of reggaeton. Side B includes three of his creations, including bass-loaded re-works of a vintage cumbia anthem ("Tu Cucu"), sexy '70s pop ("Mar, Sexo y Sol"), and late-'80s teen pop ("Girl").
Buenos Aires-Cali-based label drops release #4 featuring Brooklyn's prime purveyor of cumbia, dancehall, bassline, hip-hop and electro on the A side, and Dutch bass-heavy electronic explorer Sonido del Principe on the B.
Todays `next producer`, and this little mix is chock full of original productions, crazy mash-ups, with some other fragments flown over the top to spice up the cocktail. F/Underground Resistance, Cypress Hill, El Remolon, Vladislav Delay, Eminem.
Equal parts electronic & native drum, this followup to his `Viajante` album gets remixed by Chancha Via Circuito, King Coya, El Remolon & Nortec Collective retro-fitting Tremor`s ideas for even fresher sounds.
Lagartijeando (or Lizarding in English) is the newest ZZK on the block. From the town of Dolores, 200 kilometers from the capital city in the province of Buenos Aires, his sounds are a blend of the rural and the urban, the folkloric roots of the campo and digital electricity of the ciudad.
Lagartijeando is the alter ego of Matias Zundel, who through trips around Latin America has enriched and expanded the search for his sound. Bolivian lands have given him newfound inspiration, a lengthy excursion through the Mexican countryside woke him up to ancestral ideas.
Lets not forget his hometown of Dolores, where fields and gauchos, Payadas, Malambos, Triunfos, Huellas and other of Argentine folkloric rhythms merge with the juxtaposition of modern day Argentine life, giving him continued guidance for his sonic masterpieces.
Lagartijeando is one of the most deliriously interesting projects that ZZK Records has given birth to.
A record that unites Buenos Aires and Montreal as hermanos in music. One continent, one producer, all on one label with four smoking remixes: Kalima Shop Titi.
This is South Americas most futuristic record label expanding its sound, vision and synchronicity with like-minded producers around the world, 2010 version. Youve heard people talking about World Music 2.0, Nu Whirled Music, Global Gettotech and other modern terms used to describe where urban bass music is headed simultaneously around the globe? This is your chance to experience it in all its cross-cultural glory.
Uproot Andy is Andy Gillis, a Brooklyn producer without regards for geographical limitations. Uproot Andy is quickly establishing himself as a big remixer with a seriously fresh sound.
El Remolon is Andres Schtiengart, one of ZZKs most dance floor hard hitters. His remix gives that cumbia villera (cumbia from the slums) touch that has made his productions famous.
Lagartijeando is ZZKs newest producer on the label. Combining the most obscure South American folklorico with heavy bass he debuts his first track on this EP.
Douster is ZZKs 2009 breakthrough artist you might have seen recently on Sound Pelligrino, Mad Decent or on the blogosphere blowing up remixes like King of Africa.
San Antonio`s Ernest Gonzales featuring Chico Mann (Marcos Garcia from Antibalas) on vocals and a Ghosts On Tape remix. Think 8-bit Rasta cumbia bass. LTD w/printed jacket.