Been waiting on this one for a minute. Everyone one its predecessors have been pure fire and this is no different. The Monterrey, Nuevo Leon wonder kid, Javier Estrada is a machine when it comes to cranking out tribal Aztecan rave bangers. Part 1 is packed with new original material from the don, plus remixes by the likes of Sabbo, Matanza, Boyfriend and more. Grab the whole thing below and stay tuned for Part 2 featuring another gang of remixes from around the world.
The good homie Chancha just dropped his new LP on ZZK. After my third listen today, I can confirm to you that 'Rio Arriba' is one of my favorite releases of the year. A snapshot into the future direction of ZZK Records. Taking on not only the sounds of cumbia, but a wide range of South American styles and injecting their own cosmic twist on the continents traditional sounds.
The first time I met Chancha was at sound check at the Croc. I think we hit it off pretty well because were both space cases to the extreme. Him a bit more being his first time in the States and only speaking a small amount of English. After meeting, djing together & kicking it late night painting drum heads, this record gives you a glimpse into what im talking about.
Rio Arriba is the sophomore album from ZZK artist Chancha Via Circuito who molds local South American rhythms into global artistry. Rio Arriba bubbles up from the Andes like percussive lava, seething as it is soothing. Layers of drums play out like water and earth battling heat - heat brought by Chancha Via Circuito, the Pig on the Circular Train.
Chancha has forged a path from his town outside the urban sprawl of Buenos Aires in the east of Argentina up across the border with Bolivia and into the Northern hemisphere where he's bringing new fans to native drum traditions. In his first release, Rodante, Chancha took cumbia into uncharted territory retrofitting the Latin rhythm for a worldly audience. With Rio Arriba, South American folklore takes the reins and, under Chancha’s steady hand, obscure backwoods rhythms take on a top shelf lifestyle as folklore hits the club.
Cumbia made Chancha’s first album Rodante a stand out, Rio Arriba takes his sound primal, rooted in rhythm, but worldwide in scope. With recent remixes of The Ruby Suns (Sub Pop) and Gotan Project (Ya Basta/XL Recordings), Chancha proves his production can cross continents and pollinate. Rio Arriba annihilates the obvious - it's a fresh breeze from the city of good air flooding the urban habitat, sending you dancing upstream.
