Electropical Pt.4 takes a deeper excursion into Afro-Latin music to create a unique blend of timeless, acoustic 'Roots' and contemporary leftfield production. This latest instalment of the acclaimed project helmed by Juan Laya & Jorge Montiel, the duo behind the much loved Los Charly's Orchestra, evokes the spirit of the Amazonas forest, the beating heart of their native Venezuela. The sounds are born of the earth and nurtured for the soul.
The EP features performances and remixes from longstanding friends and musical allies: Oyobi, who has recently been busy working with none other than AtJazz and Aroop Roy, brings a burst of intensely vibrant energy to Kalimba Vibration while the mighty Andre Espeut lends his utterly distinctive voice to Abstract Fragments Of A Dream. As for multi instrumentalist- producer Kris Houston he puts his signature touch on Beyond Civilizations.
As always the music is brought to life by a pool of superior players who are the house band for the Imagenes label. Saxophonist-flautist Marcelo Andrade, guitarist Raphael Delphino, percussionist Emeris Solis, and bassist Mateus Nova ensure that the grooves are tight and that the magic of a live session enhances the precision guided esthetic of programming and sequencing.
Committed to their quest to represent Venezuelan culture as imaginatively as possible, Laya and Montiel are turning the Electropical series into an essential document of music that has heartfelt respect for heritage in the most complete sense of the term, from the people to the land. Yet they nonetheless engage with all manner of contemporary technology. The result is truly compelling music that succeeds in bridging the gap between past, present and future.
Notes by Kevin Legendre
Ilustration by Jefrain Galipolli
Imagenes Recording 2021