El Circulo- Mueran Humanos

Desert- Desert

In Desert, the title track of Desert’s debut EP, Desert (I know, it’s a little repetitive) is probably their liveliest song yet. The lead singer, who was previously in another Barcelona-based group, Granit, has an amazing, smoky voice that previously has only been highlighted in Beach Houser-esque dream pop songs, and a more upbeat track like this is a perfect fit. 

Maria y Jose — Club negro

Although I loved “Líder Juvenil,” and thought that his Tony Gallardo II project was great, I’m glad that Maria y Jose has returned. This song, and another recent track of his, “Ultra,” have this magnetic, pulsing dark core, and I can’t stop listening to them. No one else combines ruidoson and hip-hop aesthetics quite like Gallardo; he truly is the “rey de reyes” of his genre. His video also reflects this. He takes some common tropes of rap videos from the last decade and creates a fractured yet engaging plot. Does she die at the end? Is it that she “dies” because she loses herself in the music? Is she a liminal figure, lost between light and dark? The ambiguity of the ending adds complexity to a deceptively simple song. However, I also take issue with his portrayal of violence; he might be trying to subvert representations of violence, but it still is a deeply unsettling video.

Dënver - Revista de gimnasia

All I can say is that they are back

Bflecha- B33

B33, the first single off of her upcoming album, is a real gem. It takes 90s r&b rhythms and applies them to electric production in a new way; this isn’t just a Spanish-language repeat of Purity Ring, Autre Ne Veut, or Sky Ferreira. Bflecha rethinks these rhythms, and does deconstruct them, but also preserves their mass appeal and catchiness (the chorus, ecuaciónes para cruzar el cielo, is about half of the song). Her unique video only affirms how this is a new interpretation of deconstricted 90s r&b. She creates a new world that is both futuristic and anachronistic, just like the song itself.

Lainus - Montañitas

Lainus released “Baile Contemporaneo” a few years ago, and it was one of my favorite songs. It actually led to my interest in contemporary Latin American music. He’s a really great artist, combining a few vernacular elements with his pop/electronic sound. “Montañitas” is his first new release in awhile, and although it does capture the same sound as “Baile Contemporaneo,” “Baile” was released at the height of chillwave, and “Montañitas,” although poppier and a tad bit more psychadelic, may feel slightly dated.

Con Suaviadad (Los Prisoneros cover) by La Entropica

La Entropica, a Chilean electropop artist, is unknown right now, but that may soon change. She released a great EP last year that combined a unique sound combining an almost wall-of-sound style electronic production with elegant vocals. In this cover, however, we see her pare her sound down and use a slightly more aggressive, disco inflected beat. Her vocals are also more audible, and although this may be a function of the song she’s covering, it seems that she has really found a sound. Watch out for her — she’ll be featured on Fakuta’s forthcoming album (which will likely be released this year).

Astro-Panda

Astro has always been a fun band that has never taken themselves too seriously. Their video for “Coco” had them running through the Andes in neon blue skirts, throwing paint at each other, while in “Colombo” they acted out a ritual surrounding a glowing blue crystal with their faces in it. This joyful irreverence is just as visible in “Panda,” where we see young butts, curvy butts, old butts, celluloidy butts, fat butts, and hairy butts dancing around in the dark. Although the only image is butts, it’s all very desexualized, with the atmosphere more joyful and happy than sexual. The end, however, is the best — it has a slight twist that only makes me appreciate Astro even more, and hopefully should inspire other bands to take themselves a little less seriously. Still, the video is NSFW.