A very appropriate release for your aestival enjoyment, the release offers five playful tracks that are typical of AFRik & The Smiling Orchestra’s trademark sound and style.
Fanfarria opens with juicy horns in an impeccable groove that carries the message home. Pomo y Clamato teasingly invite us into a funky, dislocated mid-tempo beat, while Mambu push along to a strong back-beat over our favorite, deep bass punch. The title track La Tremenda sends us into a trance with a round-robin synth line that is constantly kept on its toes by Jose and Pablo’s endless and ingenious, extemporised dabs.
We gently part with the release as the moody Eucaliptus unfolds, complete with the lush sound of swaying of palm trees accompanied by tremolo guitar, vibraphone and slow-moving, sub-sonic synth bass.
Excellent when heard as a whole, but explore it at your own easy pace and you will find a release that has exquisite moments for dreamy mornings-after, vibey moments and unbroken, pleasurable afternoons.
credits
released September 18, 2015
Compositions, recording and production: Jose Miguel Martin Buitrago and Pablo Vargas Avaria
Mastering: Jose Miguel Martin Buitrago and Pablo Vargas Avaria
Artwork: Pablo Vargas Avaria
AFRik & The Smiling Orchestra is the project of Jose Miguel Martin Buitrago with Pablo Vargas Avaria – DJ Haiti and DJ Larva. They excavate African sounds and metrics, indulge in abstract surrealism and free-floating space, and then leave place, time and musical style behind in order brake barriers and create a hefty, psychedelic trip with a grade A certificate for dancing. The project’s idea is based on the concept of trance induction where dance, sound waves and music converge in a liberating and cathartic moment of energised communion.
AFRik & The Smiling Orchestra’s sound has its foundation in Berlin’s deep-house and techno scene, but caters heavily to the cravings for a strong groove and a rich soul, which they embellish with instruments from around the world: from an African harp to a Mapuche horn or as simple and innocent as the sound of a bouncing ping-pong ball.
Having previously collaborated with Tobi Neumann, Rulo and Tea Time from Los Tetas, Mariana of Denver, Cecilia Amenabar and Wata among others, Jose and Pablo are exited to release their third album as AfriK & The Smiling Orchestra.
With more than 15 years of experience AFRik & The Smiling Orchestra has obviously played extensibly not only in their native Chile - the played to great success at the recent Lollapalooza - but also abroad, in cities like Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Barcelona, Paris, Minsk and Buenos Aires. Along the way they have shared the stage with top names like A Guy Called Gerald, Sammy dEE, Cabanne, Dandy Jack, Sonja Monear, Dinky, Matthew Styles, Mike Shannon, Ricardo Villalobos, Deadbeat, Argenis Brito, Ellen Allien, Pier Bucci, Matias Aguayo, Dave Aju, Andres Bucci, Jan Krueger, KidKoala, DeWalta, Alexkid and Chica Paula.
The Denmark-based clang label and booking agency was initiated January 2013. Its most important purpose is take adventurous music to a wider community.
This Bandcamp exclusive comes complete with a head-spinning background story (check the album notes) and eerie electronics. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 29, 2023