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La Voz Nueva
Palenke Soultribe raves with electronic beats
Emma Lynch
Palenke Soultribe is no stranger to dance music. A Los Angeles based electronic music band mixes a techno club sound with a robotic yet melodic tone. Producers J. Borda and Popa are originally from Colombia and have brought the beats and culture of their Afro-Colombian roots into their music and onto the radio. Besides frequent air play of their hit “Palenke from the Jungle” on their previous album, their newest “Oro” features tracks such as “No Voy a Morir” that was a Top Tune on KCRW.
With “Oro” the listener gets a surprise and a different feel with each track. Mixed by Mark Needham, famous engineer who has worked with The Killers and Fleetwood Mac, Palenke Soultribe’s unique rhythms and instrument usage is portrayed well. Native musicians bellow out music from a guiro, tambora, accordion and other South-American gadgets to keep the tribal beats and chanting lyricists alive. The album “Oro” is the first album of a trilogy creating the colors of the Columbian flag, yellow, blue and red.
While some songs on the album beg for a club with black lights and lots of grooving like “No Voy a Morir” and “It is Not Your Fault,” others like “Palenke from the Jungle” and “Corazon Bonito” feature chanting and whispery tones that echo and blend for that tribal theme. All songs beg for the listener to dance, and the listener will certainly obey the request after hearing this album. Tracks “Choroni” and “Te Veo” were produced by Sr. Mendez, Grammy and Latin Grammy Winner. With a bit more mainstream sound, these tracks are super catchy and easy to learn the words.
Most of Palenke Soultribe’s songs are more focused on the instrumentation and mixing versus that of the voices. However the small fragments of repeating lyrics ties each piece together nicely. If by track eight, you are craving more, “Oro” offers two remixes at the end of the album for an even more dance feel, if that’s possible. The last song on the album, a remix of “Choroni” is a whole nine minutes for the listener’s dancing pleasure. With vocal cameos by Natasha Perez, Fernanda Karolys, Cesar Pliego and Locos Por Juana, “Oro” is a celebrity packed dish full of all kinds of different flavors.
For an album that is different than most dance/electronica on the shelves, pick up “Oro” and make a request to your local DJ or just put it on at home and don’t resist the urge to dance.
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