Meridian Brothers are the Columbian act centred around musician and producer Eblis Alvarez, and this week they’ve announced they’ll be releasing a new record called Cumbia Siglo XXI in August. They’ve also shared the thrilling single “Puya del Empresario”, about which Alvarez says:
“Cumbia disintegrated into drum machines. AIs are fucking idiots, Puya rides the machine.”
That dismissive, almost punk attitude to traditions is probably what has fueled the creation of the utterly beguiling and infectious “Puya del Empresario”. Meridian Brothers start out the song gamely combining insistent beats with buzzing synths, only increasing the complexity of their intertwining as Alvarez’s impassioned vocals join in. These elements alone make “Puya del Empresario” a totally radical listen, but Meridian Brothers aren’t keen to settle, instead pulling the listener into a robotic meltdown and electric free-for-all by the time they wrap up this party.
Meridian Brothers’ new album Cumbia Siglo XXI comes out on August 21 through Bongo Joe Records.
