In Our Headphones

Samory I - "Outside (feat. Lila Iké)" from the 2023 album Strength on Overstand Entertainment / Easy Star Records

Kingston, Jamaica-based artistSamory-Tour Frazer— who records asSamory I — celebrates hisprogeny on his debut solo album, Strength.

"It represents the struggles I’ve overcome, both mentally and physically," the roots reggae vocalist says in a press release, "and is also a representation of my son, who is my driving force behind this album." (His baby boy is featured with his proud papa on the cover art of the new album.)

Today's Song of the Day features guest vocals from fellow Jamaican artistLila Iké, who adds, “I have been waiting for this collaboration since 2016 when I moved to Kingston and my next-door neighbor was blasting unreleased songs from Samory I. The reverence in his voice captured me immediately, and I’ve been a fan since. I can’t wait for people to hear and feel the power in his sound. His new album will be a classic.”

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PAPISA - "Dores no Varal" from the 2024 album Amor Delírio on Costa Futuro

PAPISA is Rita Oliva, a musician, singer, songwriter, and producer based in São Paulo, Brazil. She released her first EP in 2016 and has graced some of Brazil's main stages, as well as the SXSW festival in Austin, TX, where she´ll be back this 2024 edition of the El Sonido showcase. The release of the single "Melhor Assim" in 2023 and "Dores no Varal" in early 2024 heralds the arrival of her next album. She now collaborates with Tagua Tagua in refreshing her indie dreamy pop. In her words, “sometimes sounding acidic, sometimes sweet, but always Brazilian.”

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Mexican Institute of Sound - "Bolero" from the 2024 album Algo-Ritmo : Mexican Institute of Sound Hits 2004-2024 on Soy Sauce

Mexican Institute of Sound (MIS) commemorated its 20-year journey with the release of "Algo + Ritmo 2004-2024" on February 2nd. Featuring 23 handpicked tracks, including two new collaborations with Ceci Bastida and Foudeqush + Esteman, this album encapsulates Camilo Lara's eclectic musical career. Blending mariachi soul, sonideros' spirit, and bold electronic beats, Lara's music reflects the rich tapestry of Mexican culture. Since its inception in 2004, MIS has resonated deeply, evoking a Mexico of bygone eras and captivating audiences worldwide. With the recent release of "Stop" featuring Ceci Bastida, Lara continues to captivate audiences, cementing his legacy as a trailblazer in Latin American music.

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Jarina de Marco - "Boca Chica" from the 2023 album Caribbean All-Inclusive Luxury on 3rd Culture Kid.

This week’s Songs of the Day spotlight artists who DJAlbina Cabrera will visit duringEl Sonido on the Road, a10-day journeyvisiting Santo Domingo; Dominican Republic, as part of the invitation to the Isle of Light music festival; followed by our annual showcase featuring six Latin American bands at SXSW in Austin, Texas; and finally, arriving in Mexico City for the 2024 edition of the Ibero-American music festival, Vive Latino, which is also a partner ofLive on KEXP from Mexico.

Dominican-Brazilian pop artist Jarina de Marco makes deliriously infectious music. Beneath the shine and gloss of her immaculately crafted music is a poignant message. This has been true going back to songs like 2016’s “Release the Hounds” which sounds like stomp-clap club anthem but on a deeper level was drawing On her latest album, Caribbean All-Inclusive Luxury, she coopts the capitalist sheen of a “dream vacation” as a biting protest satire. “Boca Chica” opens the album sounding like an advertisement that draws many tourists to places like the Dominican Republic. Not just that but it feels luxurious with her pristine vocals and lively production. But a deeper listen reveals de Marco is singing from the perspective of locals, exasperated by the spectacle of it all. That the song can exist as both a poignant commentary and a dance floor anthem is a testament to de Marco’s incredible songwriting prowess. - Dusty Henry

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Pink Pablo - "falco" from the 2023 self-released road 2 neverland EP

This week’s Songs of the Day spotlight artists who DJAlbina Cabrera will visit duringEl Sonido on the Road, a10-day journeyvisiting Santo Domingo; Dominican Republic, as part of the invitation to the Isle of Light music festival; followed by our annual showcase featuring six Latin American bands at SXSW in Austin, Texas; and finally, arriving in Mexico City for the 2024 edition of the Ibero-American music festival, Vive Latino, which is also a partner ofLive on KEXP from Mexico.

Pink Pablo's EP, road 2 neverland, signals a refreshing shift in Puerto Rico's music landscape, where artists like him are redefining the boundaries of genre. His musical journey, from church performances to LA, mirrors the island's evolving music scene. The EP's eclectic mix of electropop, rock, reggaetón, and disco, coupled with Pink Pablo's vulnerable lyrics, creates a deeply emotional and cohesive listening experience. As he gains momentum and connects with his audience through live shows, Pink Pablo's authenticity and commitment to his craft are undeniable, solidifying his position as a rising star in the Latin music world.

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Caribe Acido - "La Carrera de Los Perros" from the 2024 self-released Ciudad Nueva EP

This week’s Songs of the Day spotlight artists who DJAlbina Cabrera will visit duringEl Sonido on the Road, a10-day journeyvisiting Santo Domingo; Dominican Republic, as part of the invitation to the Isle of Light music festival; followed by our annual showcase featuring six Latin American bands at SXSW in Austin, Texas; and finally, arriving in Mexico City for the 2024 edition of the Ibero-American music festival, Vive Latino, which is also a partner ofLive on KEXP from Mexico.

Caribe Ácido presents Ciudad Nueva, a four-track EP composed by Dominican multidisciplinary artist Ysmel Abreu. A 35-minute jazz-infused trance, delving into the Dominican scene's alternative and experimental sides. Produced by Adriano Sang, the well-known Diego Raposo, and Ysmel himself, the EP features Adriano on piano and bass, with Ysmel handling the electric and amplified trumpet along with percussion. Standout tracks like "La carrera de los perros" and "El Número" shine on this EP, which, according to the Dominican music website Discolai, also pays homage to Dominican history and culture, with nods to Luis Días and references to streets named after historical battles in the Ciudad Nueva neighborhood.

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Chrome Corps - "Body Attestation," a 2024 single on Eskimo Recordings

Seattle's own Chrome Corps brings an industrial edge to their dystopic EBM sound, especially on today's Song of the Day, which can be found on the Eskimo Recordings compilation Next Wave Acid Punx DEUX - Secret Cuts. The comp is a companion to last year's collection, Curses’ Next Wave Acid Punx DEUX, also curated by Berlin-based DJ Luca Venezia, AKA Curses.

As Curses states in a press release, "Curating Next Wave Acid Punx DEUX was a big puzzle, figuring out how to fit all these tracks across 6 different 12″s required a lot of calculations and, to be quite frank, I was never that great at maths. Unfortunately, this meant we had to cut some real heaters off of DEUX. But Eskimo and I decided that we couldn’t let these gems go to dust. I’ve been DJing them loads in my sets, so it was only fair to share them with y’all to DJ and rage to yourselves. So, here it is… the final blast of bonus tracks for Next Wave Acid Punx DEUX: Secret Cuts."

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Sugartin - "Breakdown" from the 2024 album Breakdown on exlove records

Synthpop duoSugartin spin a dreamy web on today's Song of the Day, the title track off their latest three-song EP, released viaexlove records.

Formed inStuttgart, Germany by songwritersIris and Daniel in 2022, the pair take inspiration from their Krautrock forefathers while infusing modern-day electronic influences.

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Sol y Santi - "Have You Heard,"from the 2024 album Sol y Santi on Casa/Teca

A project of producer Santiago Salazar and vocalist/lyricistSoltera,Sol y Santi released their self-titled LP last month viaCasa/Teca.

"We started making this album right before the pandemic hit," Soltera states on Instagram. "Santi sent me a hundred songs that he had been archiving for years and I began to write lyrics for them. After completion we sat with the album for a while and it wasn’t until recently that we finally made the decision to release it independently thru @casaxteca and share it with the world."

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Ortrotasce - "Seeing Red," a 2023 self-released single

Ortrotasce(pronounced: or-tro-task) is the moniker for minimalist-synth artistNic Hamersly, who has been crafting his unique brand of dramatic darkwave for over a decade.

As he told the Orlando Weeklylast year, as a teenager, he fell in love withexperimental punk label 31G Records and its founder's band, The Locust, before moving on to bands likeCoil and Throbbing Gristle."I was more so into the harsher realm of electronic music," he tells the Weekly. "Power electronics and dark ambient and so on." He notes that his later influences leaned in poppier directions. "Hard Corps, SPK — Machine Age Voodoo, specifically — Fad Gadget, to name a few," he adds. "The juxtaposition between synth-pop and industrial in these groups just do it for me. You can probably hear this in most of my recent output."

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