Tribal Prehispánico: blood rituals enacted through syncopation, human sacrifice through possessive states. Life-and-death dualism. Pendants. Skeletons. Rainfall cultivation. Poetry. Total Freedom. In December, Monterrey, Mexico’s Javier Estrada released this incredible album — as part of N.A.A.F.I’s fantastic triple-disc compilation on “Tribal” — an 18-track articulation of Aztec ritualism and pan-rhythmic energy that seems to get noisier and more apocalyptic as it plays. For an outsider reference point, it’s not far off from Lisbon kuduro on the surface, but its mythological roots — a purposeful reconstitution of pre-colonial Aztec culture — make its modern qualities feel more political than integral.
In any case, this is Estrada’s huarrachero: unrelentingly aggressive, incredibly complex, and downright exquisite. Move:
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Be sure to also check out the other incredible editions in N.A.A.F.I’s Tribal series: Alan Rosales’s Guarachero and DJ Tetris’s Costeño.
• Javier Estrada: https://soundcloud.com/djjavierestrada
• N.A.A.F.I: http://naafi.mx