- This year, Latin and Caribbean sounds invaded club music. Between NAAFI in Mexico City, Bala Club in London, Salviatek in Uruguay and New York crews like #KUNQ, these cross-cultural experiments have led to some extremely fresh ideas. The sound tends to be dark and confrontational, from Kamixlo's cybernetic textures to Imaabs' apocalyptic ambience and Santa Muerte's rat-a-tat drums. Continuing the tradition is the Stockholm-based producer Dinamarca, who, with this EP for his label Staycore, has staked a claim as one of the scene's most inventive producers.
Holy teeters close to the edge of gabber and hardstyle. This kind of speed and intensity is only a notch or two higher than the Caribbean party music you'll hear on the radio in New York. Dominican dembow tends to brush 150 BPM, and merengue can easily exceed drum & bass tempos. That might be why these rhythms feel so natural alongside distorted kick drums and saw-wave synths, as is the case on the EP's killer title track.
"DINABLAM," a collaboration with Berlin-based producer Kablam, is the most psychotic cut here. It's a wild, gabber-dancehall hybrid that smacks of early Bong-Ra or Kid606, though the plucked strings give it a distinctly 2016 feel. Where that one's likely to clear all but the most adventurous dance floors, "Señal" is comparatively easygoing, with a sparse groove and smart drum programming. The high production values rarely dip across the release, from the rave synths to the percussion and sub-bass. Dinamarca's deft mixing makes all of the sharp textures and high-speed rhythms feel that much more approachable.
Tracklist01. Holy
02. Religion feat. Resla
03. Juguete
04. Señal
05. DINABLAM feat. Kablam