Magnetismo Animal [LP]

La Sonora Mazuren is the latest addition to the already rich indie-tropical scene out of Bogotá, Colombia. Deeply rooted in the popular sounds and rhythms of South America, the group draws from cumbia, chicha, guaracha, champeta and other styles mostly from Ecuador, Colombia and Peru. Far from being folklorists or revivalists, La Sonora Mazuren combines synthesizers and electric guitars with accordion and percussion to create a futuristic style indebted toearly pioneers such as Polibio Mayorga or Bogota's own Eblis Alvarez, of Meridian Brothers fame, who also produced their debut album. The result is a psychedelic feast reminiscent of the golden years of Tropicalia.Magnetismo Animal, their follow up album, was mostly tracked in rural Normandy, during one of their European tours, and completed in Bogotá. Franz Mesmer and his theory of animal magnetism provide the running theme for their new album. A collection of songs linked by the idea of a shared trance-inducing energy, channeled through rhythms and sound experiments. Musical inspiration for the album comes from Colombian gaita, vallenato and cumbia, Peruvian huayno and chicha, Ecuadorian Sanjuanitos - a panoply of Afro-Andean traditions filtered through a futuristic vision of dance music that meldspercussion-heavy polyrhythms and psychedelic sounds.The band members are all active on the new tropical Bogotá scene. Keyboardist and accordionist Ivan Medellin and bassist Nicolas Eckardt are members of cult band Romperayo. Percussionists and singers Giovanna Mogollón and Diana Sanmiguel are also 2/3 of popular trio LA PERLA. Musicians: Juan David Lacorazza (guitar); Luis Lizarralde (drums); Iván Medellín (keyboards, accordion, vocals), Giovanna Mogollón (percussion, vocals), Miguel Angel Rodriguez Rebolledo (percussion, vocals); Diana Sanmiguel (percussion, vocals).