Bienaventuranza

In recent years, the world of electronic music in Latin America has moved from revitalising cumbia with urgent beats to a more reflective period exploring the melodies, instruments and spirituality of the Andes and its native cultures. This is certainly the trajectory of Argentinian producer Pedro Canale (aka Chancha) who has moved from being one of the main innovators behind digital cumbia to one of many working in this new genre often called Andean beat.

Canale is clearly thoroughly ensconced in Andean culture – there are healthy lashings of charango(lute), flute, bird calls and indigenous melodies throughout, and a final track featuring simply an otherwordly chant and hand-drum. It's impossible not to feel a sense of bliss during the beautiful vocal melody of ‘Niño Hermoso’ or the raindrop-like beat of ‘Kawa Kawa’. Different textures are explored on the Caribbean-tinged folk-dancehall of ‘La Victoria’ and ‘Barú’, which features an ominous bass line and a lively cornucopia of sampled sounds.

However, often the music is too subdued, lacking the immediacy needed for dance music and the complexity warranted for sole listening pleasure. The Andes is always in full view, but often it obscures the goal of making a great electronic album, leaving an unbalanced fusion in its wake.