Club Coco ¡AHORA! The Latin Sound of Now

A follow-up to 2021's Club Coco, this compilation by Mexican DJ Coco María showcases contemporary Afro-Latin sounds by home-based and diaspora bands and producers from Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Suriname and elsewhere. Opener ‘Pacific Dreams’, provided by London-based Israeli producer Raz Olsher, is a slow, distorted soul number. ‘Metalero’ by Colombians Pedro Ojeda and Eblis Álvarez (operating as Chupame El Dedo) is a frantic take on Latin staple ‘El Cumbanchero’ that's influenced by hardcore and, perhaps, Benny Hill. The duo team up with fellow Bogotano Mario Galeano as Los Pirañas on ‘Puerta del Sol’, a bouncy, funky salsa cover channelling sixties psychedelia. On these and other songs, percussion is the boss – it's club music, after all – and a retro, lo-fi mood hangs over everything, with old school synths popping up regularly. Guess What's ‘Stickle Bricks’ reminded me of The Human League, but with Phil Oakey in a tropical shirt and Joanne and Susan sticking to dancing. Ronald Snijders’ ‘Off the Groove’ somehow successfully puts panpipes alongside an ice-cool bassline. The songs entertain rather than enthral, but this is a diverse dip into new Latin sounds and a great party spin.