Fruta Madura

The Amsterdam-based Latin six-piece return for a second album of high tempo, impossible-not-to-love psychedelic electronica. Taking inspiration from retro Afro-Cuban tracks, Venezuelan band leader Alex Figueira packs a huge punch into just under 40 wild minutes. The result is both timeless and geographically vast. Keyboard bleeps and funky bass licks remain steadfast as the project leaps from crisp, hand-drum-led rhythms to space-age warps and echoed reverbs. Three generations of musicians are given a turn at the helm as the album shifts from Dominican merengue and 70s Angolan semba to reggaeton and techno. Sarcasm reigns supreme; ‘No le Pongas Coca-Cola’ advises what not to mix with rum, while ‘Vinimos a Hablar’ (We Came to Talk) ridicules anyone attempting a conversation at a Conjunto Papa Upa gig. If you’re stuck in a drab listening habit, Fruta Madura will be the perfect antidote.