Penya

Genre-massaging London trio Penya have been making waves for a while now, most especially in the youthful, club-leaning universe populated by the likes of Gilles Peterson's Worldwide FM and cult record label On the Corner, which released Penya's debut LP Super Liminal in 2018. It easy to see why: their heady vibe, with its slow building beats and hands-in-the-air euphoria, has visceral appeal. Electronic dancescapes are lent authenticity by traditional folkloric rhythms and practitioners – here, including guests – well versed in applying them.

Afro-Cuba is a mainstay. Producer Magnus PI spent six months living in Havana before going on to explore, even forge, musical links between Cuba, Morocco, India and Tanzania, the results represented here. Finnish lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Lilli Elina intersperses lyrics in Yoruba, the Nigerian language of Cuba's Santería faith, with words in Finnish and Spanish. Opener ‘Elevation’ has a Scandinavian breathiness given texture by cascading harp and multi-tracked Yoruba chants praising Elegua – the orisha who opens the way – and percussive flourishes whose delicacy shifts into a mighty crescendo. ‘False Prophets’, hot on its heels, establishes Penya's range as horns add heft to sung Spanish admonishments and looping, feverish harmonies. Guernsey-French percussionist Jim Le Messurier, a longtime Santería aficionado, impresses on ‘The Dazzling One’, a spacious, space-age invocation. Highly recommended.