Útera

In the past ten years, a particular strain of downtempo has emerged from Latin America's clubs, uniting hypnotic electronic grooves with local instrumentation that typically evokes something sacred or lost from contemporary culture (ie Andean flutes, charango, hand drums). Heidi Lewandowski, aka Kaleema, emerged from this universe with her debut album Nómada and is showing flashes of brilliance that sets her apart on its follow-up. The set-up is similar, bubbling electronics and warm, driving beats setting things off, though Lewandowski's voice has gained more confidence, dancing around glistening synths on ‘Portales’ and whispering uneasily on the achingly beautiful ‘Sen’, which with its violin accompaniment and sound effects come across as peak Tricky.

Throughout, Lewandowski shows a flair for compositional economy, relying on just a few elements to create a pulsating and spell-binding effect on ‘Circulo de Arena’, whereas ‘Púrpura’ is an uplifting dub that could easily be a deconstructed pop classic. A number of serviceable instrumental tracks with a heavier clubland sway fill out the album, but it's those moments where Lewandowski's voice, a tight arrangement and her gift for a simple synth hook come together that make this one stand out from the pack.