Kebrada aims to explore Afro-Latin polyrhythms through electronic music. First to release an album on Dengue Dengue Dengue’s label is the Peruvian artist QOQEQA, with the track “888”.
Daniel Valle-Riestra is part of the generation of experimental electronic producers who place Latin America at the center of the world map. By coupling the great variety of Afro-Latin rhythms with the infinite possibilities of machines, the producer reinterprets tribal groove in a minimalist way, following in the footsteps of the masters Dengue Dengue Dengue. After the inaugural compilation, Discos en 3 / Cuartos, QOQEQA has gotten the ball rolling on the Kebrada label with a solo record, entitled AXUXA.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” he tells us with pride. “Rafael and Felipe (Dengue Dengue Dengue) have extensive experience, and with this album I feel I am collaborating with their vision to expand and promote this sound.” Passionate about what the label has planned to offer in the coming months, the young producer has studied the sounds of his ancestors in 11 tracks that resemble his journey. “This album is the consequence of my Peruvian roots, from the coast, andes highlands, and amazon jungle. It is not just Afro, but you can hear the Afro elements in previous QOQEQA singles ‘Uva’ and ‘Toroidal.’ In this album you can hear Afro patterns in the tracks ‘Omega,’ ‘Qoqeqa,’ and ‘Puntea.’ The Andean influences can be heard in ‘Latido,’ ‘Tutume,’ and ‘Ama,’ while the Amazonian and tribal textures are present in ‘CalaXucla,’ ‘Kshanti,’ ‘888,’ plus a modern blend including dembow on ‘Kilo’ and ‘Momposina.’”
In addition to these folkloric and traditional influences, QOQEQA loves “listening to dub, breakbeats, dembow, IDM, footwork, pioneering music with heavy bass and unique rhythms,” the kind of sounds that have permeated his musical culture, blending in today’s sounds and giving him a minimalist identity. Rather than sampling old vinyl records or musicians encountered while traveling, QOQEQA distinguishes himself by recording his own acoustic instruments: “I enjoy the risk of not quantizing the rhythm patterns or melodies, so it can show the human nuance and groove of my playing.” In QOQEQA, Kebrada bet on the right horse, assuming the delicate responsibility of writing a future vision for electronic music.
The album will be released on February 19, 2021 on the Kebrada label. Pre-order it here.
