Rooted along the banks of the Timbiki River (rio), which flows through Colombia’s Pacific Coast region, this collaboration fuses Afro-Colombian traditions passed down from ancestors with electronic sounds. The concept revolves around the music moving back and forth between ritualistic intensity and dance-floor energy, yet always returning to the “rio”—the river—which is the source of life and inspiration.

Anyway, just hearing the minimalist sound of the marimba played at club volume is already amazing. Traditional Afro-Colombian songs are cool, but they used to be too esoteric and niche; this release, however, has been skillfully adapted for the dance floor. It’s no wonder they defined an era alongside Quantic in the 2010s.

The modern reggaeton-style take on “La Memoria de Justino” (sample 3)—a classic and anthem-level track from Afro-Colombian music, particularly the Timbiki region on the Pacific coast—is also really cool.

For fans of world and tropical music. I’d also love to hear that marimba sound blasting on the dance floor. It’s wonderful to see the current state of modern Latin music presented by ZZK, the group that introduced us to digital cumbia. (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)