The scene in Puerto Rico is often overlooked. Sure, Calle 13 is huge and Daddy Yankee is…a thing. Tego Calderón is the god of uptown, Vico C has legendary status, and no wedding would be complete without Menudo. But the current alternative local landscape gets slighted even though it continues to breed incredibly complex and diverse artists. See: the careful and visceral sounds of Fantasmes or the expansive progression of tach.dé. The men of Dávila 666 have found an underground niche in the North American market, but we want more for these artists. Not to say that playing for their loyal fan base in Rio Piedras isn’t enough (it’s necessary, for sure), but their efforts shouldn’t be pigeonholed. The Wálters (named after the human meme himself) have a good chance of transcending the local scene, and geography has done part of the work for them already.
The duo, comprised of Luis López Varona and Ángel Emanuel Figueroa, compose their music transatlantically. Luis moved from San Juan to Barcelona and Angel resides in Philadelphia. This makes for a truly digital creation, but the music doesn’t suffer because of it. The long distance doesn’t hinder the sound. Instead, it provides more influences to come together. In Los Wálters we have ‘80s new wave, electro-pop, ballad, and subtle tropical touches. Their uplifting voices always remain faint in the backdrop of digital flurries, daring you not to at least shimmy one shoulder. It’s clever, calculated, and labored in effortless ways.
To see what we’re talking about, check out their debut LP, #ponteelcasco, now streaming on SoundCloud. The album will be digitally available come April 15th, but Remezcla is offering an exclusive free download of “Cuadrado Redondo” to tide you over.
Download “Cuadrado Redondo” for free, courtesy of Barcelona/Philly-by-way-of-Puerto-Rico duo Los Wálters.
Watch their video for fellow #ponteelcasco track, “Dulce Picante” below.
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