Luis Valentin, the Boricua artist known for working his keyboard magic at Buscabulla‘s live shows, is releasing his yet-untitled debut EP as Bairoa early next year, co-produced by himself and the band’s own Luis Alfredo Del Valle. His first single, the hypnotic “Sumersión,” is a breath of fresh air, and it’s already got us pumped about what’s to come next.
As its title suggests, “Sumersión” is a track to sink into. From the looped Afro percussion – a Nina Simone sample – to the psychedelic guitar solos, to the trance-inducing electronics, this music is like quicksand, so you’d better not fight it. Valentin tells us that the song “is the soundtrack to my return to my home turf [of] Puerto Rico. The lyrics reflect how I felt after returning back home; I felt I had to adapt again to this familiar place.” He also noted the influence of William Onyeabor and Dur Dur on the track, and it shows, as it’s the perfect marriage between Afro rhythms and psychedelia.
As for having bandmate Luis Alfredo Del Valle as co-producer of the EP, he shared, “I’ve known this gent since I was a teenager. He’s like my music shaman, always putting me onto fresh jams. As soon as I showed him my ideas he was like, ‘Let’s track this on the Tape Machine now!’…I’m very fortunate to be able to collaborate with him – [he’s the] humblest peep in town. Buscabulla has been a big driving force for my project; I thank the universe for them every day.”