If you’ve felt a spike in mystical energy as of late, don’t be alarmed. Mercury is not entering retrograde – you’ve just been sensing the mounting return of Mateo Kingman. Universally acclaimed following the release of his debut LP Respira back in 2016, the cosmically-inclined Ecuadorian artist is now unveiling the first taste of his sophomore album with “Religar,” an intimate, healing prayer dedicated to the emotional scars we all carry and can’t always erase.
“Religar,” as a term, is defined via press release as “putting the parts back together again, returning to unity after it’s all fallen apart.” Quiet and restrained, “Religar” is a bold choice for lead single, one that fans the flames of Kingman’s compassionate reputation, previously as an environmentally sensitive artist and now as a conduit for human empathy. Kingman describes this lyrical evolution as an “Encounter that happens in my body that’s fundamental, essential, and at the same time cosmic. It’s an encounter between me and myself: it is vitality.”
Premiering today on Remezcla, the Ana Cristina Barragán-directed video for “Religar” was shot in Quito and in Valle de los Chillos. It explores a deep sense of hurt and restoration by following a group of teens physically and emotionally isolated from the world. The group acts as a surrogate family for each other, coping and nurturing one another in primal sequences of bathing, dancing and even mock-surgery to remove the heartache.
“Through caring for each other, through dance, disturbing games and snakes,” comments Barragán, “these teens vent with a sensation of abandonment and freedom, attaining a new state of euphoria, reconnecting with each other and with their own essence.” That spirit of connection is what often offers us solace, pulling us back from the edge and making “Religar” an impactful artistic statement in a world hungry for understanding and compassion.