Recently, the ZZK Records crew inaugurated a new offshoot imprint called AYA Records, which focuses on supporting new Latin American artists fusing sounds from the Andes, Amazon, and Pacific Coast with electronic music. In the same vein, AYA’s latest release marries Andean and Afro-Caribbean rhythms as though they always belonged together.
We obsessed over ÌFÉ’s single “House of Love” back in January for its fresh take on Afro-Puerto Rican sounds and Yoruba culture, and because it’s irresistibly smooth. But we weren’t ready for what Nicola Cruz did with the song. His gorgeous remix retains the slow-burning groove of the original, but he transforms its intimacy and sensuality into a communal and almost ritualistic experience. Cruz replaces nearly all of the instrumentation with Andean elements like charango, pan flutes, and drums, as well as some subtle synths and organ sounds. This is the kind of track you just want to loop over and over, with an organic quality that’s magnetic.