It’s hard to believe a year has gone by since a group of like-minded electronic music producers from Mexico and beyond joined forces to create the SsenSorial Crew collective. To celebrate their first anniversary, they’ve put together Compilassion – 1er Aniversario, an extensive compilation featuring songs from pretty much everyone involved in the collective.
Things start off in the techno zone, with the first four tracks showcasing variations of the genre. Chilango producer Ilias Asterion‘s “Gerrymandering,” stands out – a techno track filled with interesting textures, including organic drum sounds, glitches and delicate IDM-influenced synth sounds. But right when Mondragón‘s “Eón” comes up, things start to move in other sonic directions. Mondragón, an Indian Gold Records-signee who also hails from Mexico City, delivers a moving ambient track that breaks away from the dance floor beats that precede it, and it’s definitely the heartwarming moment of the whole compilation.
Elebleu really struck gold when he found Sara Montiel’s “Fumando Espero,” and successfully sampled its signature line “fumar es un placer/genial/sensual” on his hip hop track “Green Skills.” The sample, along with some gliding synth chords, and a fleeting reference to Jordy’s “Dur dur d’être bébé!” will most likely leave you in a woozy state of mind. Phynx follows with “Huipil de Sueños,” a hazy trap track that features Four Tet-like plucked strings samples and some melancholy female vocals.
The great Mexicali producer and Static Records artist Trillones also chips in with “Fortaleza,” and he takes a chance with a mix of laconic guitar lines and a dembow beat, resulting in something that’s close to Balún’s dreambow track “Años Atrás.” Speaking of taking chances, also interesting is MVNG‘s take on footwork on “Núcleo,” which sounds jazzy, playful, and full of life.
Compilassion is meant to showcase both the talent and diversity of the SsenSorial Crew members, from Niño Árbol‘s techno to Spaceseeds‘ Fade to Mind-like bass music, and that’s exactly what it does. Happy anniversary, you guys.