We are living through an era where more music is available to us than ever – whether it be via social media, streaming or apps. But despite this wealth of options, it can be difficult to cut through the industry hype, the homogenizing algorithms, and find something new and exciting.
In our weekly Nuevo Noise playlist, you’ll find some of our favorite releases of the week – from the most exciting new names in urbano to the burgeoning SoCal neo-Chicano soul wave and everything in between.
Consider this your genre-diverse guide to the most exciting releases from rising Latinx artists each week. Follow our Nuevo Noise playlist featuring these tracks and more on Spotify or Apple Music.
1
Soy Emilia - "Por-no" ft. MNKYBSNSS
Colombian indie-pop pixie, Soy Emilia, is back with a brand new single that begs the question: What if romance is your kink? Featuring impeccable production from MNKYBSNSS, the track turns up the BPMs, building on a wall of synthesizers and rapturous dance breaks as Soy Emilia runs through a series of romantic scenarios loaded with double entendres and tender devilishness. -Richard Villegas
2
Orieta Chrem - "Sunquchakuy"
Not only do the music video visuals created by artist Manika Post do a key job of contextualizing this Lima producer’s pressing wind and percussive track “Sunquchakuy,” but cuts of traditional ceramic instruments also give a clue of how the song came to be. Orieta Chem worked with musician Dimitri Manga Chavez and ceramicist Chabela Noriega, who created a vessel dubbed a keráfono to build out the whispering song. -Caitlin Donohue
3
El Mató a un Policía Motorizado - “El Perro”
Before wrapping up 2019 with a string of South American tour dates, Argentine quintet El Mató a un Policía Motorizado are following up on 2017’s La Síntesis O’Konor with a new single that will hit you right in the feels. On “El Perro,” singer Santiago Motorizado looks for his lost canine friend, crying for his return over crunchy guitars and a steady beat. Where are you, doggy? -Cheky
4
Fangoria - "Reinas"
If you’re having a rough week, don’t despair — Fangoria are back with a brand new album that will give you a much needed moment of zen. On Extrapolaciones y Dos Respuestas, the disco camp icons take on some of Spain’s most recognizable indie acts like Hidrogenesse, El Columpio Asesino and La Prohibida — covering their biggest hits and creating an extremely meta vortex of Ibero electro-pop. One of the album’s delightful standouts is their take on Ms. Nina and King Jedet’s “Reinas,” a full-circle moment for the “A Quien le Importa” legends, as they breathe decades of wisdom and hedonism into one of this generation’s defining queer anthems. -Richard Villegas
5
Spray Canela - "02: (••▲••)"
Mexico’s psych scene is full of bands making guitar music that will make you see the edges of reality. This Morelos outfit goes beyond their influences with a seven-minute controlled freakout that dares you to try to pronounce its title. The song follows some basic, modern rules of the genre — motorik beat, layered guitars and feedback — yet the effect of the track is not about making noise for noise’s sake. Rather, it’s a song that speeds through a druggy pep step, with notes and textures that resemble a happier trip rather than the darker paths many of their contemporaries walk. -Marcos Hassan
6
Myuné - "Blessed With Angels"
Mere weeks after her departure from Tijuana darlings Mint Field, Amor Amezcua has unveiled “Blessed With Angels,” the latest single from her elegant, brooding solo project, Myuné. A stark contrast to her former band, Myuné sounds more akin to a gothic intersection between Grimes, Massive Attack and Mueran Humanos — presenting a track that drips with creeping industrial production and envelops Amezcua’s droning, hypnotic vocals. -Richard Villegas
7
Letón Pé - "¿Klk Tú Bebe?"
How to explain the frothiness of Letón Pé’s voice? Well, the Dominican singer has a tenor that recalls quickly-poured champagne, giving off an effervescent quality to her song. Meanwhile, Madrid-based producer PIEK locates her pop-primed vocal stylings within a bouncy neo-urbano beat, flirty to the nth degree. -Caitlin Donohue
8
Budapest - “Young Ghost”
“Young Ghost,” the latest track by Peruvian band Budapest, is an enigma. It floats above the ground with an icy production and glimmers with the sound of plucked charango strings, whereas Giuliana Origgi’s voice is a faint memory that we’re trying to grasp. It has the ghostly features of its title, and when it ends, we’re left melancholic and contemplative. -Cheky
9
Pblopvlo - "Erosión"
At the dawn of the new millennium’s third decade, there are hardly any cool futuristic perks for us to make our life more enjoyable, although Chilean producer Pblopvlo’s music can qualify as one of the few in our dumpster fire reality. Like a standout cut from a hip-hop beat tape in the Mad Max universe (where Arca is our queen supreme,) “Erosión” pops, grooves, bangs, and even soothes with its ever-changing soundscape — all in a way that will feel both alien and natural to your ears. -Marcos Hassan
10
Klik & Frik - "Refugio"
Latin electronic heads might know Rafa Caivano and Lisandro Sona from their work as the Argentinian duo Frikstailers. Their forays into electro-cumbia have brought them on world tours, and to appearances on Modeselektor and Mad Decent projects. This time, the two have continued experimenting with the Klik & Frik moniker — one they debuted in 2013 with a traditional project at Red Bull Music Academy. Their latest track, “Refugio,” features an Andean quenacho flute, and aptly portrays the pair’s talent for more subtle composition. -Caitlin Donohue
11
Alaina Castillo - "No Importa"
Today marked the debut record drop for Houston singer, Alaina Castillo. Antisocial Butterfly is an R&B moment for fans prepped by Castillo’s previous singer-guitarist covers of pop’s reigning it girls — from Ariana Grande to Billie Eilish. Lead single “No Importa” is an upbeat anthem for those truly uninterested in the chisme chorus this weekend. -Caitlin Donohue
12
Mediopicky - "Flipa"
Another week, another banger from this impressive underground producer, Mediopicky. The Dominican urbano beatmaker is going on a streak, and that means more bangers that should be popping everywhere. “Flipa” has a crispy beat that switches between anti-shopping-mall house beats and high-speed dembow, while the vocals function as prompts for your ass to follow intricate choreographies. Get with it so you can brag that you were getting down to Mediopicky before he blows up like a supernova. -Marcos Hassan
13
DRIMS - “Estoy”
Mexico City youngsters DRIMS took the ‘80s route on their new single “Estoy,” an upbeat throwback pop jam that instantly brings a smile to our faces. Guitars jangle, synths sparkle, and the bassline grooves, all while Alex Alanís sings about messing up a relationship. Yet by the song’s end, he shakes off the guilt and reemerges well and ready to love again. -Cheky