Fuete Billete’s Pepper Kilo On His New Club Night “ULTRATUMBA FutureDance”

Fuete Billete’s Pepper Kilo On His New Club Night “ULTRATUMBA FutureDance”

The word Ultratumba may call to mind more of a Día de Muertos vibe than a booty poppin’ vibe, but in the hands of Fuete Billete’s Pepper Kilo, Ultratumba is about to become synonymous with lit.

His new club night, kicking off tonight in Rio Piedras, ULTRATUMBA FutureDance is about bringing a new aesthetic experience to the nightlife of Puerto Rico’s metropolitan area. As he explains it, the concept of “clubbing” hasn’t really been active in Puerto Rico for the last decade or so. “Today, it’s more corporate raves and social parties where people just stand around and all they do is look at each other,” he says. With ULTRATUMBA FutureDance, he wants to bring the classic clubbing experience back, infusing it with the mentality and approach of the DIY community.

The rapper, alongside LA-Based creative Kid Monaco, conceived of ULTRATUMBA as a nightlife space where people can forget about the different music scenes divisions, social status, or even sexual orientation. Simply put, it’s a party pa todo el mundo. “It isn’t about any scene, or group of people,” he says. “It’s for everybody: girls, boys, punkers, ravers, goths, thugs, queers!”

Here’s what it is about though: dressing as stylishly as possible, getting lit the fuck up, and dancing til 6 in the morning.

Expect to hear “the future sounds of dance music” with an emphasis on bass. Kilo references Juke, Grime, Jersey Club, Vogue, Future Bass, UK Funky, R&G, and REMIX/REFIX all in one breath – genres he says are still pretty underground on the island, but that he predicts will start guiding the sounds of pop music in general. “The idea is to present these genres in a cohesive manner so that people can see where the connections are, and where they connect to music people may already be more familiar with.” the rapper explained.
The parties will happen twice a month, with special guests coming through. For its first edition, ULTRATUMBA will have sets from its two residents, Fuete Billete’s own FreeBa$$ and Puerto Rico-based producer Overlord. “For our second edition we will be featuring Murlo, an English Grime producer who’s part of the Mixpak label,” explained Kilo.

Given that there is a good deal of international influence in Kilo’s concept, expect to see international acts drop through.  “These parties are influenced by the people I’ve met throughout my life as an artist,” he told me. “Moni Saldaña from [Mexico’s] Nrmal and Fausto Bahia/Mexican Jihad of NAAFI are people I really identify with. They throw their festivals and events with a lot of love and pride, and I think they’re in it for the right reasons.”

ULTRATUMBA FutureDance kicks off tonight at 10:30pm, at new venue Escondite Tiki Bar, 1063 Ave. Ponce de Leon, Esquina Paseo De Diego.