In Colombia’s el movimiento scene, BROKIX is shaking things up. The trio of self-described “rarxs” are bringing an alternative and sentimental edge to reggaeton. After generating hype through collaborations with acts like Feid and Ñejo, BROKIX released their breakthrough album PA QUE YA NO ESTÉS TRISTE on Oct. 31. On it, they push their genre-bending sound to even more far-out places with elements of R&B, EDM, lo-fi, and more in the mix.
“We like to create our own universes with our projects where we let our imagination run wild,” BROKIX’s Jayce tells Remezcla. “We allow ourselves to be free to express ourselves in our music. We encourage our fans to be free to be themselves without fear of what other people might say about them.”
Jayce makes up BROKIX with his longtime friends Kryan and KidNicco. Hailing from Cali, the trio had been dreaming of making music together for over a decade. The very first iteration of BROKIX actually started out as a punk rock band. In recent years, Jayce, Kryan, and KidNicco have expanded on their rock ‘n’ roll spirit with the music playing in the streets of Colombia. “We’re fusing our roots in Cali with what we’ve come across on this journey as BROKIX,” KidNicco says. “We don’t like to box ourselves into one genre because we’re always evolving.”
Last year, BROKIX received a big boost when Feid jumped on the alluring “Sueños Perdidos” remix. “That collaboration with Feid opened a lot of doors for us,” Kryan recalls. “That changed our lives so much.” The remix is now a part of the band’s PA QUE YA NO ESTÉS TRISTE album, which also features Medellín hit-makers The Rudeboyz in the atmospheric title track. “We didn’t put limits on ourselves,” Kryan adds. “We like to have the freedom to explore different sounds.”
In honor of BROKIX’s latest LP, the trio curated an exclusive playlist of other “rarxs” that they describe as “emotional” and “experimental.” In addition to their own music, the playlist includes artists that they listen to, that have inspired them, and that they hope to collaborate with in the future.
BROKIX & Rudeboyz - “Pa Que Ya No Estés Triste”
Kryan: “We’ve been listening to The Rudeboyz since we were kids. They were producer goals for us to work with someday. Thanks to our collaboration with Feid, many things began to happen for us. We thought, ‘How are we going to The Rudeboyz’s classic reggaeton sound in Colombia with what we’re doing and our essence?’ Everything flowed very well in the studio. The song came together so quickly. We each put the best of ourselves into that collaboration.”
CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso - “Baby Gangsta”
Jayce: “We follow the rap, trap, and freestyle scene in Argentina very closely. CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso are doing things differently than what the rest of that scene is doing. It’s inspiring to see them not just working with urbano. With their Tiny Desk performance, they were doing things more in the style of jazz music. It was very daring of them to go against what’s playing on the radio in Argentina and that’s why it was important to have them on this playlist.”
Latin Mafia - “Yo Siempre Contesto”
Kryan: “A collaboration with BROKIX and Latin Mafia would sound amazing. They have that nostalgia in their music that we really like. They express what every young person feels or goes through in their music. Whatever that feeling might be, they put that into their songs. I really love their vibe and their musicality as artists. It’s similar to our vibe.”
Bb Trickz - “Miss Rackz”
Kryan: “It reminds me of that beautiful feeling we transmit to our fans through our music, which is something different. Like Bb Trickz, we don’t like to box ourselves into the genres that are popular at the moment. ‘Miss Rackz’ sounds very new and fresh. It’s strange, but I like it. I put that song on when I’m with my friends and I feel great.”
Topboy TGR - “Arena”
Jayce: “From the valle and the Pacífico, there’s an artist named Topboy TGR. He has a song called ‘Arena’ that I really like. It sounds very exotic and it’s a big song here. The song is very strange because he samples music that’s popular in this region with trap music. I think that’s amazing.”
Underaiki - “Cigo”
Jayce: “From Venezuela, I really like Underaiki, who is an upcoming artist. ‘Cigo’ is another exotic song that I have on repeat right now. It would be the perfect addition to our playlist.”
Juice WRLD - “Glo’d Up”
KidNicco: “That emo trap vibe of Juice WRLD is a very important inspiration for us. His songs like ‘Glo’d Up’ and ‘Lucid Dreams’ are great bangers. ‘Glo’d Up’ and a lot of other songs Juice WRLD put out have been such a big influence for us.”
