One of my favorite tracks of 2011 was Zuzuka Poderosa’s collaboration with UK producer Orquesta, “Dona Sandra,” especially the eventual Sonora remix. The 23-year-old one-man orchestra filters all of his influences, Latin America being a big one, into these sprawling, percussively inventive mixes that carry a lot of heft to them. They pair well with badass voices, e.g. Zuzuka, and lovely ones, like Lido Pimienta, the consummate collaborator.
Orquesta’s Lido-sung collab, “Un minuto,” appears on his just-released Bray EP as the only vocal-featuring track. The other three are Orquesta’s own digital instrumentations, featuring simulated steal drums in one, static space in another, and an unexpected nod to folkloric Russian music in the closer.