‘Mortal Kombat’ Goes Cumbia? Yes, Please – Check It Out Here
Courtesy of Warner Bros Cine.
The Mortal Kombat video game series has always had a large Latine following. In honor of the upcoming Mortal Kombat II movie, a Mexican DJ is putting a fresh cumbia spin on the franchise’s theme song. In collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures’ WaterTower Music, Amantes del Futuro has released a new version of “Techno Syndrome” today (Apr. 24), and Remezcla has the scoop first.
When anyone thinks of the Mortal Kombat video games, the first thing that probably comes to mind is the iconic sounds of “Techno Syndrome.” The theme song by The Immortals first came out in 1994 on Mortal Kombat: The Album. Since then, the intense dance track has been used in all sorts of media concerning Mortal Kombat. In 2021, the franchise hit the big screen and HBO Max with Mortal Kombat. The movie’s highly anticipated sequel, Mortal Kombat II, is finally heading to theaters next month. To pay homage to the Latine connection to the Mortal Kombat series, Amantes del Futuro has released his version of “Techno Syndrome.”
“Mortal Kombat is a classic,” Amantes del Futuro tells Remezcla. “I was honored to be asked to make a cover of ‘Techno Syndrome’ and be a part of its legacy. Doing a cumbia version was a very fun and also a challenging experience. Cumbia is a very special rhythm and has the characteristic of being timeless. It connects across generations, and that is very beautiful. I think the exercise of tropicalizing this iconic song is a very nice surprise to all the Latin fans of this video game who have been part of this story for so long.”
Amantes del Futuro is the musical project of Ima Felini. For over two decades, the Mexico City native pushed cumbia music into the future as his stage name suggests. Now, he’s reimagining “Techno Syndrome,” making the song’s battle-ready beats collide with his club-ready cumbia. In a nod to the original version, characters like Liu Kang, Raiden, Johnny Cage, Jax, Scorpion, Katana, Sonya Blade, and more are name-checked in the song’s breakdown. These characters will also appear in the Mortal Kombat II movie.
The music video for Amantes del Futuro’s version of “Techno Syndrome” was shot in Mérida, Yucatán. The video captures people dancing to Amante del Futuro as he spins the song on his turntables at SALÓN GALLOS.
Mortal Kombat II is out in theaters on May 8.
Check out the song below.
