Central America has a popping independent music scene — and we’ve been telling you about it for quite some time. But even within this fertile region filled with electro, garage, dancehall, and hyperpop, there are key players trying to build stronger local scenes and infrastructure. Guatemalan producer Bumont is one of these notable scene godfathers, and his forthcoming EP Epicentro is dropping a long overdue pin on the Chapín underground, enlisting collaborations with rising talents such as Mezz, RIAH, Chato Bachas, and Fabuloso.
Premiering today on Remezcla, the colorful, mixed-media music video for “Saturno” — Bumont’s dreamy disco crossover with indie pop singer Tita — urges us to find our inner light in the darkest of times. In-studio shots filled with color blocking and grainy close-ups harken nostalgically to ‘90s classics like In Living Color, while animated clips of a bunny haunted by shadowy insecurities suggest that some of our biggest obstacles in life come from within. The music video was directed by photographer and filmmaker Fabuloso, and the bunny comes from designer and graffiti artist María Ñejitos. Dubbed Ñejito, the bunny stars as the troubled mind struggles to find balance.
“Much of the concept behind the video was taken directly from the title, ‘Saturno,’” says Bumont via email. “This year, we were able to see Saturn much closer [to Earth], symbolizing resilience, karma, inner strife, discipline, and the ability to remain committed in hard times. [In the video], Ñejito is eating himself and being absorbed by shadows. He sees himself with a fork and explodes. That’s how he becomes light. It’s a song about duality and how we can express ourselves on both spectrums.”
Besides his own production work, Bumont plays bass with Guatemalan R&B shoegazers Easy Easy, and his knack for creating bouncing, hypnotic house grooves shines on “Saturno.” The song’s unsettling spirit is reflected in the canvas of melting synths, minor keys, and echoing choruses that create the impression of losing grip on reality. Likewise for Tita, who previously brought her gauzy cooing to songs with Adrián Quesada and Katzù Oso, the new single gives her space to flex her dance club diva chops. At first, she spits paranoid bars about shadows that appear and disappear around her, but after finding enlightenment, she proclaims, “Veo la luz / Yo Soy la luz.”
“I’ve worked with Tita since the beginning of her solo career,” shares Bumont. “I proposed working on an EP that eventually became Todo Es Mental (2020), and Cosmica signed her after the first song we released together. We’ve continued our partnership ever since, but now, I’ve decided to step into the foreground too. Part of the vision [with Bumont Studio] is to export music that can be heard outside of Guatemala. I created this space eight years ago with the idea of producing music that people weren’t listening to in my country. Epicentro [which drops in early 2024] is the culmination of a desire to create and express my own universe. It’s about creating music every day, making it a part of my life, and keeping the dream alive.”
Watch the exclusive premiere of “Saturno” below.