Ever since Centavrvs’ irresistible Sombras de Oro made its way into our rotation three years ago, we’ve waited patiently for a follow-up from the Mexico City quartet. The group’s self-described “neoregional electronica” powerfully reinvents folklore at the same time that it redefines it, reminding us that Mexican musical tradition is in constant conversation with the music of today. Centavrvs have a knack for reworking son jarocho, indigenous rhythms, and other Latin American styles with sharp synths – a talent they’ve taken to new heights on their brand new single “El Punto Final.”
As we learned when we shadowed the quartet back in the summer of 2015, “El Punto Final” was co-produced by Soda Stereo’s Tweety González, one of the most celebrated producers in Latin America. Surprisingly, the trombone arrangement that Willie Colón created for Héctor Lavoe’s “Periódico de Ayer” serves as the primary inspiration for the song, and the crew even got Colón’s own trombonist, Rey Davíd, to record horns for the track. The final composition is a soaring slow climb with a hooky percussive bass line.
To mark the arrival of the first single from the band’s upcoming album, we asked Centavrvs’ own Paco Martínez to put together an exclusive playlist. Stream the playlist and track via Apple Music below, and watch our behind-the-scenes video to learn more about how the song came to life: