Glitchy Pop Trio Defensa’s “Cuerpos” Video Will Melt Your Mind

It’s possible that you may have missed Buenos Aires trio Defensa’s debut release last year, a self-titled, six-track EP of head-melting synths. Defensa is a psychotropic ride straight out of Argentina’s ascendant darkwave cabal, but if you missed its first flight, don’t stress. The group just released its debut music video for closing track “Cuerpos,” and the added layer of visuals makes for an even more well-rounded trip.

In the clip, models habituate institutionally bland spaces. Resisting the sterile effects of their environment, they are rewarded with hallucinogenic tracing effects, creating a new dimension in which to dance. One wonders if the trio is particularly invested with human interaction with environment; “Confiado,” another song off their first album, gives an almost physical sense of ground shift.

Defensa is made up of Juan Brottier, Federico Güiraldes and Eric Olsen. TRRUENO’s Astrosuka (aka Sergey Koltsov) and Santiago Vrljicak of Bosques Sin Árboles mixed the album, with Jeremy Cox in charge of the group’s mastering. The latter honed his skills through work with Bun B and Fade to Mind producers Fatima Al Qadiri and Future Brown, not to mention Björk. Cox is kept busy here calibrating the group’s delicately stacked echoes.

The trio is part of a larger shift taking place among their peers into dark space. In December, Defensa was featured on Argentine netlabel AGVA’s first compilation Arena 01, a wide lens look at their musical moment that also features Anakta, France’s King Doudou, Spain’s Bigote Caballito, and a group of emerging Argentine producers eager to elevate you.

Watch our premiere of Defensa’s “Cuerpos” above.