Jose Manuel Cerda, better known as El Sueño de La Casa Propia, is an electronic music producer with the mind of an experimental composer and a DJ’s instincts. His new single “Shineless” makes that very clear. The title track from his forthcoming album finds the Chilean producer heading in an even more exploratory direction than his recent acoustic-sampling output, and heading into more Latin-inspired direction. Samples such as chiming marimba and his own birdlike croon are chopped to an incredibly fine texture – and woven into a delicate sonic tapestry. Like Un Día-era Juana Molina, there’s something comforting in its organic complexity and undone feel, like a neglected garden reverting to its natural state.
What’s most intriguing about “Shineless” is that while at first it seems to be just an ambient ramble, it has the structure of a club banger. What sounds like just a meandering soundscape or a glitchy babbling brook is actually a long build. The track subtly gathers steam until about the four-minute mark, where he breaks it down with a vaguely Andean, definitely housey beat. The misdirection is a real delight, and while the rhythm might be a little tricky to move to, the release toward the end is so joyful you may have to find a way.
Shineless will be here in December via Cerda’s new home at Ponk Records. It’s one to watch out for.