Argentina’s Chancha Via Circuito has been an unstoppable force in the international tour circuit for the last decade. With the release of his 2018 album, Bienaventuranza, he’s traveled the world spreading his take on South America’s folkloric sounds through electronic production, with support from live bandmates Kaleema and Federico Estevez.
A year after dropping Bienaventuranza, four of its tracks will get the remix treatment from old and new friends, with an official release on May 17 through Wonderwheel Recordings. Bienaventuranza Remixed features brand new reworks by Paris-based El Búho, French DJ/producer Rafael Aragón, fast-rising Galician artist Baiuca, and frequent Chancha collaborator Nicola Cruz, whose version of “Alegría” premieres exclusively here.
The original track achieves the level of glee promised by the song’s title, as organic sounds loop like natural mantras, sinking the listener into a contemplative, joyful state. Cruz is sensitive to the song’s peaceful notion, but transports it to the club by amping up the beat, playfully rearranging the melodies. He wraps this textural banquet with the same elegance he’s known for, making it sound almost like a track of his own instead of a reinterpretation.
Out of all the Bienaventuranza tracks, Cruz connected with “Alegría” the fastest. “I wanted to open the harmony but keep the [jungle-like] feeling, always (and unintentionally) focusing on the drums,” he explains. “My approach to remixing/reinterpreting is always to create contrast, giving a different experience from the original.”
Stream our premiere of “Alegría” below:
Bienaventuranza Remixed is out on May 17 on Wonderwheel Recordings. Nicola Cruz is playing Queens’ Knockdown Center on May 10, presented by PopGun Presents and Remezcla. Enter to win tickets here.