It’s a great moment to be in Gepe‘s shoes right now. His latest album, GP (2012, Quemasucabeza) catapulted him to ambitious and unexpected heights, and has led him to tour around with his enormous, carnivalesque live show, even earning a slot at last year’s Viña del Mar. So, why stop now? Gepe refuses to drop the ball, announcing his upcoming, yet-untitled new record, and sharing its first single.
“Hambre” feels like a continuation of the “reggaeton andino” sound he developed on GP, production-wise. It’s covered with reggae stabs over a dembow-like beat, and the synthetic-sounding horns are back again, completing the call to party. But it’s in the Andean influences where he pushes the envelope, not only turning up the presence of charango and pan flute sounds, but including internet-meme-cum-sort-of-respected-artist Wendy Sulca and her high-pitched, plaintive singing style typical of Peruvian huayno. In a kitschy turn of events, she appears on the bridge and sings backup on the chorus, and it makes so much sense.
“Hambre” is now available on iTunes.