It seems like forever we’ve been saying Mexican regional music is having a moment – from legacy acts like Bronco and Los Tigres del Norte getting their long deserved festival due, to the mainstream memification of “La Chona” and eyebrow raising co-signs of Jennie Rivera and Banda MS from Snoop Dogg. The worlds of urbano, club and indie haven’t fallen behind either, as made spectacularly clear by Bad Bunny’s recent crossover with Natanael Cano, and Debit’s own tribal guarachero-soaked EP, SYSTEM. The latest twist in this snowballing sonic movement comes from Mexicali producer Trillones, shooting off a blast of digital tecnobanda aimed straight at the heart of your seasonal depression.
Premiering on Remezcla today, “Bien Librado” peels back another layer on Trillones’s once impenetrably cerebral persona – following up on the humor and whimsy of other 2019 singles “La Nueva Despedida” and “Ninja Way,” which features rookie MC Mary Chan. However, while “Bien Librado” is no doubt a cheeky send up of banda music, the song is also a loving tribute to his hometown of Mexicali, and the childhood summers spent visiting his grandmother in Sinaloa.
“You hear banda everywhere here, from the OXXO, to the bus and the bar,” Trillones tells Remezcla, noting the genre’s regional ubiquitousness. “[Banda] is part of Norteño DNA. You can be at a party where they’re playing trap, reggaeton or cumbia, but if you play a banda classic, ufff, shit really goes off!”
While Trillones plays synths, guitar and drums, “Bien Librado” is musically notable as a banda song wholly conceived using digital instruments and studio magic. The song’s unmistakable tuba was achieved by turning a synth bass line all the way to its lowest, most saturated setting, with drum loops giving the track its pounding, quebradita-ready beat. Lyrically, “Bien Librado” once again delves into personal waters, putting a fun and silly twist on the always dour subject of depression.
“The lyrics encourage you to make light of things that aren’t really a laughing matter, like depression, which is a term that is a bit overwrought right now,” he reflects, noting his many years of psychology work outside his artistic career. “It’s great that we can speak openly about these subjects and cultivate more awareness, but on the other hand there are a lot of people talking about depression while not living with it. In the song, when I say, ‘No es una llamada de atención / está bien chula esta depresión,’ I’m playing on that logic and just trying to have a good time with it. There’s a super lighthearted spirit to banda, where they sing about whatever they like, emotional or comical, so I thought it was a good match.”
“Bien Librado” is the latest single off Trillones’s forthcoming EP, expected for release in early 2020, but you won’t have to wait until next year to hear more from the producer. This week, Trillones heads to Madrid with other Mexican acts such as El Muertho de Tijuana and Aris Chagoya to perform at Doña Pancha Fest, while his ongoing Coshinero and Perfiles Bajos showcases continue to bring raucous nights of partying and experimental music to the Mexicali desert. And just in case you need more immediate gratification, make sure you follow Trillones’s Instagram account for some of the finest meme curation in all the Mexican republic.
Stream “Bien Librado” here: