KAREN Y LOS REMEDIOS - Silencio [lp] (Black & Blue Galaxy Effect Vinyl)

Behind Karen's pulsating spectral voice lies vulnerability, contemplation and longing. Chameleon-like foundations explore cumbia in its many forms, crossing the continent with Norteño airs, pitched-down rebajados, psychedelia and even traditional Peruvian music, taking in ballads, Afro-Latin percussion, reggaeton and the more electronic sounds of dream-pop, trip hop and downtempo.A mystical, motley mixture, the ideal soundscape to fight the voices in your head while you melt on the dancefloor and scare away the ghosts of your past, your body surrendering to the dance.After a process of introspection during the pandemic, Karen y Los Remedios present their first long play, Silencio, an album of nine mostly unreleased songs and two bonus tracks, "Canario" and "Presagio," taken from their first EP.The band say their intention with this album is to "speak about the moments when we pause to think about ourselves, to see what is really troubling us, whatever that may be. It's that vulnerability you find when there's no sound in your mind, when you speak honestly about your desires, emotions and feelings. A place where "silence is as meaningful as sound." So the themes in the album have a lot to do with the process of feeling, whether it's falling in love, disillusionment or the essence of living. It's a melancholy record that makes you dance away the pain, but also offers paths to healing in these hectic times, where loneliness has become a recurring theme, a personal exploration of the constant uncertainty of the pandemic.Silencio speaks of these deep wounds. It’s about how kindness can give you back your faith in humanity in "Te Pido a Tí"; the feeling of rejection and self-love in "Mi Gran Dolor"; living and pleasing no one but yourself in "Silencio"; feeling things again that you missed about yourself in "Cartas Marinas"; but also the pain when love dies in "Lagrimas" and the longing for a healing love in "Presagio." An intimate, urgent record for these unstable times.

Vinyl release of Karen Y Los Remedios - Silencio [lp] (Black & Blue Galaxy Effect Vinyl). Released through ZZK Records and available on LP.