Various Artists

More of that cumbia heat! Cali's Bersa Discos label is back for round two with another limited press single (1,000 copies, no repress). This time they've got Buenos Aires young gunna DJ Negro at the helm, putting a new spin on some true Argentinian classics. Negro is a regular at the notorious club Zizek (recently spotted killing it with DJ Rupture and others) but this 12" represents his "official" debut.

On the A-side, he sets things off proper with "Andres Landero vs. The Roockie," a tuff mash featuring screwed vocals from the cumbia legend and luny beats. "Lluvia" keeps more of a traditional cumbia sound, dubbed out in all the right places, while "Mundo Querido" comes with hard raps over a dark and stormy beat that brings to mind "This Is Why I'm Hot." Meanwhile on the flip, Bersa label head Oro11's "Pibes Walk Out" injects some dirty south feel to the proceedings, dusting a little of Unk's "Walk It Out" over "Que Calor" by Pibes Chorros (arguably the biggest cumbia villera - "gangster cumbia" - band ever). Alex Pasternak of much hyped SF band Lemonade seals the deal with the midtempo bumper "Pajaritón.”

Bersa Discos is a label devoted to spreading new cumbia sounds from Buenos Aires and beyond to dance floors on both sides of the equator. The label is headed up by Disco Shawn and Oro11, two Bay Area DJs who met while living as expats in Buenos Aires and bonded over their shared enthusiasm for the city’s experimental cumbia scene. Latin American dancefloors have been fueled by cumbia for decades, but in recent years a new breed has emerged as DJs and bedroom producers have begun taking traditional cumbias and mixing them with sounds from around the globe - from hip hop, reggaeton and dancehall to IDM and techno. Although these artists have been garnering plenty of attention both at home and abroad, much their music never sees “official” release, as the scene revolves around a loose network of swapped MP3 files and burned CDs. Bersa Discos is looking to change all that.

Side A
1. DJ Negro - Andres Landero vs. The Roockie <LISTEN
2. DJ Negro - Mundo Querido <LISTEN
3. DJ Negro - Lluvia <LISTEN

Side B
1. Oro11 - Pibes Walk Out <LISTEN
2. Alex Pasternak - Pajaritón <LISTEN