New Music From Combo Chimbita

Through folkloric mystique, otherworldly psychedelia and a dash of enigmatic punk, Combo Chimbita catapults the sacred knowledge of our forebears into the future. The band’s second studio album and Anti- Records debut – available on May 3 – sees the visionary quartet drawing from ancestral mythologies and musical enlightenment to unearth the awareness of Ahomale, the album’s namesake and cosmic muse. “The protagonist of this album… possesses the ability to communicate ancestral wisdom through the music,” explains guitarist Niño Lento, whose imaginative guitar licks merge in the group with Prince of Queens’ hypnotic synth stabs and grooving bass lines, Dilemastronauta’s powerful drumming. and the mesmeric contralto, illuminating storytelling, and fierce guacharaca rhythms of lead singer Carolina Oliveros. “Revelation!,” Oliveros says, when explaining the band’s motivation and spirit. “In this album we were able to connect with our being to add a chapter to our saga. We’re excited to be able to work with people who are connected to our vision and to expand Latin American art!”

With the help of producer Daniel Schlett (The War on Drugs, Modest Mouse), the group’s rootsy experimental alchemy and metal strangeness take center stage on the new LP. Oliveros howls, yowls and chirps with gut-wrenching emotion, like on the languid mirage of “El Camino,” or plaintive frenzy of the title track. Whether rock raw and soulful or bewitching like a shaman in a spiritual ceremony, her voice is always a multifaceted wonder. “Brillo Más Que El Oro (La Bala Apuntándome)” boasts alluring vintage synths that seem to time travel through the lush tropics of yore; then, the mood intensifies when its bridge brilliantly crosses into a spellbinding chant sung in unison: “Y si digo que / Que ahora ya lo se” (“And if I say that I now know”). “Testigo” is pure melodic witchcraft in action that strips away worldly façades into something bare and beautiful: “Desde principio a fin, yo siempre di mi verdad” (“from beginning to end, I always gave my truth), the singer vulnerably croons against a whirling guitar and galloping percussions. Ultimately, Ahomale is a catharsis of divine feminine force helmed by their powerhouse vocalist, laden with the teachings of a bygone era and in tune with the spiritual realm.

“There’s something magical here. This NYC by way of Colombia band is quite a charismatic, engaging trip.” -Refinery29

“Lead vocalist Carolina Oliveros is an otherworldly presence over Afro Colombian rhythms meted out by guitar, bass and genre crossing drumming.” –NPR alt.Latino

RIYL: Very Be Careful, Goat, Tropa Magica, Bicicletas Por La Paz, Dengue Fever, Parquet Courts, La Chamba, Chancha Via Circuito, Y La Bamba

Recommended Tracks: Track 4, “Brillo Más Que El Oro (La Bala Apuntándome),” Track 9, “Testigo,” Track 2, “Ahomale,” Track 8, “Revelación (Candela),” Track 10, “Esto Es Real (8100mg)”

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Label: Anti-