Great five track EP from Santiago Salazar, kicking off with “The Queen,” a sweet soulful techno jam that’s all about the strings and rising pads that play its looping five chords. Set to a clean, efficient ticking beat, with a tiny synth line that kind of hints at a triplet cross rhythm, it’s soothing and uplifting at the same time. “Rise Up,” featuring a super snappy snare, church organ and pounding piano chords, is a direct and extremely effective houser, while the sparse drums and spacious, minimalist production of “Europa” is at the opposite end of the intensity scale. There’s a DJ Dex remix of “Europa” that takes it back to the dance floor, constructing a sparkling, driving Detroit-esque jam out of the various parts.

Then there’s “Mas Violencia,” a stripped back tune that somehow manages to have bags of potential big tune-ness while making absolutely no effort at all to be a big tune. It’s all about the b-line here, the simplest one-bar three-note affair, nothing much more than an audio itch, a burble of synthesis and envelope tweaks that manages to contain way more funk than you would think possible in its one bar loop. Its the kind of b-line that a producer discovers by accident, that just kind of happens when messing around in the studio, but when it does, they know the track is done: whatever they put on the top of it, whatever samples or vocals they use, if they take it in a soulful or a techy direction, none of that matters because they’ve utterly nailed an irresistible low end shuffle. Here Salazar chooses to put a chiming metallic riff on top of it and a crispy robot beat underneath and in the process creates a dark and highly potent jam.

Santiago Salazar: Dedicated EP (Yaxteq / Digital)
1. Santiago Salazar: The Queen (05:39)
2. Santiago Salazar: Más Violencia (04:36)
3. Santiago Salazar: Rise Up (05:45)
4. Santiago Salazar: Europa (03:53)
5. Santiago Salazar: Europa (DJ Dex Remix) (05:33)

⚪️ Disclosure Statement: This record was submitted as a promo.

 


Previous Coverage:
An unparalleled V/A from Worldship on Herald Traccs Vol 1 (2022)
Night Songs from Santiago Salazar – The Night Owl (2019)
Santiago Salazar: Views from the Varrio (Cover Story) (2018)
Santiago Salazar Reissues 5 Gorgeous Techno Classics on La Historia (2018)
Chicanismo: The 5 Mag Interview with Santiago Salazar (2015)


 

Originally published in 5 Mag issue 204 featuring Reggie Dokes, Aterral Records, Maggie Tra, Carlo, Demuir, Cyphon & more. Help support 5 Mag by becoming a member for just $1 per issue.


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