Space cumbia: What is it, you wonder. Just ask DC-based producer G-Flux.
Born in Mexico City, Gustavo Naranjo a.k.a G-Flux didn’t move to the States until 2008, when around the time that synth-infused “nu-cumbia” began trending across the globe. It was then that Naranjo began working with up-and-coming Latin American artists to cultivate a sound both futuristic in its electronic stylings and traditional in its ties to Latin roots music.
Since his production of “El Cicion Del Caribe,” a collaboration with popular cumbia duo Afrodita, G-Flux has become one of the most celebrated artists of the nu-cumbia genre.
He has worked with both national and international artists including Chet Samuel, Boogat, and Karen Bernod, to produce a sound that pushes the boundaries of the category’s conventions.
Now the producer is set to explore his proclivity for space cumbia on vinyl, via Electric Cowbell Records. The release is one of a diverse selection of vinyl 45 records under Electric Cowbell, Jim Thomson’s Brooklyn-born label dedicated to showcasing quality music without genre- or locale-distinction.
G-Flux’s record, featuring vocals from Guadalajara’s Los Master Plus, Mexico’s Afrodita and Peru’s Jose Luis Carballo, marks the producer’s first partnership with the label.
To herald the release, Electric Cowbell will host a release party on November 19, at DC’s Café Saint-Ex. The event will feature the DJ stylings of Thomson as well as a set from G-Flux. If you’re in the DC area, you won’t want to miss this, folks. For everyone else, make sure to check out the record’s digital release on Soundcloud.
Still not sure you understand what “space cumbia” is? Don’t worry, you’ll get it.
