On Colada Talk, Crespi Drum Syndicate, the Miami-based duo of Jonathan Trujillo and Pablo Arrangoiz, invite us into a 10 track ceremony. A percussion-driven ritual that begins with Tropichomp borrowing from Rastafarian Nyabinghi, and mixing grounation with Buchla growls and buzzing circuitry. Machines kicking in synergy with circling hand drums. Synths singing like ancient reeds. Everything is very groovy, with a live, improvised feel. Slu’s chimes and rattles race like something released on Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga, but harnessed to a house-y flow. Slaps of bass taming the pacy organic techno. 

The album’s tempo right from the get-go hits dervish and barely, rarely lets up. Quickly drawing listeners into its psychedelic trance dance. Sloom is like a mad, mechanised jazz solo (that Curt Cress record is a reference again). On Tonk, haunted by elephant roars of echoed horns, the double drummers bang out an almost Burundi beat beneath trippy treated chants. Boro has carnival whistles blow and punctuate the tribal thumping. Swerve’s bottom end bellows like a bionic tuba, as the track travels, rumbles, darker and deeper. Loko injects a little Latin low riding funk. Fletcha’s rapid rhythmic scat surfs soaring brass blasts. The popping Boubow marries a street parade marching band with the afro / cosmic of stuff like Codek’s Tim Toum. If you were a fan of Mytron’s recent Propeller, or maybe remember Andrea Benini’s Drumphilia, if you would like to hear Liquid Liquid and Ramuntcho Matta “plugged-in”, updated, and pushed into the future, then you need to check this out. 

Crespi Drum Syndicate’s Colada Talk can be ordered directly from Cinnamon Disc.