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In 2013, Brooklyn band La Mecánica Popular, led by Peruvian Efraín Rozas, released their self-titled debut album to much acclaim, with many critics swooning at their contemporary take on experimental salsa (or twisted salsa, as Gilles Peterson once called it)- complete with processed Peruvian guitars and experimental synths. It was the kind of sound that resonated across all perceived barriers. From CNN to MTV to Quantic to Juanes to your abuela at thanksgiving, LMC’s infectiousness has not been shy to announce itself.

Roza Cruz is the name of the band’s new album, and it pushes boundaries you had no idea existed. Recorded entirely live, with no more than two takes per song, the album embraces freeness and spontaneity in every sense of the word, and emphasizes the organic interaction between players, straying from standard (and quite isolating) recording techniques.

Their sound has evolved into an entirely new beast on this album, combining sounds rarely heard together- a touch reminiscent of electric-era Miles Davis or Eddie Palmieri at his most experimental as the driving force of timbales and congas provide a bed for a wave of lush, analog amplification that mirrors the dueling leads of fuzz guitar and electric piano. But as far out as those instruments take the listener, the raw rhythm – the clave- always keeps it tethered to the earth and the dance, a cerebral yet visceral gift for the mind and feet.

«This album is a humble attempt to create music beyond cliches of what it means to be Latin American,» says Efraín Rozas, «Creating a Latino market niche using stereotypes of what it means to be traditional and modern is not the same as creating a more integrated society. We need the undomesticated, the de-colonial cosmopolitanism that opens the door to unclassifiable mindsets and hybrid bodies.»

Sonically and otherwise, Roza Cruz is a departure from the rigidity of identity. It blurs the lines between songs, rather than clearly moves from one to the next. It resists being pigeon-holed by calling on influences and experiences without restriction. «We dare to follow the steps of those who dreamt hard,» says Rozas. And with one listen to Roza Cruz, you’ll probably be dreaming too.

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