Genre chaos reigns on the dance floor.
A shout out to subscriber N_Gorski for today’s pick. They inquired about my thoughts on the new Sotomayor record in the comments on last week’s recommendation. While I hadn’t heard it then, I’m now completely enthralled.
Sotomayor, comprising siblings Raul and Paulina from Mexico City, presents “Wabi Sabi,” their first album since 2020’s “Origenes,” and it exudes pure joy. Looking back at my past recommendations, “fun” isn’t a term I’d frequently use, but “Wabi Sabi” embodies fun, chaos, and an intense dance vibe.
My prior exposure to Sotomayor was through an Ableton-made short documentary on Raul’s projects, where he shared his evolving approach to music production—from aiming for “proper” sounds to embracing distortion and stretching.
Their music reflects this change. The opening track, “Me dejo llevar,” features a synth arpeggio stretched to its limits, filled with digital artifacts, and an overall lightly distorted texture. Similarly, “Who’s there” exudes energy akin to a dance floor on the brink of a riot.
Vintage electronic drum hits, droning bass, and reverb-heavy noise stabs avoid full catharsis but simmer beautifully into the album highlight, “Vida.” This track showcases Paulina’s sultry vocals over a UK garage-influenced beat that evolves into an afrohouse club banger.
“Wabi Sabi” exhibits an infectious genre collision, melding Afrobeat, cumbia, electro pop, R&B, and more, forming 2026’s most enjoyable album yet. Despite its unconventional sounds (a donkey jaw?) and stylistic variety, Sotomayor’s clear vision unites the record.
The album’s chaos is never overwhelming, and every decision seems intentional, serving the party atmosphere. The wandering guitar of “Yo se todo de ti,” classic house vibes of “Todo se derrumba,” and dancehall beats of “Prende la palma” feel cohesive, driven by Paulina’s charisma and Raul’s expansive sonic exploration.
Sotomayor’s “Wabi Sabi” is available on Bandcamp and major streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Qobuz, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Spotify.