Genre mayhem in celebration of the dance floor.
Genre mayhem in celebration of the dance floor.
Shout out to subscriber N_Gorski for today’s selection. They dropped into the comments on last week’s recommendation to inquire about my thoughts on the new Sotomayor album. I hadn’t listened to it yet, but now I can’t get enough.
The duo is made up of siblings Raul and Paulina Sotomayor hailing from Mexico City. Wabi Sabi marks their first release since 2020’s Origenes, and it radiates pure joy. Reflect back on all my previous recommendations over the past few months, and “fun” isn’t typically how I’d categorize most of them. Yet, that’s precisely what Wabi Sabi delivers — it’s fun, chaotic, and irresistibly danceable.
My prior familiarity with Sotomayor stemmed from a brief documentary featuring Raul’s diverse projects produced by Ableton. In that film, he elaborates on how his approach to music production has evolved, from striving for a “proper” and “clean” sound to focusing on “how much can we distort it” or “how much can we stretch it.”
This evolution is evident in the music. The opening track, “Me dejo llevar,” kicks off with a synth arpeggio that has unmistakably been time-stretched to its limits. The digital artifacts are abundant. The track possesses a slight grit, as if everything is clipping just ever so slightly. “Who’s there” similarly crackles at the edges, evoking a dance floor that is always on the brink of erupting into chaos.
The classic electronic drum hits, a droning bass, and noise stabs drenched in reverb never achieve full release, yet they simmer beautifully into the album’s standout track “Vida.” Here, Paulina discovers a sultry mode as she sings over a UK garage-influenced rhythm that ultimately explodes into an afrohouse club anthem.
Wabi Sabi bounces between genres with infectious joy. Afrobeat, cumbia, electro pop, R&B, and more all merge in what is undoubtedly the most entertaining album of 2026 thus far. What amplifies its distinction is that, despite its unconventional sounds (a donkey jaw?) and stylistic adventures, Sotomayor maintains a clear vision that cohesively ties the record together.
At no moment does the chaos become overwhelming. It never feels as though the duo are simply tossing ideas to see what resonates; every element is a meticulously crafted choice aimed at enhancing the party atmosphere. The gently wandering guitar in “Yo se todo de ti,” the classic house vibe of “Todo se derrumba,” and the dancehall energy of “Prende la palma” all harmonize through Paulina’s captivating presence on the microphone and Raul’s uninhibited sonic exploration.
Sotomayor’s Wabi Sabi can be found on Bandcamp and across most prominent streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Qobuz, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Spotify.
