The sound of Cumbia is catching on in dancefloors across the globe. I was first introduced to the sound a few years ago by my co-host DJ Don Cuco at one of our residencies in Minneapolis. Now the sound of Cumbia has infused with modern sounds by labels like Bersa Discos and artists like Villa Diamente and Diplo. This March the States will be invaded by the sound from a collective of artists from Argentina called Zizek. One of those artists is El Trip Selector who hit us up via email to let us know about the tour.

“Zizek is named for a Slovenian philosopher (married to an Argentine lingerie model) whose mash-up philosophies include mixing elements of pop culture with Lacanian rhetoric and discourse to create something completely original and modern….Zizek is about emerging Hip Hop, Dancehall, Cumbia, and Reggaetón sounds and their respective variations: Grime, Crunk, Bastard Pop and Mashups. The idea is to give these styles, ideas and rhythms an Argentine touch, with the aim of putting Buenos Aires on the map of the global music scene. The star of Zizek has been Cumbia, a Latin American sound born from the fusion of old and new worlds in Colombia that has been long looked down on as dance music for the lower classes in Argentina. Its distinctly syncretic roots promote robust adaptability and cumbia is being transformed by avant-garde musicians and producers from the USA all the way down to Argentina. Diplo has become an avid supporter of the collective and the party has made fans of The Wire, DJ Rupture and The New York Times. XLR8R christened Zizek “the city’s unofficial cumbia clubhouse.”

 

Zizek plays host to live shows performed by local MCs, producers, composers and DJs and is bringing it’s collective to North America and SXSW this March. The Zizek tour allows us to witness the evolution of the hottest party in Argentina to full-fledged, multi-faceted movement.

These guys also do some dope podcasts.

El Trip Selector – “Cumbiancherita”
[audio:http://www.rhythmlabonline.com/audio/zizek/Cumbiancherita.mp3]

Tremor – “Viajante”
[audio:http://www.rhythmlabonline.com/audio/zizek/Viajante.mp3]

King Coya remix feat. PG13 & AxelK – “Petrona Martinez”
[audio:http://www.rhythmlabonline.com/audio/zizek/Petrona Martinez.mp3]

Axel K Soundsystem – “Cumbieton Rutero”
[audio:http://www.rhythmlabonline.com/audio/zizek/Cumbieton rutero.mp3]

Oro 11 – “Pum Pum Cumbia”
[audio:http://www.rhythmlabonline.com/audio/zizek/Pum Pum Cumbia.mp3]

 

 

Here is information about the tour:

 

DJ Sets and Performances by:

KING COYA & EL TRIP SELECTOR- Release on Nonesuch Records, collaborated with Oscar-winning film score composer Gustavo Santaolalla.
AXEL K SOUNDSYSTEM- Classically-trained multi-instrumentalist, one-man show incorporates elements from jazz, folklore, reggaetón and cumbia.
TREMOR- Film composer, takes traditional folkloric sounds of northern Argentina and adds glitchy percussive elements.
FRIKSTAILERS- The high-energy beats of Rafael Caivano and Lisandro Sona are meant strictly for the dancefloor.
EL REMOLÓN- El Remolón mixes local electronic music with Latin American sounds by using the latest technology available.
ORO11 – Intensifies and modernizes the style of cumbia villera through harder dancehall and Baltimore club beats and the addition of hip-hop and ragga vocals.

Tour Dates (More TBA)?
03.07.08 @ EchoPlex – Los Angeles CA
03.08.08 @ Mezzanine- San Francisco CA
03.13.08 @ Ninety Proof Lounge – Austin, TX (SXSW Showcase)
03.14.08 @ TBA- Austin, TX
03.15.08 @ TBA – Austin, TX
03.17.08 @ S.O.B.’s – New York City, NY
03.21.08 @ Sonotheque – Chicago, IL

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PME4C_h3C3I&rel=0]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz0eLYDB4oU&rel=0]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFodIE-2uKc&rel=0]