Nicola Cruz

Siku Black Vinyl Edition

Siku is Nicola Cruz’s eagerly anticipated new full-length album and first since 2015’s game-changing Prender El Alma. Building from where he left off, Nicola continues to develop his exploration of global sounds and cultures, and his fascination for electronics, translating this knowledge into expressive sound pieces that marry earthy textures with electronic sounds. With his new album, the in-demand Ecuadorian producer broadens his horizons beyond South America exploring a rich palette of sounds the world over. On ‘Siete’ and ‘Obsidiana’, Hindu harmonies are present amongst raw percussion, which is a common factor throughout the album. ‘Okami's colourful jazz-inflected vibraphone creates a woozy, alluring atmosphere that captures the rainy night it was recorded on (which can be heard in the takes) and the album closer ‘Esu Enia’ is rooted in the raw power of the African balafon, a piece made in collaboration with Portugal's Marcio Pinto. Yet Nicola doesn’t neglect the sounds of his home continent, something instantly apparent on album opener ‘Arka’, the Colombian cumbia rhythms of ‘Hacia Delante’ and the poetic ‘Criançada’, sung in Portuguese and owing much to the melodies and rhythms of Brazilian samba. All of Nicola’s work is approached with a high level of experimentation and sound design and what is apparent through-out is his ability to move you – whether your mind and soul, with mystical, ethereal songs, or your body, with tracks that wouldn’t be out of place spilling out of club speakers in the early hours of the morning. All of which are here on ‘Siku’.