Balún shares new track from ‘Prisma Tropical’
SAN JUAN-VIA BROOKLYN POLYMATHS BALÚN
SHARE NEW TRACK “AÑOS ATRAS“FROM SOPHOMORE ALBUM PRISMA TROPICAL
DUE JULY 20, 2018 VIA GOOD CHILD MUSICPERFORMING AT UNION POOL IN BROOKLYN THIS WEEKEND
“This band has chops!… Balún’s style is so textured and musically diverse that
it had to come up with its own genre to describe its sound; they call it ‘dreambow.’
It’s where shoegaze-pop meets pan-Caribbean identity, with elements of Puerto Rican music and references to the Jamaican dancehall roots of reggaeton.” – NPR’s World Café
“Even though the band has moved from the island’s DIY scene to Brooklyn,
they’ve kept their Caribbean roots, combining dreamy electro-pop with elements of dembow
and Puerto Rican folk, and sticking to singing in their native language.” – BrooklynVegan
“This outing is built on interconnectivity, on dispersing unexpected energies
into a spectrum that works as one collective entity —
a Prisma Tropical of musical moments forged into a singular, peculiar place.” – Remezcla
San Juan-via-Brooklyn band Balún are excited to share “Años Atras,” the second single from their highly anticipated sophomore album Prisma Tropical, which is due July 20, 2018 via Good Child Music. The track that started “dreambow” in its demo form has been fully realized, and it’s available to stream or embed HERE. Balún will also be performing in Brooklyn this Saturday, April 28 at Union Pool with Yvette and Dark Tea, and again on May 5 at Littlefield with Ladama. All currently-announced performances can be found below, with more to be announced in the near future.
Prisma Tropical has garnered advance praise from NPR, Noisey — who deemed the album one of the 20 most anticipated Hispanic-American records of 2018 — BrooklynVegan, Remezcla and more, and the tally continues to grow.
The band recently wrapped up a noteworthy run at SXSW, receiving praise from NPR Music‘s Alt.Latino in their SXSW 2018 Preview, an interview with KCRW‘s José Galván for their “Pan Caliente” show, and a coveted slot in The New York Times‘ “17 Acts That Stood Out” at SXSW. The band was also one of eighteen acts to have a full set live-streamed from official SXSW social media accounts. Their recent track “El Espanto” was also named “Today’s Top Tune” on KCRW shortly after its release.
Balún’s long awaited sophomore album Prisma Tropical focuses an incredibly wide field of genres and influences into a revelatory sound that evokes both of the band’s homes and the distance between them. Since their early days as part of the DIY music scene in San Juan, Balún has built a reputation for genre-fluidity. As film school and conservatory students playing every available bill and selling home-burned CDRs to electronic, hardcore, and punk crowds, Balún amassed an eclectic following on the island. A debut record on Chicago’s Brilliante label and national touring followed, but for core members Angélica Negrón, Noraliz Ruiz and José Olivares, the pull of New York and new musical directions proved too strong.
Prisma Tropical is a fitting melange of each member’s seemingly disparate influences. Heavy doses of tiple, bomba barrel drum, and dembow work alongside loops and layers of shimmering synths to accomplish something explicitly of the island, yet fluent in the language of global pop. Other moments incorporate the sounds of grime, jungle and IDM for a more northern Atlantic perspective. Those familiar with Balún’s earlier work might be surprised by the pervasiveness of those two particular elements given the band’s early lo-fi, electronic ethos. Incorporating new elements with the same dexterity as they always have, the band’s deep understanding of reggaeton’s Jamaican dancehall roots has transformed their shoegaze pop into “dreambow.”
As evident on Prisma Tropical, Balún has blossomed from college students making music on freeware and toy instruments into world-class musicians merging their far-flung disciplines under one banner. Vocalist and songwriter Negrón is a classically trained and NY Philharmonic-commissioned composer; bassist Ruiz is a PhD ethno-musicologist and Puerto Rican folk music expert, and Olivares is a technology educator and pioneering beat maker. With the more recent addition of old friend and seasoned punk guitarist Raul Reymundi, and under the guidance of percussionist and producer Lawson White (Jamie XX / Gil Scott-Heron, Chromeo, Ben Folds, David Lang), Balún has forged a focused identity on Prisma Tropical that touches nearly every corner of music.
Balún’s upcoming performances:
4/28 – Union Pool – Brooklyn, NY
5/5 – Littlefield – Brooklyn, NY
Prisma Tropical track list:
1. Vaivén
2. La Nueva Ciudad
3. Años Atrás
4. Entretela
5. Ascenso
6. Ultravioleta (feat. Henry Cole)
7. Ocular
8. Coralina
9. El Espanto
10. Teletransporte
11. Pulsos (feat. Antibalas Horns & Henry Cole)
12. Ausente
13. Puente Doliente
14. La Casi Partida
15. Regreso
16. Reflejo