Limerencia gets off to a fairly pacy start with Nuevo Paris Piano. A grimy back and forth between kick, snare…

Limerencia gets off to a fairly pacy start with Nuevo Paris Piano. A grimy back and forth between kick, snare and hi hat skims toward the listener with an almost tubular melody following. As it launches into full swing Lila Tirando a Violeta breathes lyrics against the rhythm before the residual vocal notes are diced against the intensely spinning disc of percussion. The voice rises at the end of each sentence, almost as if the artist is psyching themselves up before some great battle. The instrumentation seems to revel in sparsity, a touch of echo on the percussion helps the artist to present this cold and sharp environment. This is until we are landed on by a hefty bass sound accompanying the kick drum, igniting on impact like napalm. Lila Tirando a Violeta’s vocals spin off into the reverberating space as the kick becomes more incendiary, every now and again small fragments of her voice spraying against the beat. There can be no doubt that the percussion is the focal point here, that ridiculously fiery kick accompaniment screaming for our attention. Even though this is the case, through the scattered melody and the confident vocal performance, the artist’s abilities in sculpting engaging instrumentation is plain to see.

Nick León and PRJCTN join in on Maldoror, the track setting out a fairly ethereal sound early on with echoing vocals and the buzz of nature. This feeling is cut short as an ambulance’s siren careers into audibility. Here, the artist pits a place of thriving life and vibrance with the cold and eerie sounds of the metropolis. The deep and ominous sound of the percussion conjure images of dark concrete landscapes, yet the birds continue to sing. Once again, percussion and melody are set so perfectly beside each other. The feeling of the melody almost intercepting the intensity of the percussive side of the track. Strange snare sounds swipe towards us violently, but everything seems almost soothed by Lila Tirando a Violeta’s lamenting voice.

Faint cries of children held underneath a winding wind instrument’s trills and heady sustained notes as Flores & El Mar begins. A heavy, foreboding bass sounds and the flowers begin to appear from over the horizon. The lapping of the water almost acts as the higher pitched sections of the percussion, sounding like someone scraping rhythmically against a snare drum. The hypnotic nature of the melody conjures images of petals, half-submerged in water as the current caresses them towards us. The gentle tolling of a harbour bell beckons the drums in fully. They begin a rolling beat as Lila Tirando a Violeta stands atop a cliff singing out toward us as we begin to sail along our watery path. At one particular point, her voice seems to entice this earth-shaking bass note from underneath us. Her voice stands unshaken as the rumbling note causes our raft to shudder with fright. From here, the low frequency noises calm once again as the song slips away.

A flurry of low-end percussion stabs begin to descend on the listener off the back of ominous pad sounds. Lila Tirando a Violeta and guest Abssys then transition seamlessly into a frantic beat as strange whistling noises begin to peel off. Noche Tótem furthers this intimidating atmosphere set out in the three tracks previous. Fragments of warped voices are peppered throughout the mix, combined with artificial, cold percussion. The track walks a line between rhythmless onslaught and a rapid-fire, grime tempo. It concludes with strange almost alien moans and groans, swimming about in a swamp of tape delay.

The artist takes the opportunity of an interlude to calm things down a little. Though there uncertain notes that exhale slowly in the peripheries, the overwhelming feeling is one of explorative rejuvenation with a natural setting as its backdrop.

Heavy organic percussion hits out a tumultuous beat as Mariposas & Fuego begins. Suddenly these slightly deflated percussive sounds are undercut by an incredibly deep kick drum. Voices career around the soundscape, devoid of any discernible melody or tune. The notes they breathe into the space rise and waver slightly like dissonant background euphoria. The focus very much pulled towards the hectic percussion and chimes that sit in the centre. Nick León joins in once again, as the pair create a track that hums with energy that seems to radiate from deep within the soul.

Lighght joins Lila Tirando a Violeta on Dry Season, that starts with lashes of whispered vocals streaming towards the listener. A kick drum sets out a fairly predictable dance-y rhythm as voices froth and bubble with an alien sibilance. It erupts up from below the percussion repeatedly, joined by a trumpet sounding out a commanding tune. The track hits out directly at the listener, choosing not to distract with huge amounts of strange and dynamic percussive sounds. The track’s title suits it perfectly, as shrill hissing bursts up into the air regularly like spores of some desert flower.

Lagrima Viva ends Limerencia. Amidst the cacophony of sirens, a lone echoing sound plays out a morose and solemn tune. A voice speaks passionately, each group of words delivered with a deep, swelling emotion. El Plvybxy lends a hand to Lila Tirando a Violeta in building a scene that feels both tense and serene. A chirping percussion appears out of the industrious mist. Once again, the rhythm is lacquered in so many layers of sound. Sharp daggers of metallic sound dragging through sludgy dissonance.

Throughout Limerencia, Lila Tirando a Violeta displays this pull towards this engaging, incessant percussion. It grabs the listeners attention with incredibly original texture and repetitive motion. The artist’s use of melody is applaudable as well, effortlessly creating atmospheres that bubble with vibrancy and heat. Each track on the project charts a unique course through an innovative style and sound.

https://naafi.bandcamp.com/album/limerencia