BERSA DISCOS #5,VARIOS VS TOY SELECTAH
Bersa Discos, USA/México ***1/2
Rating: 76
By Carlos Reyes
Bersa Discos makes “music for the people” and their fifth mini compilation is their best release so far. They are settled in the U.S., host the popular Tormenta Musical parties and it’s one of the two overly achieving labels revolutionizing cumbia, joining ZZK Records of course. Their releases are kind of weird, too short to be fully convincing considering these are mostly remixes, but their worthy to pick up nonetheless. This fifth episode its’ on the hands of Toy Selectah and a line of guest DJs looking to confront him. This is more interesting than his Mex More album released through Mad Decent, bu equally satisfying, perhaps because I don’t know any of these songs and it’s so damn easy to fall for them. The former Control Machete producer is bringing his raverton into the scene; it’s a rough layering of rave bouncing around a consistent beat that instead of blending along, it creates a parallel suspension which ends up as the primary loop of his epic dancehall scope. “Lamento en la Jungla” opens the show with a reflective rural setting, only to be taken to an explosive height that’s almost sadistic and straight out vicious we hear a brutal scream forced to initiate the breezing party. Tzochitl Soundsystem confronts Selectah’s beats in the album’s promotional piece and its best. “Hay Guey” is the embodiment of what Toy is able to actually create; fire starters crafted under an author’s round vision that manage to be so accessible that they’ll find themselves in second hands, either on other DJ sets or radio. Although cumbia is totally here and its mutation got everyone really excited, Toy is probably the only act to get regular radio programming along reggaeton artists and “Hay Guey” smells like a hit that will hopefully bring in other edgier cumbia tracks, we’re especially hoping for El Remolon to get some love . “Arcade Roboton” is pretty fantastic too; it’s kind of a left-field tune and a low-key motorized beat with a fantastic sampling on board. “Mundo Querido” rounds up the disc with two combats facing DJ Negro, first in a spaceship setting and then the sensationalistic acclimation of dub down the border in its edit ‘Rave al Sur Redajada Dub.’ The album will hardly bring new fans into the game, but it’s a magnetic ride and a sign of reinforcement showing the genre’s strong vigorous movement.