Kibosé EP, María y JoséCocobass, Mexico
Rating: 78
by Blanca Méndez
Let María y José, Tijuana's patron saint of tropicalismo, be your spirit guide on a celestial quest for enlightenment, and he will lead you into the glittering depths of a vast cosmic jungle teeming with hordes of iridescent insects all humming happily because the universe has conspired to bring you, oh lucky earthling, to their infinite party.
First, take it all in with “Selva Cósmica,” a slightly haunting and powerfully intriguing track that draws you in to this exciting new musical dimension that María y José has created out of sand and stardust. It is tropical and electronic (electropical?), sensual and robotic at the same time. Once you’re comfortable, kick off your shoes and find a dance partner or two because if you’re not dancing by “Maravilloso Sonido Tropical” then you might as well go home. The steamy title track is a rush of driving percussion that will make you dizzy, then slow down and entrance you, and finally shove you back in the deep end of hypnotic loops. By this time, the entire jungle will be a great pulsating mass of cosmic energy, and you will achieve a glorious transcendence that would not have been possible without your trusty spirit guide.
This is what happens when a true innovator like María y José makes music. A whole new world is constructed from layers of sounds and beats, and it challenges the way you listen to and experience music. Espíritu Invisible definitely did this, and, though in five short songs it is impossible to achieve the same magic, the undeniably sexy Kibosé EP continues this trajectory with unabashed lust that engulfs you and evokes an otherworldly beach party that you’ll never want to leave.