Summer 2012 was my first trip to Mexico City. My second night out in el DF writer Enrique Coyotzi (now editor at Panamérika) took me to a María y José/Los Macuanos show at a club in the historic center (el Centro). At the time I knew nothing about the area, only that we walked a lot and took the metro at some point. And yet that image of coming up and seeing the Zócalo for the first time has stayed with me. Few things since have matched the compelling sensation produced in that new place, truly something unique.
That was almost four years ago. The show was actually hosted by NAAFI, the same brand that has emerged as emblematic of DF’s electronic underground. On my last trip to Mexico, the collective had set up at the Museo Jumex for a residency full of events and performances. NAAFI is now a name to trust, not just in the realm of nightlife but in all aspects of the city's music culture.
Paul Marmota, a Chilean producer now located in Mexico, lives up to this reputation with his upcoming three-song release on NAAFI’s own label. The single “Aire” instantly transports me back to that invigorating night in el Centro. Sirens encircle the song along with a blend of alarms and industrial crashes. These percussive tricks don’t really try to “turn up” as much as tantalize. In turning away from the restrictive club setting, “Aire” captures the sensory overload of a chaotic place. Still, it's a place that is impossible not to fall in love with.