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“Being with someone in the kitchen making something together, and then you taste it and it warms you up.” That’s how New York-based Brian Piñeyro describes his second album as DJ Python in its accompanying press release, which is – quite fittingly – written like a letter to a friend. With its title ‘Mas Amable’ translating into ‘more friendly’ in Spanish, the album sits at the intersection of ambient, house and dancehall crafting an intricate and comforting world to get lost in.
Designed like a hip-shaking mix, there are no real endings to each of its eight tracks. Instead, the album – which follows his comparatively dancefloor-driven 2017 debut ‘Dulce Compañia’ for Anthony Naples and Jenny Slattery’s Incienso label and his 2019 ‘Derretirse’ EP on Dutch dance label Dekmantel – could be interpreted as just one journeying 48-minute song.
The tempo rarely quickens or slows – there’s a calming familiarity to it. Other artists in the electronic scene may be tempted to switch things up – often by increasing the BPM as things progress, for fear of losing the listener’s attention – Piñeyro’s steadfast commitment to the lush productions, and his belief in the intriguing “deep reggaetón” sound he’s pioneering will enchant listeners far beyond this collection.
The hushed, gentle textures of ambient opener ‘Te Conocí’ – rain trickling down a window, for example – create a relaxed soundscape, transporting the listener to a wellbeing and mindfulness retreat where achieving peace and tranquillity is the goal; it’s easy to imagine the instructor purring to allow “the sounds wash over you”.
Effortlessly flowing into ‘Pia’, the pace gradually picks up as dancehall-orientated production kicks in lightly; on ‘oooophi’, the introduction of the güiro – a traditional Latin percussion instrument – adds a startling new dimension to the calm ambience that has been created.
‘ADMSDP’ is the highlight, though. Clocking in at almost 12-minutes, poet, performer and teacher LA Warman weaves in claustrophobic whispers that ruminating on death and hopelessness over a hypnotic looping beat. The deep subject matter of this spoken word art piece – “how are you feeling today, what is in your head, can you say hello to everything in your mind?” – becomes an introspective interrogation. Basically, this is what we imagine an ASMR therapy session to be like.
Comparatively carrying a feeling of hopefulness and clarity, ‘mmmm’ – with its chiming synths – is a pleasingly optimistic way to wind things down. It’s easy to imagine this being played at a club when the lights come up at a sweaty rave, which is something that, for the foreseeable future, we can only dream of. ‘Mas Amable’ is a comforting reminder of those times.
Details
Release date: April 10
Record label: Incienso
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