Bitter Babe takes the second half of RA.997, revelling in the fullness of the Latin electronic continuum.
As part of our countdown to the 1000th edition of the RA Podcast, a milestone in the 18-year history of Resident Advisor's weekly mix series, we're switching up the usual format.
This week, following heady excursions through Lagos, Kampala, Detroit and Chicago, our focus shifts to Latin America—arguably the story in underground electronic music since the pandemic.
After years of being all but ignored internationally, the glut of special club sounds coming out of Peru, Brazil, Colombia and beyond have finally received their flowers.
Among the movement's great success stories are two artists who exemplify its refreshingly undogmatic energy: Verraco and Bitter Babe.
Bitter Babe, naturally, takes the B. As a DJ, she reflects the fullness of the Latin electronic experience—"diverse, messy, emotional, political and full of contradictions," as she says in her interview.
Her rollicking rides through guaracha, dembow, cumbia, techno and everything in between are powerful counters to anyone who believes the culture begins and ends with Shakira and Bad Bunny. And, as she'd like to remind everyone, "not every offbeat rhythm with Latin percussion is reggaeton."
Skip through the 60-minute mix and you'll hear wildly different rhythms at every juncture. Surely, you might assume, at the expense of flow? And yet enjoyed (as intended) from start to finish, the tunes gel like milk and honey, each silky transition subtly phasing in fresh tones and percussive flourishes. It's fast, feverish and intensely riveting.
@bitterbabe
Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/1001
Correction: the final version of this mix was uploaded on Tuesday, July 15th.