Amuleto, the solo debut from Urakan
Muddied leaves crunch beneath a boot. A whistling is heard in the distance. A French intellectual waits silently upon a small cot in the Bolivian countryside as his cowardice overtakes him. An anonymous phone call goes out from the Chicago suburbs. A mother goes out at night undetected. A bus pulls out of a station, and inside, two young men have a debate that shakes them to their core. In the north, as the ground shakes uncontrollably, cocaine is snorted in a bathroom: its journey has been long–and bloody.
Agua de Rosas introduces Amuleto, the solo debut from Urakan, one half of Chicago hardware duo easygoingtech. Constructed from a tight set of 909 and 727 samples, textures, and a single Analog Four, the EP lets instinct take over, pushing familiar techno structures toward stranger rhythmic territory.
“Line Struggle” wastes no time, pairing driving kicks and rolling percussion with melodic phrases that seem to move right alongside them. On “Muerte al Caxlán,” an atmospheric hook winds over more rigid drums, balancing melody against the record’s driving force.
Berlin-based Colombian producer CRRDR closes the release with a remix of “Line Struggle,” turning up its club energy with syncopated bass and chopped vocals. The result gives the original some extra bounce while showing a more restrained side of the Latin club heavyweight.
