VII/Silk Screened + Insert

Description

Before Guaracha UFO propelled Meridian Brothers onto the international stage, Eblis Álvarez was already shaping his singular sonic universe in the shadows. Released exclusively on CD between 2009 and 2012 via the local label La Distritofónica, Meridian Brothers VI and VII never benefited from wide distribution or media exposure. Yet, these albums mark a crucial step in the band's evolution, capturing the energy of Bogota's experimental cumbia scene at the time. On VI, Álvarez weaves a hallucinatory patchwork of cumbia and vallenato, using his guitar as a common thread before layering other instruments. VII pushes experimentation even further with a custom-designed sampling algorithm, generating unpredictable loops and grooves. These two albums thus lay the foundations for the radical fusion and irreverence that would later define Meridian Brothers' identity. Now reissued for the first time on vinyl, these historic recordings offer a raw and fascinating dive into the origins of one of Latin America's most innovative musical projects.