Friday, August 1, 2025
Q&A: Killabeatmaker
Colombian musician and producer Hilder Brando, aka Killabeatmaker, is touring with his riotous concoction of ancestral Caribbean traditions, Afro-house beats and sub-atomic bass
First up, how was Glastonbury?
Glastonbury was an incredible experience — I had never seen so many people gathered around music in one place. Even though we played on a small stage (Lore, located in the Shangri-La area), we had a really great crowd. We’re definitely planning to come back in a couple of years.
What can you tell us about your current live show?
We are three members: Guadalupe, who sings and plays Colombian folk percussion; Julián Ramírez on percussion and backing vocals; and myself on the Akai MPC, Akai Force, percussion and vocals. We travel with the tambor alegre, tambora, drum machines and various instruments from traditional Colombian music.
You’re based in Medellín, right? What drew you to the music of Colombia’s Caribbean coast, which is such a big part of your sound?
I was born in Medellín, and what first connected me to the Caribbean region was the music of Bomba Estéreo back in 2010. At the time, I came from a funk background and started mixing those genres with Caribbean coast sounds through DJ sets. After a few years touring as a DJ, I decided to create the live version of what we do now. This exploration took me to the deeper roots of the Colombian Caribbean: Totó la Momposina, Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto, Etelvina Maldonado. The music from the coast has a powerful spirit – it’s all about dance, and that’s where I deeply connect with the drum’s energy.
Is there a healthy scene for music that mixes dance music and folk music in Colombia right now?
In Colombia, the folktronica scene is still niche and finds its real audience abroad. That’s why many of us spend more time touring outside Colombia –
it’s more sustainable in small festivals in Europe, Asia and the US than back home.
What can people expect from a Killabeatmaker show?
What people can expect from a Killabeatmaker show is a visceral, high-energy performance, with raw percussion, powerful vocals and an electronic base designed for dancing — because dance is one of the most ancestral and human things we share.
Tour Dates
3 Aug Wilderness Festival, Oxfordshire
7 Aug The Jam Jar, Bristol
8 Aug The Jazz Bar, Edinburgh
9 Aug Rum Shack, Glasgow
21 Aug Summer by the River Festival, London
22 Aug Maui Waui Festival, Dereham
