bié Records meets Shika Shika

This collab between Beijing-based label bié and Latin America-focused label Shika Shika is an energising alternative to the well worn East/West orientation of most fusion. Five artists each from bié and Shika contribute a composition and also remix a piece by an artist from the other label. You could call the unifying style electronica – it would be at home on the playlist of a trendy Berlin bar or art installation.

The collaborative concept invites the listener to decode each track. Are the clattering bells that adorn the moody groove of DJ Raff’s ‘Lejos’ original? Or the innovation of remixer Sun Dawei? With the Chinese connection in mind they evoke worship and ritual, while a Latin American perspective suggests pastoral mountainside husbandry. This duality sets the pulse pumping as effectively as the glitchy beats.

How far this album becomes a favourite will depend on one’s appetite for its arthouse electronica. The idea of convening underexplored cross-cultural collaborations though is refreshing, and one hopes to see it repeated across other genres.