On Nadastrom’s Rum and Coke EP, Moombahton, and the nature of learning.

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This is a summer love story.

Moombahton was the new girl in town. Pretty, foreign and voluptuous, she swept into town with a back story nobody could believe. It was couched in urban legend, the type of stuff that fairy tales are made of. Soon, everybody wanted her, and she teased everyone, flirting with danger, until everyone universally knew she was beyond gorgeous, and then the lust began. The lust of men is an amazing thing to watch, glowing eyes filled with devious plans, wanting to steal her for themselves, and take her, hold her, own her and keep her. Many came close, but all did fail. Moombahton did have but one lover, he who bore her, and when she returned back to him, he released her once more, truly unattainable to but universally appreciated by all.

In 2006, Italian duo Bot and Phra, The Crookers, unleashed a bass and synth heavy sonic assault with hard breaks and electro melodies. People who had never appreciated sounds like these were immediately drawn to it, taken aback by how new, hard and sonically fresh everything sounded. However, all the while, Bmore club producer Debonair Samir likely sat in the corner noting how eerily similar the comparisons were between his “Samir’s Theme” and a string of the Crookers’ releases. There unforunately was never a Samir/Crookers pairing, which, had it happened, would have been unbelievable and possibly advanced both club and electro music as a tandem act farther than Diplo and MIA did after they listened to KW Griff tracks.

This is comparable to moombahton. Dave Nada’s original “Moombahton” track chopped and screwed the entire EDM universe. Into a world where melodic appreciation was a bygone concept of the youth of the average hipster, 108 BPM mellow sounds with percussion, depth, scope and a 2/4 danceable melody took form. In the early months, there were nights where people stood still on dance floors and began to appreciate melody, rhythm and percussion all over again. All the while, unbeknown to a great percentage of the underground universe existed Toy Selectah and Bersas Discos records. Toy is a musical mastermind. A plethora of Latino sounds have passed through his hands and ears as an artist, DJ, producer and label executive. Five years earlier, cumbia, a percussive and undulating Latin medlody, an ever popular sound from beyond the US’ southern border, was blended with rave sounds to create “raverton,” which, surprise, is Moombahton as well. Add to that Disco Shawn, Oro 11 and the great DJ Sabo from the Bersas Discos cumbia appreciation imprint, and moombahton had roots.

What differentiates this story from the Crookers’ is what we get in the Nadastrom Rum and Coke EP from T & A Records. Nada presents to us before his escape to Los Angeles what amounts to a summer school project about Latin rhythms and melodies. In inventing moombahton, and it being a wide success, Nada has earned the right to traverse into the territory of Latin sounds, and have free reign to create. There are clear elements here of the Bersas Discos crew down to Disco Shawn’s vocals on the AMAZING “Trompaton,” and the influence of Toy Selectah, as well as his homies, the Sheeqo Beat involved 3Ball crew and their tribal house, and as always co-conspirator Matt Nordstrom involved as well expanding his already expansive musical palette.

In a culture now as defined by rapid expansion as by great songs becoming swallowed by more great songs making music constant snippets of sonic greatness in a constantly evolved state of noise, Rum and Coke is a standout. Yet again, Nada redefines, by right of education being the plug and knowledge being power that moombahton is his addition to the world of latin rhythm, and the world’s to share.

Moombahton, the sound of the next generation…

Many months ago, we here at True Genius Requires Insanity proclaimed the hipster movement dead. We claimed that the values and ethos that define the movement were null, and that the key components had been absorbed deep into the mainstream, necessitating the end of the social era. On a purely musical level, the most defining music of the hipster era was Baltimore club music. The aggressive, hard breaking, deep bass, horn, hand clap, fun sample and party chant center made the music have an overwhelming good time feel. The sound was fresh, and though in no way new, as the dominant sound of the underground assisted in providing a vehicle to an informed sense of hip to the new underground order. The next underground movement has no name, but it absolutely has its defining sound, based very deeply in many of the concepts discussed above, but moving to a warmer, tropical beat. Moombahton.

All of the component parts are there. The Count of College Park, MD, Dave Nada, the creator of the sound, is imbued with the sensibilities of the most dominant underground musical forces of the past 40 years. Equal parts punk and hardcore guitarist, rave kid, student of ALL of the legendary heroes of Bmore club and hip hop enthusiast, all of those necessities make themselves truly evident in his new sound. Add in a touch of his native roots from Ecuador, makes the sound unique, personal and emotive of a new ethos and style that in many ways will come to define what is next. Nada’s development toward this point has been obvious. Noted and local legend punk and hardcore artist and scenester. College student at University of Maryland at the same time as Neptunes tour DJ Hip Hop Dan and a number of dominant local pros. Resident DJ at Baltimore’s TaxLo dance party and holding down DC’s hipster incubator party Crunk (with DJ Tittsworth), and finally, joining forces with producer extraordinaire Matt Nordstrom as Nadastrom. The tale is as legendary as it is true, and now, at the cusp of our latest generation, Nada stands as a leader moving a ready and prepared crew of others ahead into the future.

  Esa Loca Cumbia by djsabo 

Last night, Nada celebrated his birthday at U Street Music Hall. Playing alongside him was the Tormenta Tropical crew from Bersas Discos Records, a crew created by a collective of DJs most appreciative of the cumbia sound. Oro 11, Disco Shawn and rising star producer and DJ of the genre Turntable Lab’s DJ Sabo. Cumbia, bachata, salsa which are all forefathers of moombahton are all inherently based in a two step time. Bmore club is four on the floor, which while easy to dance to, this Latin invasion, MUCH easier. There were 40 year old cougars, post-teen hipsters, Chads, Beckies, hip hop cats, punk kids and businessmen in suits all finding the sound accessible. DJ Apt One’s edit of the Chemical Brothers’ “Block Rockin’ Beats,” Munchi’s Afrika Bambaataa sampling “Metele Bellaco,” Nada’s edit of Steve Starks’ “Lydia” and current grand champion of the sound Calgary’s A-Mac’s edit of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Heads Will Roll” all were victorious. After the wild, raging electro rave that was the hipster generation, we still occasionally get that, but moombahton especially moves at 108 BPM, about 30 to 60 BPMs less than what was popular before. In slowing things down and discovering the groove, moombahton defines the measured and continuous intensity and not the raging aggression that defined life just five years ago.

  Culipandeo – The Moombahton Mix by DJ A-Mac 

Across the board, sounds have gotten deeper and stronger. Dubstep and deep, classic trending house are the way and the light of 2010. Maybe it’s that all of the producers have matured. Maybe it’s that we’re all just getting old. Maybe it’s a cultural shift. At the end of the day though, moombahton, and it’s Latin progenitors are the most shining examples of the most accessible, fresh and mainstream sounds of our future.

Things done changed.

Dale Moombahton!