Loma Suyo | Agata
(Independent)
Loma Suyo is a brilliant, bilingual band based out of Boiceville. The duo is composed of singer-songwriter Liz Fullerton and multi-instrumentalist and producer Ish Quintero, and Agata is their second full-length album. Quintero grew up in Colombia; Fullerton in Mexico. By mixing South American folk instrumentation with modern electronic textures, the group fashions a fresh, new style of folktronica. Drawing as much from Tropicalia as from trip-hop, at times Loma Suyo recalls Manu Chao’s Clandestino blended with Portishead’s Dummy. The vibe is relaxed, the exotica references are subtle, and the net effect is enchanting.
“Danza” features Fullerton’s sensuous Spanish vocals in a minor key over rhythmically strummed guitar with touches of Andean harp and tropical jungle noise. “Good Company” is a yearning, romantic song sung in English over chill, ambient grooves, showing Fullerton’s bilingual dexterity. “Lupuna” reveals whiffs of Peruvian pan pipes and charango, a lute typically used by the Quechua people. The lyrically positive “Call and Response,” the liveliest track, is punctuated with flute and accented by percussive elements such as guiro, congas, and maracas. “New Shapes” pulls the listener gently into trance while “Suenos” is a lullaby that asks in Spanish, “How did you sleep my love? How were your dreams?” It’s all dreamy work, indeed. “Patterns of Light” states that “Sounds is the most ancient thing. Sound is how it came to be.” By cleverly combining the traditional with the contemporary, Loma Suyo takes the listener on a meditative musical journey and gently breaks new ground.
This article appears in July 2023.
