Finding an unlikely sweet spot between dance music, mythology, political theory, fine art and feminism, XUXA SANTAMARIA’s new track ‘Rudos del Mar’ kicks against the pricks in a swirl of synth euphoria.
The Oakland-based duo of Sofìa Còrdova and Matt Kirkland’s third album Chancletas D’Oro is “a loose concept album focused on exploring femme and womxn narratives drawn from both history and works of fiction”. ‘Rudos del Mar’ is an evocative tale of pirates “patrolling the seas beyond the edges of language, reason, and time”, without digging into any obvious nautical tropes – instead propelling the Spanish language narrative through proggy sci-fi pads, 808 handclaps and electro build-ups.
Chancletas D’Oro is out in September on Ratskin Records, and promises a deep dive into fables and historical narratives, including the International Women’s Day March in 1917 that lit the fuse on the Russian Revolution, and the role of female truck drivers of the North Vietnamese army “who risked life and limb to transport vital goods during the American War of Imperial Aggression (known in the US as ‘the Vietnam War’)”.
My Spanish language ability is zero to weak, but ‘Chancletas’ is the term for flip-flop so my best guess is that the album translates as ‘Flip-flops of the Air’, and as a highly conceptual work there must be a reason for that. Maybe all will be revealed in September. In the meantime, check out ‘Rudos del Mar’ below…
Moo Kid 