Bask in the dazzle of Los Bitchos' cumbia-tinged gem “Pista (Great Start)”

12 August 2019, 17:10 | Written by Olivia Swash

(Tracks)

(Los Bitchos)

The London-based product of a convergence of talent from Uruguay, Australia, Sweden and England, Los Bitchos' “Pista (Great Start)” is a triumphant clash of Latin American roots with the heady mezcal whiff of a sun-soaked beach party.

Drawing on the legacy of Colombian and Panamanian cumbia from the '70s and '80s, Los Bitchos' new offering is psychedelic party vibes epitomised (for further proof, the B-side is called “Frozen Margarita”). Put best by the record's producer, Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos, “Los Bitchos are cool. They are all attitude and killer tunes.”

“Truly international with cumbia beats, Turkish psychedelia, a hint of Swedish pop and a touch of shoegaze shimmer. More than anything, they put you in a really good mood when you listen to them,” he continues. Celebratory trills and whoops energise the vibrant Dick Dale-esque guitars and brass, making for a blistering escape to a rip-roaring desert session.

“Going into the studio, we had such a good time,” says Kapranos. “They’re a band that can really play and that’s what you hear on this record: a room full of Los Bitchos. I can’t wait for people to hear it."

“Pista (Great Start)” is out today digitally and on 7" via Bad Vibrations. They play 25 September at The Lexington. Find Los Bitchos on Facebook.