Turbo Sonidero

To accommodate a fashionably late crowd, the set times at Era (which served as the Hella Tight Stage) were pushed back by hours at the last minute, which forced several notable local acts and national headliners to play simultaneously. But the wait was worth it for performers such as Bay Area producer Turbo Sonidero Futuristico, who initially showed up to an empty club and was asked to wait until the festival gained momentum. Once he began spinning haunted cumbia remixes, the bodies piled in. A skilled curator of disparate sounds, Turbo smoothly wove elements of traditional Latin American music into his own trippy production, providing the soundtrack for an off-kilter dance party. - East Bay Express

Futuristic Sonidero Turbo is a project of Roman Zepeda which intertwines culture Cumbia Sonidera Puebla with the growing Californian scene of abstract hip hop, idm, glitch and juke. Currently resides in Cholula Puebla and directs Contra Discos Records.

We enjoy: How is the interest Cumbia and Electronic Music Sonidera born?
Turbo Sonidero Futuristic: The interest in electronic music began in '96 when I first saw the video for "Midnight in a Perfect World" DJ Shadow after me started to like more downtempo, IDM and instrumental Hip-Hop. And from there I started to occur as in '98.

The cumbia always liked me. It is music that was heard by my parents and was exposed on trips to Puebla. But my interest grew when I heard Los de Akino and sonideros of Mexico. I liked how samples were cumbias with unconventional sounds like bottle caps, sound Nextel phone and demeaned as sonideros cumbias and they did effects. These touches will be made to give a mysterious cumbias sound reminds me downtempo.

What are your biggest influences?
TSF: Dj Shadow, Los De Akino, Dynasty Pedraza (Kual, Super Grupo Colombia, Pedro Pedraza), Project Blowed, Ninja Tune, Warp Records, Bay Area Hard Core Punk Rock, Bass Music (80's electro , Miami Bass, Bay Area Hip-Hop) Hip-Hop and 90's

Right now what I hear more and I have influenced my production is the WEPA Cumbia de San Luis Potosí and Kiss Royal Sound Sound.

Tell us about counter discs Records
TSF: Contra Discos began among several friends and myself. The idea is to create an avenue where we can post music with emphasis on Latin Alternative music. Right now we have just published on the internet but we would like to vinyls in the future.

How is the scene in San Jose CA and surrounding areas for this music?
TSF: San Jose and the Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland, Berkley, etc.) has always been a fertile place of music. Hence came great artists such as The Grateful Dead, Santana, Los Tigres Del Norte, DJ Shadow, Invisible Scratch Piklez, Dead Kennedys, Metallica, etc. Mc Hammer lol

But recent years in the Bay Area scene of Latin alternative music I had a very strong revival. There is a lot of movement and interesting things that are happening. There are labels like Bersa Discos and Unicorn Records. DJ's who have chidas parties like The Kool Kyle, Roger Mas, Santero, Juan Data, Shawn Reynaldo (Disco Shawn) and others. Chidas groups and bands that are doing interesting things like The collectiva / Toqueson, Bang Data, Los Rakas, Mex Tape, Report Illegal, Rap Squad, Candelaria, etc.

How do you see Mexico now live in Puebla?
TSF: Since the narco traffic started getting heavier in Mexico media and people abroad have had a misconception of Mexico. If bad things happen but Mexico has much more positive and beautiful things to offer. From my experience in the 4 months that I have lived I have been very surprised to Mexico. Mexico is Chido!

What are your plans for TSF?
TSF: Continue to produce, play more in Mexico, releasing another EP in the summer and hopefully vinyl in the winter.

Besides you bring a project called TurboMex Mex Tape - How are things in this project?
TSF: Right now we are on a break. As I'm in Mexico and Mex Tape in San Francisco, CA is difficult but if we work together a lot of material together that they want to take.

What could you recommend us to new producers of electronic music?
TSF: Of those liking me right now are Salem, White Ring, DeltaTron, Jonwayne and producers of OFWGKTA (Odd Future).

How has your experience in the music scene in Mexico?
TSF: My experience in Mexico has been chida. It's exciting because there are many different and new things that are coming out in electronic music and Hip-Hop. Producers and DJ's who are looking for influence in Latin America. Respect people like Spike that never rest to promote electronic music that is being done in Mexico and Latin America. It is also exciting to be at ground zero of Cumbia Sonidera and attend this holiday season.

What I like to see is more interaction between sonideros and producers of electronic cumbia. I think it is very important for the spread and keep this scene alive because when hipsters lose interest strawberries and continue playing the Sonideros cumbia.

Now you you are giving a new touch to the concept of digital cumbia sonidera - you call your tumbia, what's up with that?
TSF: The name is put tumbia a friend playing with words turbo and cumbia. I do like and use the name to define my sound is influenced by the bass music or music made ​​with the drum machine TR-808 (80's electro, Miami bass, Bay Area hip-hop) that is heard a lot in San Jose music and Bay Area and sonidera cumbia. - Gozamos.com

What do you know about tumbia? That's what Roman Zepeda playfully calls his take on cumbia, which he heard plenty of while growing up in both East San Jose and Puebla, Mexico. After the video for DJ Shadow's "Midnight in a Perfect World" inspired him to shed his teen punk aspirations and buy turntables, he began making beats and messing with downtempo, hip-hop, IDM, and even baile funk before repeated trips to Bersa Discos' monthly Tormenta Tropical parties prompted him to get his cumbia on. Last year's debut EP, Turbo+Cumbia=Tumbia, is not to be missed, especially its flip of DJ Shadow's "Organ Donor." - XLR8R