Grupo Frackaso, SA's rowdiest cumbia crew, takes a few important notes from hip-hop and punk on their debut effort Cumbiapocalyptica. Throughout the 26-minute release, the band blurts out their name pretty frequently, taking a page from the stylebook of 2 Chainz (a book that mostly just says "2 Chainz" in its copy). From punk, the trio borrows a middle-finger, DIY attitude and occasional bursts of all-out distortion. When Grupo Frackaso transitions from Martian synths to thrashing punk on the upbeat, it's a wild, world-ending ride.
As the album title would suggest, Grupo Frackaso's most trustworthy gun in the arsenal is the cumbia, the 2/4 tradition that the trio drives deep into the night. At hip-grinding slow speeds or revved-up beyond recognition, Cumbiapocalyptica is an incredibly fun work of crossover music.
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