Novalima

Blending electronica beats with traditional instruments and tempos of Afro-Peruvian folk, Novalima conjures the soundtrack to both contemporary midnight mysteries and cultures that have endured for hundreds of years. Formed by four friends from Lima, Peru after their emergence from the city’s punk and psychedelic scenes, Novalima reckons with the nation’s legacy of slavery through music. Their work merges three centuries’ worth of sound into a creative confection NPR likened to “a three-layer cake of time.” Here, the paths of computer samples and percussive cajon slaps intersect in sleek, sonically seductive grooves that incorporate aspects of reggae, dub, salsa, hip-hop, afrobeat and pan-Latin inflection. No matter the style, Novalima understands that cultural divisions easily drop away on the common ground of a crowded dance floor.