DJ Bitman – Latin Bitman
Nacional Records (11/6/07)
Electronic / Latin / Dub / Hip-Hop / Acid Jazz
I should be ashamed of myself, because my knowledge of contemporary Latin music is nowhere near what it should be. Of course I like Molotov and Control Machete, as well as rock like Lucybell and Manu Chao, and a bit of cumbia, but I really have no frame of reference when it comes to any underground Latin ch00ns.
As such, I didn’t know who DJ Bitman was until speaking with label rep at Nacional Records, but I can say now that I’m better off with this guy on my radar. José Antonio Bravo, the Chilean musician better known as DJ Bitman creates music that falls somewhere in-between DJ Cam and Los Amigos Invisibles. While the music has a decidedly Latin element to it, it also integrates a rife amount of hip-hop and abstract jazz. And the result is just the cat’s pajamas.
While Bitman has dabbled in punk rock and other genres in the past, Latin Bitman seems to be a nice place in which to end up. The album opens with the jazz/funk “Latin Airlines Intro” featuring Anita Tijoux, which segues into the the funk-infused “My Computer Is Funk”, the beginning of which sounds akin to the hip-hop styling of DJs Wally and Swingsett on “Wiggin'”. “Me Gustan” works some Spanish loops across the turntables before breaking out into a full-on jazz piano, while “Tropilove”, the single featuring Julian Peña and Tea Time, and “Sra. Maria” (also featuring Tea Time) are both straight-up reggae tracks, with the latter having some hip-hop elements thrown in for good measure.
“Shine” and “Blackbossa” make use of ’70s-era jazz and funk in the same vein as the aforementioned Invisible Friends, while Jimmy Fernandez (no, not my uncle, though my dad does have a younger brother with the same name) raps (reminiscent of Evidence from Dilated Peoples) on “El Diablo”. The set closes out with the groovy bossa nova stylings of “Pipe Dream”, complete with flute and variety of drums.
Latin Bitman is probably one of the most enjoyable and entertaining albums to come in 2007. It’s almost as much fun as Beck’s Midnite Vultures but without all of the wacky nonsensical lyrics. You just can’t help but move while listening to this. Even if you’re a paraplegic you’ll still be able to miraculously move. Maybe this album can cancer and herpes cancer, too… it wouldn’t surprise me. If you like jazz music, buy this album. If you like funk, buy this album. If you like either DJ Cam or Los Amigos Invisibles, buy this album. In fact, if you were going to go out and buy an album by Switchfoot or Soulja Boy, just buy this album instead, because it’s definitely better than anything you were planning on buying. You will thank me.
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