For his fifth body of work, Humberto Pernett has managed to release an album that is modern yet retro, folkloric yet futuristic. The Caribbean Computer, a happy hodgepodge of all these traits, drops in Colombia on September 25th.

The Cali-based “folkclor progresivo” artist says the 10-track album features a personal signature that has taken his sound to a new level.

“It’s avante-garde and recalls folkloric roots, transforming them into a musical, science fiction journey,” he says.

Indeed.

There are tracks on this record, such as “Cumbia Computer” (stream it at the link) and the futuristic “El Retorno de los Mayos Galacticos,” that sound as if Radiohead’s Thom Yorke spent the summer hanging out in Colombia with Pernett as his personal guide. “El Monolito,” which Pernett tells S&C was added in at the suggestion of New York Tropical DJ Geko Jones, feels like you’re in a spa—in space.

“La Energía que Estalla,” an explosive track with a psychedelic guitar that mimics the gaita, could be on the soundtrack of an action movie starring Tom Cruise Colombian action star Marlon Moreno. The onset of “Primitivo” recalls early Depeche Mode and also features the trumpeting of an elephant (seriously).

The collaborations on the album are delightful.

“Al Caribe Volvere,” which you can stream on S&C, is a “beachy” track featuring the steel drums of Japan’s Sukiyaki Steel Orchestra (SSO). (Pernett got to perform the new album in SSO’s home country this past August.)

Then there’s the saxophone and tambor-filled “Círculos,” with the haunting voice of Arterciopelados vocalist and fellow Colombian, Andrea Echeverri, while “El Camino de la Percepción,” features Argentinian DJ/producer Mono Azul and rapper Cristian Fauna of ZZK Records.

“[The Caribbean Computer] is an album that is able to penetrate the dance floor with its complex arrangements, rich lyrics and a unique sense of universality,” concludes Pernett.

Visit hpernett.net for online purchasing information.

Full track list:

1. Cumbia Computer
2. Primitivo
3. Lo Que se Fue
4. Círculos feat. Andrea Echeverri
5. La Energía que Estalla
6. El Camino de la Percepción feat. Cristian Fauna y Un Mono Azul
7. El Monolito
8. El Retorno de los Mayas Galácticos
9. Al Caribe Volveré feat. Suikiyaki Steel Orchestra
10. Me Dejé Tragar

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