A taster of the Tropical Discotheque vibe

May 13, 2013 9:21 AM

The original discotheque DJs of the 70s weren’t restricted by genre – they mixed up soul, funk, rock and experimental music to create the nascent disco sound. The Sofrito sound starts from the same point but draws from the tropics - combining bassline soukous, cosmic highlife, stripped-down drum edits, raw carnival rhythms, Manding vibes, scratchy calypso and modern productions that continue in the grand tradition of the discotheque, from Abidjan to Detroit via London, Paris and beyond...
posted by Tom-B (11 comments total)

I am loving this mix but would love more context if anyone gots some...
posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:49 AM on May 13, 2013 [2 favorites]

Also "sofrito" sounds like something I want to eat, but I cant quite put my finger on what it would be exactly.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:50 AM on May 13, 2013

Potential source of context: AllMusic writeup on Sofrito: International Soundclash (preview sampler).

Also "sofrito" sounds like something I want to eat, but I cant quite put my finger on what it would be exactly.

Actually, it is a kind of food. Here's the description Wikipedia:

Sofrito or refogado is a sauce used as a base in Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American cooking. Preparations vary, but sofrito typically consists of aromatic ingredients cut into small pieces and sauteed or braised in cooking oil.

Not to be confused with Italian Sofritto, which is a kind of Mirepoix:

mirepoix (pron.: /mɪərˈpwɑː/ meer-PWAH; French pronunciation: ​[miʁpwa]) can be a combination of celery (either common pascal celery or celeriac), onions, and carrots. There are many regional mirepoix variations, which can sometimes be just one of these ingredients, or include additional spices. Mirepoix, raw, roasted or sautéed with butter or olive oil, is the flavor base for a wide variety of dishes, such as stocks, soups, stews and sauces. The three ingredients are commonly referred to as aromatics.

Here's a basic sofrito recipe, from Latin Food on About.com, and mirepoix from the Culinary Arts sub-site on About.com.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:55 AM on May 13, 2013 [2 favorites]

Here's an interview with Hugo Mendez, the guy behind Sofrito, in which he talks about the Sofrito parties started, his background in music, and other topics.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:04 AM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

Let's hear it for the Space Echo!

This is a fun mix.
posted by dubold at 10:10 AM on May 13, 2013 [2 favorites]

This is so very best and I applaud you bringing it into my life.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 10:13 AM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

This is making me want to play Tropico.
posted by Jacqueline at 11:00 AM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

Loving this! And, very exciting: I just learned that Hugo Mendez and Miles Cleret will be at Cabaret Sauvage in Paris on June 2, which just so happens to be the day I get in - gonna try and rally!
posted by hapax_legomenon at 11:36 AM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

Very cool - thanks for posting!
posted by carter at 12:04 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

agreed. this is fantastic. i'll be listening to this stuff for weeks. everyone clicked around, yes? i'm really digging the afro-latino mix from senegal (bottom left in the grid), and the other king crab mix (bottom right). tom-b, thank you so much for sharing!
posted by rude.boy at 1:38 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

Yeah the whole site is pretty ace! That first track on the King Crab mix, btw, seems like an unlikely dubplate reference to the Floral Dance, an equally unlikely UK pop hit by the Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band from 1977.
posted by carter at 3:05 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]