RA.1010 1OO1O
"Combining sounds that wouldn't normally be thought of together." So reads the final line of Mexican DJ and producer 1OO1O's short-but-sweet artist bio. It's a claim many make but few pull off. Are truly new fusions still even possible in 2025? Hasn't electronic music reached saturation point? Not in the hands of 1OO1O, AKA uno cero cero uno cero, or one O O one O.
For the best part of a decade, the Xalapa-born artist has been mashing up footwork, jungle, techno, electro, UK garage and breaks with Latin America's myriad folkloric styles, from salsa and merengue to mambo and dembow. The results, like 2023's SALSA & BREAX, or last year's SALÓN CANDELA, feel electrifyingly fresh, connecting threads across eras and traditions with a subtle dexterity. The secret is a deep respect for the source material.
Indeed, foregrounding the best of Latin America—and specifically Mexico—is the dominant theme on RA.1010 (do you like what we did there?). By his own admission, 1OO1O switched up his DJing a couple years ago to prioritise music made locally or regionally by himself and his friends. At a time when Latin American culture is both at its peak and yet still constantly "reshaping itself to accommodate tourists and 'expats,'" his sets in clubs, festivals and radio stations around the world are his way of spreading the gospel.
This 70-minute mix, then, is heavy on both Mexican talent—Regal86, DNZA, AAAA, Loris, FRAN G—and unreleased 1OO1O tracks. It's tough, rhythmic and strikingly modern, with just the right balance of light and intensity. Given the glut of local music, a late cameo from London grime MC Trim glistens like an emerald in the sun. If you want to know what the cool kids are raving to in Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City right now, here's your answer. - Carlos Hawthorn
Portugal