Review: Moombahton Forever

Posted by Spice on January 22, 2013

As some of you may already know, I tend to get unreasonably fired up about moombahton. This is in part because I’m a D.C. native, like the genre itself, and in part because I like to shake my ass (and there’s nothing more conducive to ass shaking than Dutch house bouncing along at 110 bpm above a funky riddim). Happily, it would seem that I’m not alone in this regard; with moombahton-centric stages cropping up at major festivals and heavy support for the genre coming from some of electronic music’s biggest names, it’s clear that Dave Nada’s “Moombah” MacGyver job has officially taken on a life of its own.

Moombahton Forever is therefore exciting for many reasons. First, it’s a panoramic shot of the genre as it stands at this exact moment. Moombahton has evolved a fair amount since that fateful homecoming party in 2010; it’s a niche subgenre of electronic music, to be sure, but over time it has come to contain its own diverse elements. In other words, there’s more going on under the moombah hood than you might expect, and it’s all on display in this very thorough 20 track compilation. There are tracks that pay homage to the genre’s midtempo roots in cumbia and global funk. There are deep, sexy tracks that are better suited to the after party than the the club. There are rollicking bangers that recall the halfway mark of a Knife Party set. Hell, there’s even Dillon Francis. Which brings me to my next point: most of moombahton’s most stalwart players are represented on Moombahton Forever. Nadastrom, Tittsworth, Sazon Booya, Bro Safari, ETC!ETC!, Ayres, Torro Torro, Sabo, Craze, Gent & Jawns, Munchi, the aforementioned I.D.G.A.F.O.S. poster boy…the gang’s quite literally all here, and it truly feels like a big creative culmination for everybody involved.

Admittedly, there are people who may find Moombahton Forever repetitive at times, as moombahton, with its fundamental structure of high synth leads and a reggaeton bassline, can get a bit subtle in its intricacies. In fact, there is something nuanced and almost house-esque about moombahton at its very deepest — and it’s a testament to the production level on display that elements of that particular side of electronic music meld so seamlessly with elements from its more primal cousins. I personally find Moombahton Forever smoothly textured and incredibly well organized; the tracks fit together beautifully and as compilations go, it manages to establish an omnipresent unifying theme without feeling redundant. The best part? The bonus continuous mix is all you need to set off a wild, sweaty dance party in your basement.

Rating: 4/5. For best results, add Natty Boh and really good speakers. But remember: there’s only one U Street Music Hall.

Beatport: Moombahton Forever