Composed by Pony Bravo over two years in various working sessions, ‘Trópico’ (Telegrama, 2024) delves into a compilation of possible worlds in which exotica serves as a common thread to shape an album that draws on the band’s roots while marking the next step in its compositional evolution.
The influence of classic musical genres such as exotica holds a special place on this album, sometimes as a distant sonic memory of Martin Denny or Yma Sumac records, while at other times giving way to ideas and approaches related to Andalusian musical traditions, lo-fi electronic elements, dance rhythms, and synthwave, as well as approaches more akin to reimagined, distant vintage soundtracks on other tracks.
The musical production of ‘Trópico’ has been shaped and expanded based on the original characteristics of each demo. In many cases, Darío del Moral’s work as music producer and composer has set the course from the album’s earliest stages, with Pablo Peña assisting on some of the instrumental tracks. Raúl Pérez also contributed to the final work in the recording studio, where he has long handled recording, mixing, and music production for the band.
With the band’s lyrics, vocals, and visuals, Daniel Alonso delivers scenes in this new work that lie halfway between past and future traditions. Seville, with its musical and visual culture, becomes an isolated, exotic island facing a progress that is sometimes unsettling and at other times outright fun, humorous, and biting, centered on lost paradises that are not really all that paradisiacal, eliciting the smiles and shivers that the future seems to have in store for us. Working with classic themes and ideas through local and traditional lenses is once again a predominant approach in this new work by Pony Bravo. ‘Trópico’ seeks to extend and develop ideas beyond the traditional boundaries of Andalusian culture—a rich, ancient, and sometimes isolated culture that can confidently expand into universal themes and ideas.
