Globe-trotting beatmaker Captain Planet returns to soundsystems worldwide with his hotly anticipated sophomore album Esperanto Slang, a transformative LP which further illuminates the “Gumbo Funk” producer’s fluency in breaking boundaries between genres and bridging continents through rhythm. Steeped in finely-tuned collaborations with artists from across the map, the album documents the Captain’s continued musical travels in the wake of his critically-acclaimed 2011 debut album Cookin’ Gumbo and subsequent ‘Mystery Trip’ beat-tape (heralded “Best Music of 2012” by Sasha Frere-Jones in The New Yorker).
Led by the smashing Latin-House single “Un Poquito Mas” featuring Spanish lyrics from fellow international beats don Chico Mann(Soundway), the album also finds Captain Planet traveling South to join forces with esteemed Argentinian electronic chanteuse La Yegros (ZZK) on “Que Quiero Volver”, as well as Brazilian artists Samira Winter and Nevilton on the Samba heater “Tudo de Bom”. Jumping to the motherland, “Safaru” showcases the Sudanese vocalist and NPR darling Alsarah’s soaring Arabic vocals, with horn arrangements by L.A. brass legend and Kelis’s bandleader Todd Simon. A banging Bachata-infused club anthem “Perdido en el Excesso” further weaves a transcontinental thread with the help of Berlin-based rapper Paco Mendoza, while the crushing reggae vibes of the album’s 7-inch single “In The Gray” brings the islands to the West Coast with the help of soul singer Brit Laurén backed by horns from supergroup The Lions (Ubiquity).
Throughout the entire album, border-crossing collaborations on both vocal and instrumental tracks seamlessly translate the musical synergies between global dancefloor cultures. Blending a wide range styles from NY hip-hop, UK bass and Turkish psychedelic, to Nigerian afrobeat and Amazonian funk, Esperanto Slang demonstrates that Captain Planet’s trademark sound has matured into a truly unique form of electronic music, connecting scenes and languages worldwide through his mellifluous sonic thesaurus.
