Viaje Sideral (AYA Records) by El León Pardo is a musical spaceship rumbling through a psychedelic universe where cumbia rhythms collide with analogue synths, trumpets, and a deep fascination for the interstellar unknown.

This fusion transports the listener across a spectrum of sonic landscapes, from cosmic voyages of electronic textures to vibrant, joy-filled rooms steeped in Colombian tradition. One thing is certain: keeping an ear to the window ensures you won’t miss a single twist and turn of this unexpected journey.

This spaceship takes off with the opener “Invocación”, which, through its repetitive pattern, sets the stage for the journey ahead. The track introduces us with El León Pardo’s sonic roots, with the kuisi — not just a wooden flute, but a symbol of Colombian resistance — taking the lead.

The title track is a perfect example of the unpredictability of this record. The electronic touch makes the listener feel like they are in orbit while El León Pardo ancestral vocals and hypnotics Caribbean percussion set us free in this cosmic adventure.

As the album progresses, some features keep us company during the travel, whether it is the Colombian musician Edson Velandia whose mix of spoken words and vocals perfectly accompanies El León Pardo’s trumpets or N. Hardem’s whose serpentine rap becomes the soundtrack to a graceful dance-off between cumbia rhythms and electronic echoes.

As the journey reaches its end, tracks like “Cuando el Río Suena” and “Sofi Entre Constelaciones” inject a frenetic energy into the album, with the kuisi shining brighter than ever. Subtle electronic details enhance the composition, evoking the feeling of our spaceship pausing on a distant planet in search of new life.

Just like the best journeys, Viaje Sideral effortlessly evokes a cosmic blend of joy, dreaminess, and introspection. Let’s just say that if Carly Simon had boarded this spaceship, she might have written, “I had some dreams, they were clouds in El León Pardo’s trumpets.”

Viaje Sideral, the debut album by El León Pardo, was released by AYA Records on 21/03
Listen to it and purchase your copy HERE