“Blanco y Verde” is the latest single from Isla Diferente, the new album by Italian producer Andrea Mangia, aka Populous. Released on 11 April via his own label Latinambient, the track continues Mangia’s long-running exploration of rhythm-led music shaped by cross-cultural exchange. Based in Lecce, he draws from Latin American traditions not as aesthetic reference but as raw material — rhythm, structure, texture — carefully deconstructed and reassembled through a minimalist electronic framework.

The track hinges on a tightly woven groove: sharp, minimal percussion layered with fluttering samples and a clean, melodic hook that sits just beneath the surface. There’s a sense of control in how the beat carries itself: there’s no peak, no drop, just a lean, percussive flow that suggests movement without insisting on it. The sound design stays close to the surface: clean, deliberate, and more skeletal than saturated.

Where much global-electronic output leans on atmosphere or cultural shorthand, “Blanco y Verde” is more concise. It strips things back to pattern and pulse, and lets that do the work. No grand statement; just a lean, well-constructed track that reflects Populous’s ongoing strength: listening closely, editing carefully, and knowing when to hold something back.

That clarity is part of what defines Isla Diferente, an album shaped by elements of cumbia, Latin ambient, and sparse electronic production. The album includes collaborations with artists such as Fuera (Italy), Javier Arce (Costa Rica), Eva de Marce (Mexico), and Esotérica Tropical (Puerto Rico), adding diverse vocal textures to the instrumental foundation.

You can stream, listen to and get your copy of Isla Diferente HERE