Nicola Cruz
live at Iguazú Falls in Argentina for Cercle
Welcome to the jungle, where the organic-house massive have gathered to sway gently and pretend they understand plant medicine. The sheer concentration of earthy linen, wide-brimmed hats, and crystal necklaces is staggering. But jokes aside about the spiritual merchants, this Nicola Cruz Iguazú Falls in Argentina for Cercle tracklist is a deeply magical flex. The colossal, roaring cascades of Iguazú Falls provide a deafening, majestic backdrop to these intricate, earth-shaking tribal rhythms.
Operating far below the typical club pace, this Nicola Cruz live set averages a hypnotic 114.9 BPM. Falsely tagged as Rominimal, this is pure folktronica and Andean bass. Utilizing 12A keys, the mixing is highly organic, prioritizing live percussion, subtle mid-range textures, and deep, resonant subs over traditional beatmatching. With 9 originals in a 14-track set, it’s mostly a showcase of his own genius.
However, his remix of Umeko Ando's "Battaki" is an absolute masterstroke of cross-cultural electronic fusion, and Moondmatt's "Eternal Desert" fits the earthy aesthetic perfectly. Emerging from the mist with an atmospheric "Unknown - Unknown" opening track, Cruz builds a mesmerizing tribal tension. The groove peaks beautifully with Astral Dune's "Glowstorm Laser", before concluding with his own spellbinding closing track, "Levanta Muertos". Proper sorted.