Welcome to The Ritmo Machine has such a wide scope of influence: Salsa, Samba, ‘70’s Soul, classic Funk, Cuban rhythms, Latin grooves, East Coast Hip-Hop, Flamenco, the list goes on and on. Heavy beats and percussion driven grooves that lean heavily towards Latin America, but with more then a passing nod to, well, the rest of the world.
This album has restored my love of Hip-Hop. It’s like hearing DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing again for the first time, a revelation, or maybe a re-introduction to an area of music that had lost some of its vigour. That’s not meant to be a damming criticism on the breaks and Hip Hop scene, as I realise it probably sounds, more a recognition that I had lost touch with the genuine good stuff that’s undoubtedly out there, as there always is in any field of music you might care to mention. Welcome to The Ritmo Machine has such a wide scope of influence: Salsa, Samba, ‘70’s Soul, classic Funk, Cuban rhythms, Latin grooves, East Coast Hip-Hop, Flamenco, the list goes on and on. Heavy beats and percussion driven grooves that lean heavily towards Latin America, but with more then a passing nod to, well, the rest of the world. Your head will be nodding to this, I guarantee. It’s full of imaginative sampling, live instruments, vocals, turntable-ism and of course captivating percussion from the accomplished and fantastic Mr Bobo.
The Ritmo Machine is the musical child of Percussionist Eric Bobo and Chilean producer/DJ/Turntable-ist Latin Bitman. This is the same Eric Bobo that played and recorded with the Beastie Boys during their seminal Check Your Head and Ill Communication years, and who is also a full time member of Cypress Hill. Latin Bitman, if you don’t know of him, has released two critically acclaimed albums – Latin Bitman and Colour – and is a well seasoned veteran in his field, that field being Latin influenced beats and surfing. So, with the background afforded by these two, I suppose you would expect something good, and they have definitely delivered. I know I’m gushing a bit over this, but it really is solid.
I, like many others was blown away with the album Check Your Head by the Beastie Boys, the wide scope of influence that was suddenly incorporated into their music was amazing. It’s still in my top 5 albums of all time actually. Ill Communication followed in a similar vein, utilising styles from all sorts of genres. Central to why these albums are so great is the rhythms and grooves used to such good effect. Eric Bobo became a member of the live band during the Check Your Head tour, and recorded with them on Ill Communication. Listening to Welcome To The Ritmo Machine brings back that same excitement that was an integral part of that progressive Hip Hop and breaks sound. This album is a few steps on from the original sound that hooked me at the beginning of the (gulp) nineties, with a much wider sphere of reach and influence. There are some amazing guest appearances from the likes of long term accomplices Money Mark, MixMaster Mike and Senn Dog, as well as a host of others.
Hip Hop meets Latin America, then jumps in a van and careers headlong into the rest of the world, all the while picking up riffs and grooves from the roadside. The resulting impact of this recklessness is the album Welcome To The Ritmo Machine.
Welcome To The Ritmo Machine is available on Nacional.
