Chris Kissel
Chris Kissel is a DJ and freelance music and culture writer based in Los Angeles. In addition to Border Blaster, he has contributed to L.A. Weekly, Tiny Mix Tapes, Consequence of Sound, Noisey, and Paste, among other publications. He hosts the Contact Wave radio program on Dublab.
Listen to Los Angeles-based Buyepongo's special Border Blaster mix, spanning ome of the farthest reaching tendrils of the buyangú sound, from Indonesian gamelan to breathless Honduran punta.
For Denitza Todorova, aka DENA, filming at the Turkish Market in Neukölln helped communicate a theme central to her work: the idea of “home" in a fluctuating world, and how access to culture and prestige fluctuates with it.
“Psychopomp" directly confronts loss from different points in the grieving process, at the same time meditating on other crises — for instance, the nature of broken relationships, or the lasting psychic damage of one’s hometown.
All the songs feel, in one way or another, enamored with life and its possibilities, nodding sometimes toward life’s more somber aspects without becoming somber themselves.
Anwandter's two major works released in 2016 are both dedicated to drawing out the intersection with the personal and political, particularly with regard to violence against the LGBT community.
Duppy Gun Productions = What happens when two musical outsiders leave the comfort of L.A. to immerse themselves in a small scene of vocalists in Jamaica — one of the most influential, yet fundamentally conservative, music scenes in the entire world.
Roberto Carlos Lange’s approach — talking about his skin as if it’s a lifelong companion — opens up an deep well of perspective on color, representation, and self-regard, extending further to a broader message of inclusivity and empowerment.
In "Space Diaspora," OY came upon the idea of a future in which the “recurring loops of human behavior” — incessant wars, endless political disputes, even art movements — finally cycled past themselves.
For Débruit, the record is as much a portrait of Istanbul's diverse, colorful music scene as it is a recollection of a crazy two-week trip to the city on the Bosphorus.
Much of Alsarah’s music deals with the ever-unfolding complexities that arise from dislocation and immigration — ideas that have impacted Alsarah throughout her life.
Record label RVNG Intl. pairs younger musical travelers with more seasoned ones, for inter-generational collaborations that span geography, aesthetic, and genre.
Every Sunday, female wrestlers called “cholitas” prepare to battle in layered skirts, colorful shawls, and pumps. This has become a way for some indigenous women to define themselves on new terms.