Dancing can be a strangely solitary experience — bodies gathered but moving independently from one another, eyes closed and minds drifting. Sofia Kourtesis, an electronic musician born in Peru and residing in Berlin, strives to bring a more collective meaning through her pulsing house tracks. She sings in Spanish and explores her own Latin American heritage, but her themes of cultural identity are common to anyone questioning who they are and where they belong.
These themes are explicit in "Madres," which she says is not only about her mother but also all of whom look after others. "Madres has no gender," she writes. "Madres loves to protect the ones you love." She takes the shape of an angel standing on the shoulder of a dancer, whispering in their ear that they can never stray too far from home: "Ven, niño que estás ahí, vuelve a casa / Vuelve a casa."
With its soft pulse, bubbling arpeggios and magical vocals, "Madres" also acts as an antidote to the more aggressive, fast-paced music dominating the electronic scene. Its refrain is short but powerful, and it shows Kourtesis can go beyond the dancefloor to write songs with a wider emotional reach.
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