Argentine producer Pedro Canale aka Chancha Via Circuito returns with his long awaited third album, Amansara. Originally coming out of Buenos Aires’ famed digital cumbia scene, Chancha has notoriously expanded beyond those boundaries to forge unprecedented mergers between Brazilian rhythms, Paraguyan harp, Andean mysticism and the solitude of Argentinian folklore - all processed through his own futuristic strain of post-dubstep electronic music. Chancha’s sound is without question truly unique and instantly recognizable, to the extent that he has become a key reference point for an entire crop of artists which have begun to carry his genes.

As an artist, Chancha Via Circuito defies attempts at categorization: on one hand, he is something of a cult artist within avant-garde circles of electronic music, having been for example invited to perform at Montreal’s intensely forward-focused MUTEK festival. At the same time, Chancha’s music also appeals to broader audiences: his magnificent remix of José Larralde’s «Quimey Neuquén» (taken from the Rio Arriba album) was featured in 2013 as part of the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed American series Breaking Bad. Fans of the show undoubtedly remember Walter White burying his millions in the desert, soundtracked by the wide and gentle grooves of Chancha Via Circuito.

Chancha’s second album Rio Arriba was released by the ZZK label in 2011 and found South American folklore taking the reins; however, under the steady hand of Chancha, its rhythms headed into the deep woods and ultimately coalesced into a style of folklore that was primed for the sound systems and dance floors of the future. Hailed by Pitchfork, Washington Post and the New York Times, among others, the album’s success led to Chancha being enlisted for remix work by Gilles Peterson (for the Havana Remixed project), The Ruby Suns (Sub Pop) and Gotan Project (Ya Basta/XL Recordings).

Where does the name «Chancha Via Circuito» come from?
Pedro Canale says: This is how the people from the province of Buenos Aires call the train that
connects the capital to the southern part of the city. A «Chancha» (pig in Spanish) is the name they gave to the old Fiat locomotive, which was as big as a pig. And «Via Circuito» is the name of the railway line. I made this trip every day for years, when I studied electroacoustic music in the suburb of Bernal. The atmosphere of the train inspired me a lot, with its vendors and cumbia music playing at full volume in the cars.

Chancha’s new album, Amansara, will be coming out after the Summer, while its first single, «Coplita», featuring the haunting vocals of Miriam García, will appear on June 17 on Crammed Discs (Europe and Asia), Wonderwheel Recordings (US and Oceania), and Charco (Latin America).