Bersa Discos is a record label based in Buenos Aires, Argentina and San Francisco, California.
Bersa is brought to you by Oro11 and Disco Shawn, two Bay Area DJs who moved to Buenos Aires (separately) and found themselves swimming in a sea of experimental cumbia mayhem. After hooking up in the Buenos Aires DJ circuit, the boys quickly realized that many of the local cumbia sounds were never being given a proper release. Bersa Discos was launched to change all that.
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The first Bersa 12" was released in February 2008. Vol.2 dropped in June 2008, followed by No.3 in September and No.4 in December. If everything goes according to plan, we'll be releasing a new 12" every couple of months, although that's more of an optimistic estimate than a fixed timeline. Even though we're back home in the Bay Area, we're still operating on Argentina time and not much happens on schedule down there.
BERSA No.5 FROM TOY SELECTAH
Tracklist:
LADO A:
Toy Selectah - Lamento en la Jungla
Tzochitl Soundsystem vs. Toy Selectah - Hay Guey
Japanese vs. Toy Selectah - Cocobola (Rvaerton remix)
LADO B:
Boys Noize vs. Toy Selectah - Arcade Roboton (This Is Raverton remix)
DJ Negro vs. Toy Selectah - Mundo Querido (Rave al Sur remix)
DJ Negro vs. Toy Selectah - Mundo Querido (Rave al Sur Rebajada dub)
Click HERE to grab the vinyl from Turntable Lab. Their review:
Bersa Discos makes further in-roads into the Cumbia scene with this six tracker from Mexico's Toy Selectah (who is also slated for an upcoming Mad Decent release). The selection starts off with the hypnotic "Lamento En La Jungla(1)," which samples an obscure Cumbia-psyche track by Los Mirlos. The dowtempo "Hay Guey(2)" maintains a traditional Cumbia feel, enhanced by some well-placed drums. "Cocobola(3)" represents the first "Raverton" track here, which is a sped-up version of Cumbia / Reggaeton. B-side begins with a Boys Noize remix(4) done up Cumbia style, lots of crossover potential here (also a great transitional track for DJs). From there the EP gets deeper into club mode with two versions(5,6) of "Mundo Querido," a thick song which features Batucada-style percussion. Excellent consistency throughout, but really, where else are you going to find this stuff?
BERSA No.4 HAS DROPPED!
Tracklist:
LADO A:
Uproot Andy - El Pescador
Uproot Andy - El Botellón
Uproot Andy - La Vida Vale La Pena
LADO B:
Sonido del Principe - Cartagena
Sonido del Principe - El Principe
Sonido del Principe - Cumbia de La Barranquilla
Click HERE to grab the vinyl from Turntable Lab, or go HERE to cop the digital version. Their review:
It seems weird to annoint every new Bersa Discos release as "the best Bersa Discos yet," but it's the truth: the Bay Area's fledgling neo-cumbia imprint just keeps getting stronger. For the label's fourth limited press EP, they've enlisted two artists who make their homes far from Buenos Aires, but who've nonetheless got that special touch when it comes to fiery cumbia remixes. Brooklyn's Uproot Andy - an unofficial associate of DJ/rupture and Matt Shadetek's Dutty Artz collective - takes the A-side with three bumping, dubstep-influenced remixes of Afro-Colombian folk songs by Petrona Martinez ("La Vida Vale La Pena(1)"), Toto La Momposina ("El Pescador(2)"), and Grupo Naidy ("El Botellón(3)"). On the flip, it's the Netherlands' Sonido del Principe infusing rave and electro sounds into their trio of tracks - "Cartagena(4)," "El Principe(5)," "Cumbia de la Barranquilla(6)" - which seemingly sample big-band style 50s/60s cumbias. Whatever the sources, it's murderous stuff. Don't sleep - 1,000 copies worldwide. Recommended.
BERSA DISCOS No.3 STILL AVAILABLE!
Tracklist:
LADO A:
DJ Panik - Te Ves Buena
DJ Panik - 2 Step
DJ Panik - Like This, Like That
LADO B:
Chancha Via Circuito - Cumbia Murguera
Chancha Via Circuito - Damas Gratis dub
Click HERE to order the vinyl from Turntable Lab. Their review:
Time for numero tres from our cumbia-loving Bay Area homies at Bersa Discos, and this time they've got Texas' DJ Panik and ZZK's Chancha via Circuito on board for the hottest set of tunes yet. (No joke.) Panik comes out guns blazing on lado A with nasty cumbia remixes of El General's "Te Ves Bien Buena(1)," Unk's "2 Step(2)" and Baby C's "Do It Like This(3)." All these are surefire dancefloor detonators - nothing syrupy this time out. No no - that's left to CvC on the flip, who get straight hypnotic with "Cumbia Murguera(4)" and then bring out the crickets for the ultra mellow (and yet strangely gun-clacking) "Damas Gratis Dub(5)." Yes, Bersa Discos is truth. Both sides play at 33. Recommended.
BERSA DISCOS No.2 ALMOST GONE! (WARNING: IT'S GOING FAST.)
Tracklist:
LADO A:
DJ Negro - Andres Landero vs. The Roockie
DJ Negro - Mundo Querido
DJ Negro - Lluvia
LADO B:
Oro11 - Pibes Walk Out
Alex Pasternak - Pajariton
Click HERE to order the vinyl from Turntable Lab. They also got the digital version right HERE . Their review:
More of that cumbia heat from our favorite new label. Their debut release having quickly evaporated, Cali's Bersa Discos is back for round two with another limited single (1,000 copies, no repress-o). This time they've got Buenos Aires young gunna DJ Negro at the fore, putting a new spin on some true Colombian classics. Negro is a regular at the notorious club Zizek (recently spotted killing it with DJ/rupture and others) but this 12" represents his "official" debut. On the A-side, he sets things off with "Andres Landero vs. The Roockie(1)," a tuff mash featuring Screwed vocals from the cumbia legend and Luny beats. "Lluvia(2)" keeps more of traditional cumbia sound, dubbed out in all the right places, while "Mundo Querido(3)" comes with hard raps over a dark and stormy beat that brings to mind "This Is Why I'm Hot." Meanwhile on the flip, Bersa label head Oro11's "Pibes Walk Out(4)" injects some Dirty South into the proceedings, dusting a little of Unk's "Walk It Out" over "Que Calor" by Pibes Chorros (arguably the biggest 'cumbia villera' - gangster cumbia - band ever). Alex Pasternak of much hyped SF band Lemonade seals the deal with the midtempo bumper "Pajariton(5)." Definitely recommended.
BERSA DISCOS VOL.1 12" STILL AVAILABLE SOLD OUT! ONLY THE DIGITAL VERSION IS LEFT!
Tracklist:
LADO A:
El Hijo de la Cumbia - Bombon Asesino version
Daelduro - Bombon Asesino (Oro11 remix)
Daleduro - Bombon Asesino
LADO B:
El Hijo de la Cumbia - La Mara Tomaza
El Hijo de la Cumbia - Cumbia de los Barrios
Click HERE to order the digital EP direct from our pals at Turntable Lab. (The vinyl version is SOLD OUT!) This is what they have to say about BERSA DISCOS VOL.1:
Hot chit! Debut release from Bersa Discos, a new label formed by two Argentinian-living Bay Area DJs with a mission to bring cumbia flavors to the masses. With 12"s like this, it won't take long. Head straight for Daleduro's dubsteppy "Bombon Asesino," which resonates with bubbling, bassy beats and an infectious accordion sample. The remix from label co-founder Oro11 throws a dancehall curveball, laying Spice's "Fight Over Man" vocals across the top, but Hijo de la Cumbia's original comes with the truly wild cumbia styles. On the flip, two HEAVY midtempo tracks from the Hijo: the dubby, percussive "La Mara Tomaza" and "Cumbia de los Barrios" with the dope pan flute sample that had C'mish in stitches over here. Recommended.
