DJ Python — Mas Amable

In Spanish, Mas Amable means ‘more friendly’. True to its name, Brian Piñeyro’s second full-length under his DJ Python moniker is a calm, tropical, reggaeton-infused minimal house record. Combining the reggaeton that was ubiquitous in his time living in Miami with deep-house, the New York-based DJ’s latest work pushes the confines of a genre of his own creation — deep reggaeton.

It’s an interesting take on one of the most popular genres of the 2000s. From Oye Mi Canto through Daddy Yankee and Gasolina to one of the pre-pandemic world’s most infectious viruses, Despacito, every pub has played some version of reggaeton’s dembow beat for a not insignificant part of each of the previous couple of decades. While it’s true that the genre has never been a favourite of mine, it’s also true that I’ve never found something as inventive and attention-grabbing centered on the reggaeton beat as DJ Python’s music.

Through the often non-invasive 48-minute suite that is Mas Amable, a gentle 90-odd-bpm downtempo dembow beat evolves slowly, embellished with subtle, repeating basslines, sprinklings of synth sounds, and the occasional ambient pad. The human voice makes a single appearance in ADMSDP, courtesy of poet LA Warman. In it she says, 

What would it mean for you to touch your body
To feel how soft you are
How warm you are
How smooth your surfaces are

But for that instance, the album relies almost entirely on the evolution of the beat to propel it. This is no mean feat; simplicity is not easy, especially in the pursuit of making good music in the Age Of Distraction (TM). As I’ve said repeatedly in the past, I have particular respect for those who make captivating music with limited parts. Mas Amable does that admirably.