On this brand new Awkward Corners remix, Insólito UniVerso’s haunting take on “Jota” is drawn into the otherworld of bubbling synths and rippling percussion that captivated us on his debut album.

On their debut album, ‘La Candela del Río’, experimental Venezuelan folk group, Insólito Universo, created a magical Latin American sound of their very own, inspired as much by Brazilian composer and multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal, Tortoise, Stereolab, and electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire, as traditional Venezuelan folk music.

Awkward Corners is the artistic pseudonym of musician, producer, DJ, compilation curator, writer, and co-founder of the Paradise Bangkok label and band, Chris Menist.

Insólito UniVerso’s original take on “Jota” is based upon a traditional jota margariteña (a melancholic song & ode to love, or fishing, usually accompanied by guitar, Venezuelan cuatro or bandolin), composed by Berta Vargas. The lyrics refer to separation from the homeland, something far too real for many Venezuelans these days. It's a farewell to the scent of a plantain tree; an “adios” echoing in an empty house. And yet, there is joy in being able to sing through this pain, and maintaining a belief in the inner self, which remains unchanged and immutable.