Los Thuthanaka’s Wak’a is a mellower follow-up to last year’s surprise Pitchfork favorite

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Los Thuthanaka's Wak'a is a mellower follow-up to last year's surprise Pitchfork favorite

Published: April 05, 2026 at 18:30 | Source: theverge.com

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Entertainment Close Entertainment Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All Entertainment Column Close Column Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All Column Music Close Music Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All Music Los Thuthanaka's Wak'a is a mellower follow-up to last year's surprise Pitchfork favorite The EP interprets the Aymara legend of the first sunrise over three songs. The EP interprets the Aymara legend of the first sunrise over three songs. by Terrence O'Brien Close Terrence O'Brien Weekend Editor Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All by Terrence O'Brien Apr 5, 2026, 6:30 PM UTC Link Share Gift Image: Los Thuthunaka Part Of What we're listening to, watching, and reading right now. see all updates Terrence O'Brien Close Terrence O'Brien Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All by Terrence O'Brien is the Verge's weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget. Los Thuthanaka basically came out of nowhere last year to capture Pitchfork's album of the year with their self-titled debut . Because it wasn't available on streaming, it largely flew under the radar. I honestly kind of forgot about it until Pitchfork gave it the number one spot in its year-end list. In retrospect, I'm not entirely sure how, though. Los Thuthanaka sounds like nothing else. It's joyous, jagged, and sounds like it's being blasted out of a broken Bluetooth speaker in your neighbor's backyard — it's glorious. The follow-up EP Wak'a turns down the tempo and smooths some of the sharper edges. It uses the same sound palette of blown-out speakers and sampled traditional Bolivian instruments that's equal parts pluderphonics and psychedelic rock. But Wak'a is just as indebted to shoegaze. Its chord progressions and melodies are more wistful, the guitars drenched in fuzz and reverb. There are horns and keys that peek through the mix like half-forgotten memories of other songs. Siblings Chuquimamani-Condori and Joshua Chuquimia Crampton deliver an aural interpretation of the Aymara creation legend of the first sunrise over the course of three songs, lasting just 18 and a half minutes. If you buy Wak'a on Bandcamp, the download includes a PDF created in collaboration with Ch'ama Native Americas that tells the story in the Aymara language. Fittingly, the EP feels like a world emerging from darkness. The opening track "Quta (capo-kullawada)" starts with a low synth drone and chirping crickets before an Eno-esque guitar melody and loping distorted drum line kick in. "Wara Wara (capo-kullawada)" is beautiful, but also terrifying. The wall of sound is oppressive and startling in the way you might expect the first burning rays of sunlight would be to people who had existed in perpetual night beforehand. It eventually reaches the sort of cathartic apex that many musicians spend their whole careers chasing as horns, keyboards, growling vocals, and asymmetrical guitars all collide in a chaotic inferno. By comparison, "Ay Kawkinpachasa? (capo-kullawada)" is a soothing comedown, despite its undeniably dense arrangement where individual instruments are increasingly difficult to pick out. There are what sound like accordion, fiddle, and keys all fighting for the same sonic real estate, and stuttering guitars eventually take over just in time for the EP to end. For those who found the group's self-titled record a touch too abrasive, this EP offers a more approachable introduction to their unique sound. Los Thuthunaka's Wak'a is available now on Bandcamp. Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Terrence O'Brien Close Terrence O'Brien Weekend Editor Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All by Terrence O'Brien Column Close Column Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All Column Entertainment Close Entertainment Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All Entertainment Music Close Music Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All Music Music Review Close Music Review Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Follow Follow See All Music Review More in: What we're listening to, watching, and reading right now. Red Rooms makes online poker as thrilling as its serial killer Terrence O'Brien Mar 29 This is pure joy. Terrence O'Brien Mar 29 Topical Dancer is propulsive, p

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• Follow Follow See All Music Los Thuthanaka's Wak'a is a mellower follow-up to last year's surprise Pitchfork favorite The EP interprets the Aymara legend of the first sunrise over three songs.

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Published: April 05, 2026 at 18:30

Source: theverge.com

Original link: https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/907174/los-thuthanaka-waka-review

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