Tiger’s Milk Records, a new label set up to release vintage Peruvian music, has put out its first single.
The release features Juaneco Y Su Combo’s ‘La Cumbia Del Pacurro’ backed by ‘Meshkalina’ by Paco Zambrano Y Su Combo, and is available on 7" vinyl and as a digital download – have a listen below:
We talked to Duncan Ballatyne, one of the label’s co-founders, who told us a bit more about the venture:
Why did you decide to start the new label?
Duncan Ballatyne: Tiger’s Milk was spawned from the the opening of Ceviche, a Peruvian restaurant in Soho London by Martin Morales. I started chatting to Martin last year and we came up with a vague plan to launch a music company on the back of the restaurant. We’ve both worked with labels for years. Martin has worked with EMI and iTunes and I cut my teeth at indies like Soundway, Kartel and Far Out. Despite knowing about each other we’d never spoken before and on introduction got immediately excited about the possibility of sourcing music old and new from Peru. After a few months of searching it became clear that Peru has a serious musical legacy taking in psych, surf, funk, punk and chicha, a sort of electrified cumbia music. Electronic music from Peru is also in a transformative stage with lots of bands and producers making dub-inflected music but stamped with Peru’s mix of Andean, Spanish and African influences.
Why Tiger’s Milk?
DB: Tiger’s Milk, or its local name leche de tigre, is the name of a marinade for ceviche (fish), a mix of citrus juices and chilies, which is famously known as a hangover cure – essentially a fiery fish juice. Kind of apt as the plan is to keep things very fresh but with a real edge to what we’re doing.
What are your plans for future releases?
DB: Our first ambition is to release a series of vinyl singles that highlight specific periods in Peru’s musical history from past to present. After that, we’re looking into larger projects; something unique, but can’t say much more than that right now.
Tell us about the debut 7" and why we should spend our hard-earned on it…
DB: The first 7" features Juaneco, somewhat of a musical icon in Peru and it’s very much on the psychedelic chicha tip, but leagues away from the cheese often associated with cumbia music. It’s dancefloor but that doesn’t detract from the musicianship. The second track is a cover version of probaly Peru’s most famous psych rock band Traffic Sound, but hits the sweet funk notes rather than the fuzz. Both tracks have never been released before their original press.
Juaneco Y Su Combo:
Paco Zambrano Y Su Combo:
