When Richie Hell moved from Buenos Aires to Miami in 2015, he saw how the gumbo limbo tree’s bark peeled off, like a snake shedding its skin. He saw it as a positive sign: nature supporting this new beginning. His new full-length “The Gumbo Limbo Experiment” is an album that takes you to another place. Hell – an avid record collector, DJ, and musician since his teens – mixes and merges musical elements from across the space-time continuum: Afro and Balkan beats, traveling blues, future soul, ’90s house, Spaghetti Western sounds, samples and field recordings, mermaid calls, and mantric chants. With homages to jungles, cannabis, inner strength, and other life forces, it makes sense that his music comes across as spiritual.
Hell also joins forces with a number of guest artists, a reflection of his live shows, which feature a full band and guest vocalists. Peruvian psychedelic cumbia legends Los Mirlos join him for “Amazonia,” Argentine singer Martes provides her sultry, soulful vocals on “Going Nomad” and “Revelations,” and on the weed anthem “From The Earth” Atlanta rapper Black Bobby reminds us that cannabis is a gift from nature. The vibrant, distinctive album art is by renowned visual artist Francisca Oyhanarte, Hell’s wife. His sounds became songs, her visions became images. From Miami, for the universe, “The Gumbo Limbo Experiment” offers a variety of beats to chill, dance, and groove to, for fans of Quantic, Khruangbin, Polo & Pan, El Búho, Thievery Corporation, and beyond. Hell makes world music that is otherworldly.
Richie Hell transcends the terrestrial with his psychedelic take on intercontinental rhythms and uplifting mantric live shows. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he’s widely known as both a DJ and producer, he arrived in Miami in 2015 and quickly became a favorite behind the decks at clubs around the Magic City. An avid record collector, Hell absorbs influences from every reach of the musical spectrum, adding his universal steady beat to produce a groovy, shamanic experience. His original psych-infused electronic tunes are as satisfying on the dance floor as they are at a festival, where his legendary live performances include hieroglyphic visuals by Francisca Oyhanarte, 12-foot-tall inflatable cobras, and guest vocalists. These are just a few of the tricks in his magic bag, which have catapulted him to playing concerts and festivals all over the world. With three EPs released and a full-length LP out this summer, Hell is ready to soundtrack today’s global dance party.
