RadioRed co-founder Payola invites us into Puerto Rico's underground music scene, spotlighting emerging artists and raising profiles for local talent.

From the host: "This mix was recorded at the NTS studios in London at the request of Radio Red (Puerto Rico), a platform run by Paio, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in person in San Juan, coincidentally just a few days before my trip to London. The selection I chose focuses on music from my inner circle—friends and colleagues I admire—combined with unreleased tracks and some of my own productions. I wanted to achieve a contemplative vibe; to take familiar rhythms to deeper places, using familiar drum patterns in unfamiliar landscapes and blending them with traditional club music. The mix includes tracks from the compilation Down Theory curated by Merca Bae, which will be released soon on the Love in the Endz label, as well as an upcoming three-track release of untitled songs that provide the soundtrack for the short film by visual artist Paloma Contreras Lomas, titled: “Don’t Listen to Lenin: The Three Processes or the Near-Deaths of Tenebras,” made in October 2025. I also included some tracks from my latest EP, “Altar,” which I released in May of this year, as well as a few tracks by my friends Imaabs and Other Islands, who put out an EP together called “Sin Afuera,” and music from my hometown of Monterrey—for example, the cumbia that opens the mix, one by Toy Selectah, and another by Alfonso Luna, a tribalero from Monterrey, plus a tribal track recently released by the Argentine label Rebote Discoteca. And finally, I included some tracks from “Tribal 2023”: a compilation by the NAAFI label inspired by Mexican tribal music, which features one of my tracks called “Al sabor.” I feel like I ran out of time to include all the content I wanted, as well as the incredible tracks you sent me over the past few weeks. But I think it turned out interesting, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do."

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RadioRed co-founder Payola invites us into Puerto Rico's underground music scene, spotlighting emerging artists and raising profiles for local talent.

RadioRed co-founder Payola invites us into Puerto Rico's underground music scene, spotlighting emerging artists and raising profiles for local talent.

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