Retrospective Frequencies offers a tour through distinct stylistic and geographic regions of the artist’s mind, aided by a small group of collaborators. Featuring fellow Argentine producer ROOi, “Los Cabures” opens like a misty forest, with flutes, wooden percussion, and bird calls; the mix glitters digitally as those natural textures fade, leaving wistful nostalgia. In contrast, “Bohemio Del Sur” (with Da Silva’s conceptual twin Imaabs, of Chile) delivers signature EL PLVYBXY heat and fury, tossing glitchy scratches and rave stabs with a jungle break so finely chopped it sounds like a shaken jar of keys. Echoing the chaos of Latin American cities, guaracha melodies and kuduro rhythms weave in and out as the artists edge us by building, but never quite delivering, the expected drop.
At times, that restraint turns to stagnation. “Frecuencias Retrospectivas” (named for the album’s title in Spanish) similarly builds with no release—listening feels like someone gleefully watching you squirm. Yet it embodies the project’s statement of purpose: tribal drums meet electric guaracha, while electro synths sparkle and purr. What one really craves here is a jolt of energy, which Da Silva delivers on the DJ-friendly “Venga,” blending hard house and raptor with lows tuned for massive systems. The album’s steadiest track, its “venga, venga” sample oozes libido, locking the groove tight.
Da Silva is most exciting when producing for the dancefloor, a world he knows well. “ParisBsas” is festival-ready, playful and euphoric yet rendered with precision. Tribal drums, rippling synths, and the classic Amen break weave joy from exhaustion, while Skrillex-esque squelches add knowing grit. One might’ve expected a similar banger from “Goze,” which features raptor-house progenitor DJ Babatr, whose game-changing recreation of barrio music makes him a spiritual forefather to Da Silva. (The two have remixed each other’s work, but never before collaborated.) An acid rave track, “Goze” teases with a massive build-up like clicking to the top of a rollercoaster, but the payoff is muted. A masterfully looped vocal gives us something to work with, but the track never quite takes off. These two artists have electrified crowds in dozens of cities; it’s hard to picture any of them going crazy for this track. Yet as a closer, it mirrors the intro’s watery sensuality—anticlimactic by design, forcing us to reconsider what we expect from dance music itself.
