DJ E is the second studio album by the American musician Chuquimamani-Condori. The album was self-released on November 15, 2023 exclusively on Bandcamp.
| DJ E | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 15, 2023 | |||
| Genre | Experimental | |||
| Length | 29:05 | |||
| Label | Self-released | |||
| Chuquimamani-Condori chronology | ||||
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Background and release
editChuquimamani-Condori is an American musician and poet[1] of Aymara descent.[2] With a career beginning in the early 2000s, the artist has worked under several aliases, including Elysia Crampton, E+E, DJ K'oa, and DJ Ocelote.[2] Quirquincho Medicine (2019) is the first album issued under the Chuquimamani-Condori alias;[3] this alias is the artist's Aymara name.[4] The album, which combines traditional Andean rhythms with sparse acoustic instrumentation, was ranked eighth on PopMatters' list of the ten best ambient albums of 2019.[3]
DJ E draws on ancestral Aymara concepts and Latin American queer theory.[2] The artist described the record as "the sound of our water ceremonies" and compared it to 40 bands playing melodies simultaneously to recreate the "cacophony of the first aurora and the call of the morning star Venus".[2][4][5] Chuquimamani-Condori's brother, Joshua Chuquimia Crampton, contributed guitar work to the album,[4] while another sibling, PK Crampton, contributed the sound of a circular saw.[6] DJ E was self-released exclusively on Bandcamp[4] on November 15, 2023,[7] spreading largely through word of mouth without label backing.[2]
Musical style
editDJ E has been categorized by music critics as an experimental record that combines Andean folk traditions with electronic music styles.[4] Journalists have also identified elements of cumbia,[1][4] huayno, tarqueada,[4] and chopped and screwed, assembled through a collage approach.[5] The album was issued in an unmastered state; the artist stated that they were unwilling to quiet any aspect of the work or create an "illusion of cohesion" through the process.[5] The album's aesthetic, which includes hyper-compressed digital bass and white-noise blasts, reflects a rejection of "clean" sound design; the artist in an interview has characterized polished, futuristic sound design as rooted in colonialist modes of education.[4] Instrumentation includes siku panpipes,[2] flutes, synthesizers, electric guitar, grand pianos, and DJ tags, alongside a circular saw.[5]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[4] |
Sam Goldner from Pitchfork described DJ E as a "binary-smashing collage with ecstatic overtones”, characterizing the music as "simultaneously harrowing yet warm, deathly urgent yet defiantly playful". He also praised the album's unmastered sound, noting that its dense and "claustrophobic" production heightened the music's intensity.[4]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Breathing" | 4:17 |
| 2. | "Eat My Cum" | 3:16 |
| 3. | "Engine" | 3:39 |
| 4. | "Forastero Edit" | 2:19 |
| 5. | "Return" | 4:54 |
| 6. | "Know" | 6:10 |
| 7. | "Until I Find You Again" | 4:30 |
| Total length: | 29:05 | |
Personnel
editCredits are adapted from Bandcamp.[7]
- Chuquimamani-Condori (Elly) – teclas, CDJ, BOSS samplers, baby grand piano
- Joshua Chuquimia Crampton – guitar (tracks 2, 4), bass (track 3), artwork, cover art
- PK Crampton – circular saw
References
edit- 1 2 Pepperell, Martyn (January 2, 2024). "10 great albums you may have missed in the last three months". Dazed. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Helfand, Raphael (October 8, 2024). "Dancing with DJ E". The Fader. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- 1 2 Bromfield, Daniel (December 5, 2019). "The 10 Best Ambient Albums of 2019". PopMatters. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Goldner, Sam (January 9, 2024). "Chuquimamani-Condori: DJ E". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Pearl, Max (December 15, 2023). "Chuquimamani-Condori - DJ E · Album Review". Resident Advisor. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- ↑ Chodzin, Devon (October 15, 2025). "The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far: 150-101". Paste. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- 1 2 "DJ E | Chuquimamani-Condori". Bandcamp. Retrieved May 16, 2026.