Indiana native Mark Underwood a.k.a. DJ Nature quickly became one of the most respected figures within Puerto Rico’s independent music scene – and one of its best kept secrets – on the strength of his production work and collaborations with other artists after moving to the island during the late 90’s.
First as part of influential hip-hop group Ciencia Fixión, bringing indie rock influences into the production, then as part of the braintrust behind MIMA’s paradigm shifting second record El pozo, as well as working with Cultura Profética, Calma Carmona and William Cepeda, among others, DJ Nature’s work to date reflects a knack for melding disparate sounds and making the results sound fresh regardless of their original sources.
Following a spiritual awakening, Nature — now Otura Mun — was initiated as a babalawo priest in the Yoruba faith, and it is within this newfound faith that ÌFÉ’s music manifests itself.
A forward-thinking electronic project that borrows from traditional Caribbean rhythms such as the Cuban rumba, ÌFÉ is both Otura Mun’s first solo venture and his most expansive musical vision, incorporating other percussionists, singers, and even dancers into what Nicolá Cruz of influential Argentinean electronic label ZZK Records has called “the future of electronic music”.
Released digitally at the end of last year, “3 Mujeres (Iború Iboya Ibosheshé)” is now available as a 10” vinyl single and will be part of ÌFÉ’s full-length debut record sometime in 2016. You can also watch a live studio version of this song right here.
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ÌFÉ on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, www.