Mark Underwood (bottom right), aka DJ Nature, has secured his reputation as one of the most respected figures in the Puerto Rican indie music scene in recent years. Having moved to Puerto Rico in the late 90’s he has since played an instrumental role in the progress of the nation’s music and culture.
His talent as a producer is best observed on ‘El Pozo’, the second album to be released by MIMA, another artist and pillar in the Puerto Rican alt-music scene. Underwood joins forces with MIMA on the album as they explore a huge variety of sounds, from the romanticism of traditional folk and Afro-Caribbean sounds to a DIY post-punk approach. Underwood has further collaborated with the likes of influential Hip-Hop group Fixion Science, reggae artist Young Ragga, afro-jazz specialist William Cepeda and singer-songwriter Calma Carmona.
Having spent many years working with Puerto Rico’s finest musicians and producers, last summer he embarked on his first ever solo project named ÌFÉ. ÌFÉ comes from the Yoruba word for ‘Love’ that can also mean ‘expansion’ in certain contexts. Mark describes the project as ‘a new way of making music.. one that I have been nearing for some years now… that has finally reached the right point of maturity’.
Their first single is called ‘3 Mujeres (Iború, Iboya, Ibosheshé)’. It’s a track brimming with varying influences that allows Underwood to exhibit his mastery with drum machines and sampling technology. The instrumental, buoyed by the unmistakeable rumba ‘clave’ (woodblock), is combined with deeply soulful lyrics that reignite conversations about modern day performance, the African diaspora in Puerto Rican music and religion, and numerous points in between.
This project references both Underwood’s early influences growing up on Texan blues, Hip Hop, Soul and Indiana Funk and his more recent influences; Puerto Rican Salsa, Cuban Rumba and Jamaican Dancehall. This explosive mixture has resulted in a song that represents a boldly progressive blend of Afro-Caribbean language and electronic sound.
Watch Underwood explain his project in this youtube video. You can listen to the track here: