Bersa Discos is a label based in both Buenos Aires and San Francisco, run by Oro11 and Disco Shawn who realized that many of the cumbia songs they were hearing in Argentina were not given a proper release. Bersa Discos was launched to change all that. Check out their splendid cumbia playlist, a certified dancefloor explosion.

Tell us about how the label started.

Bersa Discos actually started in 2007 when we (Oro11 and Disco Shawn) were living as expats in Buenos Aires. Both of us were DJs from the Bay Area who got caught up in the experimental cumbia scene down there. There’s a bunch of DJs and producers mixing up cumbia rhythms with electronic sounds, hip-hop, dancehall and all kinds of things. Honestly it’s the most exciting scene right now in Argentina, but so much of the music was not being released. Artists down there were swapping mp3s and burned CDs but that was about it. So we decided to launch Bersa Discos to help get “official” releases off the ground and to reach audiences outside the basements of Buenos Aires.

What’s the concept behind it?

At first we were totally focused on releasing new cumbia sounds coming from our friends in Buenos Aires, but pretty quickly artists from around the globe starting contacting us and sending us tracks. So we’ve broadened our horizons a bit, but the label is still focused on cumbia, tropical music and all the ways that people are mixing and matching classic Latin rhythms with new sounds.

Where does the name come from?

Bersa is actually the name of an low budget arms manufacturer in Argentina and we thought the name had a nice ring to it. Discos just means “records” in Spanish so we decided to go with Bersa Discos to keep things as authentic as possible.

How would you define your sound?

The sound more or less revolves around cumbia, although we have a very broad definition of what falls under that umbrella. We also have a heavy appreciation for hip-hop, dancehall, reggaeton, soca, kuduro, baltimore house, electro, you get the idea…the list is endless and we’re pretty open minded.

What artists are on your roster?

Our first three records have all been EPs with two or three different artists per disc. So far we have released tracks from Daleduro, El Hijo de la Cumbia, Oro11, DJ Negro, Alex Pasternak, DJ Panik and Chancha Via Circuito. Coming soon we’re going to be releasing more EPs with tunes from people like Uproot Andy, Sonido del Principe, Toy Selectah and Sabo. The music just keeps getting better and better.

How is the scene in Buenos Aires at the moment?

Well, both of us have recently moved back to California but things are still popping more than ever. In the past few years the art and music scene has really taken off, especially as Argentina continues the process of figuring itself out as it emerges from its economic collapse of 2001-2002.

Any places to recommend there?

In terms of music, THE party down there is Zizek. It happens every Thursday night as is basically ground zero for all the experimental cumbia that’s happening down there. It’s also one of the only spots where you can hear (and pick up) a lot of the new sounds that DJs and producers are making. Seriously, songs go straight from people’s bedrooms to the decks at Zizek and if the crowds like it, you just might find it on a burned CD at the merch table a few weeks later.

How important is the internet for you and where do you see it going?

The internet has been incredibly important. So far we’ve only released a few limited-edition records yet people from all over the world have contacted us about the music and our label. It’s really crazy how much a few online posts can do. When we started Bersa Discos and began playing these cumbia tracks back home in the United States, we certainly didn’t expect people, especially people who weren’t into “Latin” or “world” music, to actually like it. Much to our surprise, the response has been overwhelmingly positive and people are actually clamoring for more music and more cumbia.

As for the future, who knows? The CD sure seems to be on its way out and mp3 blogs have certainly revolutionized the world of DJing. Regardless, we’ll probably continue to balance internet stuff (like giving out mp3s) with our commitment to vinyl. Even with all the technological advances, it’s still really cool to make records and press up vinyl.

What was you best night out and what would be your dream team line up for a party?

It’s really hard to say because we have had some really amazing DJs come through and play our monthly party Tormenta Tropical. The party goes down every month in San Francisco and so far we’ve had guests like DJ Rupture, South Rakkas Crew, Dave Nada, DJ Sega, Maga Bo, Sabo, Paul Devro, our friends from Zizek and a bunch of others. Just a few weeks ago we had Buraka Som Sistema perform at Tormenta Tropical and they were mind-blowingly good. In terms of a dream line up, we’re still trying to get the big gunna Diplo to come through tear it up. At some point we’d also love to get some classic cumbia dudes like Celso Piña or Aniceto Molina to play. And this might be a complete pipe dream but it would be totally awesome if Pitbull would come and throw down a set at Tormenta Tropical. (Attention Pitbull: You have an open invitation.)

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