In certain mystic traditions, water represents a conduit for emotions, love and the depths of desire. It’s an idea that Uruguayan producer Lila Tirando a Violeta is enraptured by on Desire Path as she invokes the life-affirming space of the dancefloor to get people moving toward a deeper truth.

Samples of dripping water (the xylophone droplets of Tungsten Tears) and glitchy electronic beats (as on the nihilistic rave track Aplaudir el Desastre) all piece together to create a sensuous sonic universe. Desire Path’s sound sits somewhere between the apocalyptic experimentation of Arca and the Andean-tinged electronica of Nicola Cruz, who lends his production to Cuerpo Que Flota, a deconstructed reggaeton whirlwind that opens the album.

After coming down from the dystopian perreo of album highlight Flores del Mal, midpoint track Interludio guides listeners into a more experimental second half that is dominated by intense percussion (Aguas Violentas) and off-kilter ambient (Twenty Seven Rivers). The record ends on a contemplative note with Brief Glimpses of Happiness, a monologue taken from Jonas Mekas’ documentary As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty. Spoken by a robotic voice against an eerie drum beat, it’s a striking elucidation on the ever-shifting nature of the human condition. Through this lens, Desire Path never quite arrives anywhere, but that was never the intention. Like being submerged in water, this is an album that is simply meant to be felt.

E.R. Pulgar