\n<\/p>\n
The song emerged, the
\nband say, from a moment of instinct rather than overthinking. \u201cWe were
\nplaying with a Caribbean Colombian groove, and as the song started
\ntaking shape, this character began to appear: a fictional, tropicalized
\ncriollo Elvis – part childhood memory, part bootleg pop icon, part
\nexhausted spectacle melting under the Caribbean sun.\u201d They describe the
\ntrack as the perfect opener: \u201cIt kicks the door open, throws you a toy,
\nand disappears into the rhythm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recorded
\n in motion between Montreal and Vancouver, the LP\u2019s first sessions were
\ntracked at Sud Ouest Studios in Montreal with engineer William Poulin
\nimmediately after a 2025 tour. A second session followed in February
\n2026 after drummer Daniel Ruiz relocated to Montreal. The stems then
\ntravelled west to Vancouver\u2019s Afterlife Studios, where John Raham mixed
\nthe material, and Grammy-winning mastering engineer Adam Ayan completed
\nthe process. <\/p>\n
The band say the record\u2019s musical transformation mirrors
\npersonal upheaval, citing the phrase \u201cas above, so below\u201d to sum up the
\nrelationship between life changes and the music. They describe the tone
\nas an \u201capocalyptic dance party\u201d.<\/p>\n
The album artwork by The
\nMateo G\u00f3mez Pinto draws on themes of migration, inspection, and the
\nweight of being far from home, ideas that run alongside the band\u2019s
\nexpanding psychedelic cumbia universe. Empanadas Ilegales have spent
\nclose to a decade deconstructing tropical rhythms, and LABORATORIO TROPICAL<\/em> follows 2025\u2019s Sancocho Trif\u00e1sico<\/em>, which landed them festival slots at FME, Calgary Folk, and Montreal Jazz Fest.<\/p>\n
\n band will support the new record with a summer tour that includes a
\nrelease-day show at Toronto\u2019s Lula Lounge on 28 August, alongside
\nappearances at Winnipeg Folk Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival, and a
\nrun of Quebec dates in early September.<\/p>\nLABORATORIO TROPICAL<\/em> artwork<\/h3>\n