Madres is the debut album by Peruvian producer Sofia Kourtesis, released on 27 October 2023 through Ninja Tune. It was preceded by the singles "Estación Esperanza" featuring Manu Chao, "Madres" and "Si Te Portas Bonito".[1] It received acclaim from critics and charted in Scotland as well as on several UK component charts.
| Madres | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 27 October 2023 | |||
| Genre | Latin house, deep house | |||
| Length | 47:19 | |||
| Label | Ninja Tune | |||
| Producer |
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| Sofia Kourtesis chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Madres | ||||
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Background
editKourtesis wrote the track "Madres" about her mother, and named the track "Vajkoczy" after the neurosurgeon Peter Vajkoczy, who "helped save her mother's life" after her cancer diagnosis.[2]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 86/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Mojo | [5] |
| MusicOMH |  [6] |
| NME | [2] |
| Pitchfork | 8.5/10[7] |
Madres received a score of 86 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on nine critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[3] Writing for Pitchfork, which awarded it their "Best New Music" distinction, Steven Arroyo described the album as "a shimmery collection of protest chants, club rhythms, and sunlit synths that testifies to dance music's spiritual nourishment".[7] NME's Aneesa Ahmed called it a "true love letter to the varied, invigorating sounds that have shaped Kourtesis", one that "cements her position as a bold and crafty producer of house-infused dancefloor heaters".[2]
Paul Simpson of AllMusic commented that "compared to her earlier EPs, Madres feels more refined and less quirky and glitchy" and it "deals with serious subject matter, but ultimately it's an abundantly thankful, joyous, and celebratory record".[4] MusicOMH's Ben Devlin stated that Kourtesis is "lucky" that her "beats have the character to fill an LP while mostly keeping to a modest, shimmying intensity", which he felt "portends a warm reception in the club scene".[6] Mojo characterised it as "an intimate portrait painted in bold strokes".[5]
Pitchfork ranked it the 24th best album of 2023.[8]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Sofia Kourtesis, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Madres" | 3:56 | |
| 2. | "Si Te Portas Bonito" |
| 5:01 |
| 3. | "Vajkoczy" |
| 4:10 |
| 4. | "How Music Makes You Feel Better" | 4:43 | |
| 5. | "Habla con Ella" | 3:24 | |
| 6. | "Funkhaus" | 5:52 | |
| 7. | "Estación Esperanza" (featuring Manu Chao) |
| 4:54 |
| 8. | "Prima" | 5:16 | |
| 9. | "Cecilia" | 4:39 | |
| 10. | "El Carmen" | 5:24 | |
| Total length: | 47:19 | ||
Personnel
edit- Sofia Kourtesis – vocals, production
- David Krasemann – production (tracks 1, 3–10), mixing (all tracks)
- Thomas Stephens – production (track 2)
- Max Gilkes – mastering (tracks 1, 2, 8)
- Hans Frage – mastering (tracks 2–7, 9, 10)
Charts
edit| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[9] | 75 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[10] | 19 |
| UK Dance Albums (OCC)[11] | 2 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[12] | 31 |
References
edit- ^ Monroe, Jazz (26 July 2023). "Sofia Kourtesis Announces Debut Album Madres, Shares New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ a b c Ahmed, Aneesa (25 October 2023). "Sofia Kourtesis – Madres review: a love letter to the Latin and dance sounds that shaped her". NME. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Madres by Sofia Kourtesis Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ a b Simpson, Paul. "Sofia Kourtesis – Madres Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Sofia Kourtesis – Madres". Mojo. December 2023. p. 90.
- ^ a b Devlin, Ben (27 October 2023). "Sofia Kourtesis – Madres". MusicOMH. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
- ^ a b Arroyo, Steven (27 October 2023). "Sofia Kourtesis: Madres Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ Sherburne, Philip (5 December 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 November 2023.