VERRACO ANNOUNCES DEBUT XL RECORDINGS EP ‘BASIC MANEUVERS’
One year on from the release of his critically acclaimed breakthrough EP Breathe…Godspeed, Verraco – aka JP López – returns to announce Basic Maneuvers, his debut for XL Recordings that is set to be released on Thursday, 29 May 2025 via the label’s iconic house bag series.
Basic Maneuvers began in his birthplace of Medellín with the project’s title track and evolved over several months as the TraTraTrax label-head relocated to Bogotá, where he now lives and runs his sell-out club series Escándaloo. That shift — from the more introspective beauty of Medellín to the vibrant energy of Colombia’s capital — became the emotional and creative fuel that finished the EP. The result is a reflection of movement — between scenes, sounds, and cities — and signals the next step in Verraco’s cross-culture sound; one that collides South American dembow rhythms with the maximalist basslines of UK soundsystem culture, meticulous IDM sound design, with the intensity and precision of Techno.
As a signal of what’s to come, Verraco releases the project’s title track, “Basic Maneuvers” – the first track produced, first played live, and now first released. The powerful 4×4 beat has already mesmerised by UK club staples like Batu or Pariah. Across the EP, he expands his range with a dubbed-out stepper “Total” and “sobe sobe”, a grime-infused collaboration with legendary Kenyan-Ugandan rapper affiliated to Nyege Nyege, MC Yallah, that celebrates the deep-rooted connection between the underground dancefloors of Africa and Colombia.
The Basic Maneuvers EP is a bold statement of intent from one of electronic music’s most vital and exciting producers.
Over the last month, Verraco has been touring extensively across Asia, Europe, and North America. Today he reveals an extensive run of Summer live shows that see him travel to some of the world’s best festivals and venues including Glastonbury, Dekmantel, Waking Life, HORST, Flow Festival, Berghain, and more. The full list of tour dates are below, and for more information, head to: ra.co/dj/verraco
May 1 HORST, Belgium
May 3 garagenoord, Amsterdam
May 4 Berghain, Berlin
May 31 BAUM Festival, Bogotá
June 20 Waking Life, Portugal
June 21 Dancity, Foligno
June 28 SMUT, Athens
June 29 Glastonbury Festival
July 11 BBK Festival, Bilbao
July 12 Butik Festival, Tolmin
July 18 Dabadaba, San Sebastián
July 19 Soundit Festival, Barcelona
Aug 2 Dekmantel, Amsterdam
Aug 7 Oya Festival, Oslo
Aug 8 Flow Festival, Helsinki
Aug 9 Berghain, Berlin
Aug 23 Dekmantel Selectors, Tisno
Sep 13 Waterworks, London
Verraco
Basic Maneuvers EP
XL Recordings
Thursday 29 May 2025
Tracklist:
1. Basic Maneuvers
2. Total
3. sobe sobe (ft. MC Yallah)
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