All Songs Considered: Alt.Latino — Omar Apollo, Mon Laferte, Mabe Fratti

Date: August 27, 2025
Host: Ana Maria Sayer
Co-host/Guest: Isabela Gomez Sarmiento
Main Theme:
This episode of Alt.Latino focuses on a playlist evoking the spirit of "Tumblr in 2010"—emo energy, introspective alternative, boundary-pushing Latin artists, and songs that embody both nostalgia and innovation. Ana Maria Sayer and Isabela Gomez Sarmiento celebrate new work from Mabe Fratti (as Titanic), Mon Laferte, emerging Bronx duo Planta Industrial, Argentina's Santi Muk & Zenón Pereyra, Ecuador’s María Usbeck, and a Latin Mafia–Omar Apollo cumbia collaboration. The conversation highlights emotional range, genre fusion, and the evolving landscape of Latin alternative music.

Episode Flow & Key Discussions

1. Setting the Emo-Tumblr Tone

[00:23]–[01:15]

• Isabela sets an "accidental theme," likening her playlist to a Tumblr-era moodboard—blue eyeliner, emo bangs, and bands of the late 2000s.
  • "[...] a playlist I would have made on Tumblr in 2010 when I wore, like, blue eyeliner and I had emo bangs." —Isabela [00:26]
• Light-hearted reminiscing about internet subculture roots before introducing the first track.

2. Mabe Fratti & Titanic: Experimentation and Emotional Ascent

[01:29]–[05:21]

• Isabela picks "Escarbo Dimensiones" by Titanic (Mabe Frati & Hector Tosta).
  • Describes it as “metaphysical pop”; Mabe’s vocals keep the layered, shifting arrangement grounded.
  • The song transforms halfway through, channeling both prog and psych influences.
• Isabela’s favorite part:
  • "It sounds exactly like the Help on the Way to Slipknot transition that the Grateful Dead does famously on their album Blues For Allah." —Isabela [04:18]
• Ana Maria praises Fratti:
  • "Her voice is this, like, beautiful, rare bird that we rarely ever get to hear. And when we do, it, like, takes us back, it quiets us, it ties us together. It makes things okay." —Ana Maria [04:44]
• Both marvel at the contrast between Fratti’s avant-garde chaos and fragile, grounding vocals.

3. Mon Laferte: Cinematic Emotions and Lyrical Boldness

[05:28]–[09:07]

• Ana Maria brings "Esto Es Amor" from Mon Laferte’s new “sexy ballad” album.
  • Compares Mon’s chameleon artistry to Bad Bunny.
• On explicit Spanish lyrics:
  • "Comerte los labios es religión / Entre tus piernas voy a rezar." —Mon Laferte, quoted by Ana Maria [07:47]
  • "There's a lot of strong imagery, but she does it in this magical, hypnotic, like, very classic way." —Ana Maria [07:58]
• The hosts praise Mon Laferte’s ability to blend graphic sensuality with grand emotional resonance, supported by minimalist but sultry Argentine production.

4. Planta Industrial: Genre-defying Bronx Identity

[09:25]–[12:28]

• Isabela introduces "Teteo in the Bronx" by emerging Dominican duo Planta Industrial (The Dark Knight and Sasso).
  • "It's a Dominican duo from the Bronx, obviously. Their names are AKA The Dark Knight and Sasso, and they just do this really cool Dominican flow, rapping in English and Spanish. But it's like, post punk." —Isabela [10:38]
• Songs blend Dominican rap, reggaeton, and harsh punk.
• Both hosts reminisce about discovering the group together, noting their powerful stage energy.
• Isabela:
  • "Latin music is not a genre. Latin music is just people within the Latin diaspora making really cool, innovative art." [10:38]
• The song and its video root the duo’s sound and message in retaining Dominican Bronx identity, challenging narratives of gentrification.

5. Santi Muk & Zenón Pereyra: Argentine Innovation and Genre Crossroads

[14:12]–[21:44]

• Ana Maria shifts to Argentina, highlighting tracks from Santi Muk & Zenón Pereyra’s joint EP, "Jamon y Queso."
  • Emphasizes the power of Argentine music from beyond Buenos Aires and the country’s legacy pushing “rock en español.”
• She likens their new acoustic collaboration to early Julieta Venegas and lauded Dominican alternative artists.
  • "It's a really, really, really, really reduced version of rock that is obviously a lot leaning on the poppier side, but has a little bit of that edge to it." —Ana Maria [18:34]
• Unexpectedly, they find reggae influences reminiscent of Los Pericos, reflecting the northward musical movements including Andean and Caribbean elements.

6. María Usbeck: Andean, Artful, and Introspective

[22:01]–[24:58]

• Isabela selects "Mar" from María Usbeck’s new album "Naturaleza."
  • Usbeck’s backstory: Quito-to-Miami-to-Brooklyn, art pop roots, now reconnecting with Ecuadorian and indigenous sounds.
  • "When I hit play on this album, I had the same feeling I had when I was like 15 and heard 'VCR' by the XX for the first time. Like something about it just really took my breath away." —Isabela [23:07]
• Ana Maria compares Usbeck’s approach to Sofia Kourtesis, merging natural world themes and subtle electronics in Latin alternative.

7. Latin Mafia & Omar Apollo: “Sad Boy” Cumbia

[25:05]–[29:03]

• Ana Maria closes with "Echo Parati," a collaboration between Latin Mafia and Omar Apollo.
  • Both artists share a brand of modern “sad boy” introspection; this is their foray into cumbia.
  • Ana Maria reflects on:
    • "The fact that both of them are so in your face, cumbia with this heartbreak song. And it works really, really, really well because cumbia is original heartbreak." [27:25]
• Isabela admits initial skepticism but agrees their pairing on a cumbia track is energizing and a fresh adventure for both artists.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Tumblr nostalgia & emo pride:
  “All of your Tumblr emo feelings, all of my grown woman teenage angst.” —Isabela [21:58]
• On Latin genre fluidity:
  “Latin music is not a genre. Latin music is just people within the Latin diaspora making really cool, innovative art.” —Isabela [10:38]
• On Mabe Fratti:
  “Mabe is one of the nuttiest people I've ever known in my life... The chaos, the discomfort, the intensity, the avant garde nature of her music, that's her. The voice is this, like, beautiful, rare bird that we rarely ever get to hear.” —Ana Maria [04:44]
• On regretful sonic boundaries:
  "I refuse to apologize. I'm sorry, not sorry." —Isabela [22:01]
• On Latin Mafia & Omar Apollo’s cumbia:
  "Full happy heartbreak." —Ana Maria [29:03]

Essential Timestamps

• 00:23 — Setting the episode theme; Tumblr emo energy
• 01:29 — Titanic (Mabe Fratti) “Escarbo Dimensiones”
• 05:28 — Mon Laferte “Esto Es Amor”: explicit imagery in Spanish music
• 09:25 — Planta Industrial “Teteo in the Bronx”: Bronx-Dominican punk-rap
• 14:12 — Santi Muk & Zenón Pereyra from Argentina (“Sam,” "Cuanto Falta Para Conocerte," "Ana Bailaba")
• 22:01 — María Usbeck "Mar" and her Andean/Brooklyn fusion
• 25:05 — Latin Mafia & Omar Apollo “Echo Parati”: reinventing heartbreak cumbia
• 29:03 — Wrap-up and outro

Summary

This dynamic episode showcases Latin music’s fearless innovation and heartfelt emo DNA. Ana Maria and Isabela celebrate new and lesser-known artists who blend tradition with experimentation: from Mabe Fratti’s metaphysical pop transformations, to Mon Laferte’s cinematic sensuality, the Bronx’s Planta Industrial breaking genre molds, subtle Argentine acoustic-reggae, and the introspective, Andean minimalism of María Usbeck. The finale, featuring Latin Mafia and Omar Apollo in a "sad boy cumbia," perfectly encapsulates the episode’s thesis: Latin alternative today is about bending rules, sharing vulnerability, and remixing identity—no matter your decade or your Tumblr past.

For fans seeking fresh Latin alt sounds, emotional resonance, and cross-genre experimentation, this episode is a playlist and a primer.