Paula Tape's Latin-infused acid is the trip of a lifetime
March Cover Story 2025
Paula Tape left Chile over 10 years ago with a suitcase and a bag full of vinyl records. She started grafting as soon as she arrived in Europe—extensively working the Italian club circuit, building connections from the ground up. Her latest EP, 'Acid Latino (Sonido Real)', is a testament to hard work and grit, blending her percussive flair with the sounds she grew up with. More than just an average release, the EP is a deeply personal reflection, bridging who she was when she left Chile to who she is right now
“Ah, que heavy, I’m getting emotional,” says Paula Tape, speaking to Mixmag over a video call. She sits crossed-legged on a sofa, her long black hair—framed by two dyed blonde streaks—tied up under a cap, waving her hands toward her face as to stop the tears from falling. She quietly laughs—she wasn't expecting to feel this way while discussing her latest EP, ‘Acid Latino (Sonido Real)’, which was released on Future Classic last November.
Read this next: The Cover Mix: Paula Tape
Layering salsa keys over her percussion-heavy sound,‘Acid Latino (Sonido Real)’ is dizzyingly heady and addictively intoxicating. Deep bass grooves from her trusted TB-303 pulse beneath piano chords to hypnotic effect. While her 2018 debut, ‘Aguas Congo’, leaned more into a chilled ambience, and its follow-up ‘Astroturismo’ in 2021 is celestially minimal, her latest is a pummelling, incisive, salsa-rave fest made for the dancefloor.
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Hi, I'm Charis McGowan, a British-Caribbean writer based between London, UK, and Santiago, Chile.
I’ve been a regular news stringer in Chile for over eight years, contributing to outlets including The Guardian, Al Jazeera, the BBC, The Telegraph, and more. My work primarily focuses on human rights and social justice. Additionally, I am the former Music Editor-at-Large at gal-dem, where I wrote extensively about music and culture with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean.
I’m open to commissions, collaborations, talks, and projects.
Please get in touch via the form.
Or email me at: charismcgowan at gmail.com