Diamante Blackmon, globally celebrated as GORDO and previously known as Carnage, reveals the tracklist of his eagerly awaited self-titled album, out on July 26th, via Ultra Records.
After years of collaborating with and producing for top-tier artists, including Drake, Bad Bunny, Nicki Minaj, El Alfa, Migos, Lil Yachty, the late Mac Miller, The Martinez Brothers, and Rema, and setting the sonic agenda for nightlife worldwide with his releases and DJ sets, ‘DIAMANTE‘, is finally releasing.
The album, a result of meticulous production and over 20.000 hours of work, pushes musical boundaries and bridges genres as it brings artists like Drake, Fuerza Regida, Leon Bridges, Rampa, and Maluma together.
“What do I do now?” GORDO reflects on what has occupied most of his days over the past four years, aside from sleeping or performing in front of crowds around the world.
“I’m so proud of how ‘DIAMANTE’ turned out. At this point, there’s nothing I would change; I guess that’s why it took four years—to ensure I could look at it and know it’s perfect,” he says about the 16-track body of work releasing this Friday.
“It’s the most emotional project I’ve worked on in my life. It features work from artists I’ve looked up to and those who inspire me, some I’ve known for years and others I’ve met more recently.”
As the title suggests, ‘DIAMANTE‘ is Blackmon‘s most heartfelt project yet, dedicated to GORDO‘s family, friends, and loved ones, inviting fans along his personal journey to freedom as he reconnects with his Nicaraguan-American roots.
Blending numerous musical worlds with electronic dance music, the album features both A-list artists and up-and-coming talents, from genres like Dance, Hip Hop, Pop, Reggaeton, Indie, and Jazz, to create what can only be defined as a musical evolution.
Looking at the ‘DIAMANTE‘ tracklist, it quickly becomes evident that GORDO appreciates and leans into the narrative of a cohesive full-length endeavor. The opening track, ‘Guard Down‘, sees the Nicaraguan-American producer link up with &ME for a surprisingly contemplative intro.
“The voice is from this super talented girl I met, Alice Aera. I love playing with the pitch of vocals; you’ll notice that throughout the album. The different pitches on Alice’s voice even come together at one point on ‘Guard Down’.” says GORDO.
Recently teased by Keinemusik during their performance at Brooklyn Mirage in New York, and by GORDO himself during performances across Europe, GORDO finally reveals that dance music’s hottest mystery ID is a collaboration between himself and long-time friend Drake titled ‘Sideways‘.
The duo previously collaborated on numerous projects, with GORDO producing six tracks on Drake‘s house music-infused album ‘Honestly, Nevermind‘ and two on the Canadian artist’s ‘For All The Dogs‘ album, including ‘Rich Baby Daddy‘.
“We’ve been friends for years but had never actually properly collaborated on music before ‘Honestly, Nevermind.’ To have him on my debut album speaks volumes about what people can expect on it,” says GORDO about his first official collaboration with Drake.
This transitions seamlessly into ‘Honeyland’ (feat. Afshin Momadi), a melodic Afro-house gem that gradually shifts the energy towards the dancefloor. ‘Easier‘ with Rampa, teased during GORDO‘s performance at Hï Ibiza lands even closer to the dancefloor, but goes a step further in highlighting GORDO’s creative confidence, allowing him to break from convention.
‘DIAMANTE‘ presents fans with a stellar list of collaborations, yet maintains the cohesion and excitement expected from a personalized artist album. The album doesn’t feature A-list names for the sake of their inclusion; it sees them tastefully integrate with GORDO‘s vision for the album. On ‘Target‘, T-Pain takes the spotlight.
“It’s funny… This collaboration actually started a long time ago because T-Pain owed some people verses, including me. ‘Target’ took on many forms before finally reaching the version you’ll hear on Friday,” says GORDO.
‘Lake Como‘, which has been a regular in GORDO’s recent tracks, features Californian rapper Larry June, offers a subtle yet profound impact within the context of a dance album, while ‘Candid Zone‘ highlights another new rift in GORDO‘s book of musical tricks, using soulful vocals of Leon Bridges to find the sweet spot between R&B, house, and summer Latin flare.
‘NENE‘ with Fuerza Regida comes in as a last-minute addition to the album. Finalized just a week before the album, this high-energy collaboration between GORDO and the Mexican American powerhouse is the first of four Latin-American collaborations featured on the ‘DIAMANTE‘.
‘Cafecito‘, fuses Nicki Nicole‘s Argentinian panache with Sech‘s undeniable reggaeton swagger. This certified summer anthem truly showcases GORDO in his element, effortlessly merging his Hispanic roots and an all-Latin American team with his global club sound.
Meanwhile, ‘Parcera‘ featuring global icon Maluma, brings listeners back to the summer of 2023, when the duo premiered it during GORDO’s Tomorrowland Belgium Mainstage performance. The performance became the most viral moment in the history of Tomorrowland, with clips accumulating over 100 million views.
The hypnotic ‘Hombres y Mujeres‘ featuring Colombian superstar Feid, completes the album’s 4-track ode to GORDO‘s hispanic roots. Having amassed over 70 million streams, the single gained massive traction in Latin American and Spanish markets ahead of GORDO‘s largest South American DJ tour ever, during which he toured 25 Latin American cities in 15 different countries from December 2023 to March 2024.
On ‘Kill For This Shit‘, with vocals from the late Young Dolph, GORDO delivers a bustling house banger with bursting basslines and upbeat percussion, adding dancefloor energy to the Memphis rap anthem.
Much like GORDO‘s live performances, ‘DIAMANTE‘ builds to an ambitious peak in the second half, showcasing just why many consider him modern clubbing royalty. This comes to a head when the needle drops on ‘Take Control‘ and on ‘WDYM‘ (featuring Karolina Falk); both tracks that are simultaneously ready for festival main stages around the world while still highlighting the nuanced and technical production for which the lauded producer is known.
The album closes with ‘Aura‘ (featuring NTO). Named after his grandmother, the track offers a new shade of GORDO, promising to arpeggiate its way into the hearts of listeners with dancing melodies, melodic techno rhythms, and beautifully shimmering synthwork.
“My grandmother is my best friend. During the pandemic, I moved to Hawaii with her, and for most of that time, it was just the two of us. This was when GORDO came to life and when I began working on most of the songs on the album.
Each and every song on ‘DIAMANTE’ received her seal of approval. She’s such an inspiration to me, especially in the way she took care of her family during so many difficult times. That’s why I’m dedicating this album to her, my family, friends, and loved ones.” says GORDO.
With his debut album just a few days away, ‘DIAMANTE‘ will not only cement GORDO‘s place in music but also invite listeners to connect even more deeply with the man behind the decks. While the album features numerous star-studded collaborations, it provides fans with a rare opportunity to witness GORDO in his creative flow, resulting in a personalized journey through sound that can only be described as ‘DIAMANTE.
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