Released in 2004, Miki González’s Inka Beats was a visionary album that marked a turning point in Andean electronic music. In 2025, he is back in force with Inka Beats Revisitado, a version remixed by the best talents on the Peruvian electronic music scene.
In 2001, at the turn of the millennium, Miki González embarked on a daring project that was to leave its mark on the history of music in Latin America. Halfway between anthropological research and musical experimentation, he recorded ritual agricultural music from rural communities in the Peruvian Andes. These authentic recordings are then organically fused with electronic beats. The result was Inka Beats, an album officially released in 2004, which not only surprised with its commercial success, but also laid the foundations for a new genre combining electronic and Andean music.
This record, considered to be the first of its kind in South America, brought traditional Andean music to a wider audience. A pioneering work, Inka Beats paved the way for a whole generation of Latin American artists keen to blend ancestral sounds with contemporary technologies. Twenty-one years on, Miki González, with a career spanning more than 50 years, 16 studio albums and an artistic activity still in full swing, returns with a revisited version of his emblematic work.
Inka Beats Revisitado: a contemporary reinterpretation
Inka Beats Revisitado is the fruit of a collaboration between Miki González and the Matraca label. The album brings together revisits by some of the most talented electronic artists on the contemporary Peruvian scene. It features the sound signatures of Dengue Dengue Dengue, Tribilin Sound, Pawkarmayta, Orieta Chrem, Israel Vich and Lara Nuh. Each remix offers a modern and powerful interpretation, while retaining the original spirit of the work, highlighting the soul of the Andes through contemporary sound textures. In advance of the release, the label asked us to broadcast the track “Tuquito en tu puerta” remixed by the legendary Peruvian duo Dengue Dengue Dengue, which you can listen to in this article.
Miki González, also known as Mikongo for his electronic projects, is a leading figure in Peruvian music. Born in Madrid and raised in Peru, he moved to the United States to study jazz at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. Back in Lima, he embarked on a prolific career as a composer, producer and singer. He has collaborated with legends such as Charly García, Andrés Calamaro, and Los Mirlos, as well as major Peruvian artists including Amador Ballumbrosio, Wicho García, Pelo Madueño, and Dengue Dengue Dengue. His discography is packed with cult hits such as ‘Vamos a Tocache’, ‘Lola’, ‘Puedes ser tú’, ‘Dímelo Dímelo’, “Akundun”, ‘Hoja verde de la coca’ and ‘Chicle, cigarrillo, caramelo’.
A pioneer at heart, he was one of the first to blend Afro-Peruvian instruments with modern rhythms, including rock and pop. With Inka Beats Revisitado, he once again demonstrates his ability to evolve while honouring his country’s musical roots. This project embodies the dialogue between tradition and modernity, between cultural memory and sonic exploration—an essential work for those with a passion for music, Andean culture and musical innovation.
The artwork for Inka Beats Revisitado is by Yerko Zlatar.
Pre-order Inka Beats Revisitado on Bandcamp, out on July 4th on Matraca.
