Hoy es

The real drums and percussion gave Hoy es a distinct turn, marking a shift in the sound of Café Tacvba. Before this track, the band had explored more electronic textures, but here the thump of the drums and acoustic instruments is felt in every measure. The song moves with a rhythm that never stays still, as if time itself stretched and contracted without warning. This play with the pulse is what makes Hoy es stand out among the other tracks on the album: it’s not just a song, it’s a feeling built from the first kick of the bass drum.

The recording of Hoy es took place in the same year Café Tacvba released Cuatro caminos, an album named after a crossroads in northern Mexico. The location is no coincidence: the band grew up in that area, rehearsed nearby, and even owes its name to that space where stories and sounds converge. For this track, Rubén Albarrán —credited here as Élfego Buendía — and the rest of the group worked with a production team that included Dave Fridmann, Gustavo Santaolalla, Aníbal Kerpel, and Andrew Weiss. At just over five minutes, the track’s length gives it room to breathe and expand without rushing, as if every note had its own moment to shine.