Afrobeta Preps a New EP That Revels in Stylistic Unpredictability

The final track list is up in the air. But Amador and Laurencio describe the likely candidates as diverse as those on the group's last offering, the 2011 full-length Under the Streets. Criticisms of that album — mostly from outside of South Florida, where subgenre switch-ups are a given — focused on the songs' stylistic unpredictability. Laurencio and Amador saw that as a strength, they say, and one that will continue on the new release.

"We'd rather sound different on every song than have 14 songs with the beat sounding the same," Laurencio says. "I guess it kind of confuses the pop crowd, who say, 'What is this band? Are they electronic or what?' But we don't care. Every song is different. The common flavor is that we can play all these songs on acoustic instruments. It's all about the songwriting for us."

Daniel Sannwald

Afrobeta: Back to the future.

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Green Room

109 SW 3rd Ave.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

Category: Bars/Clubs

Region: Fort Lauderdale

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Afrobeta

At County Grind Live Music, with Sumsun, This Heart Electric, Dino Felipe, Boxwood, the Astrea Corporation, Möthersky, and Radio-Active Records DJs. 8 p.m. Saturday, January 14, at Green Room, 109 SW Second Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $5; age 21 and up. Call 954-449-1025.

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The result is that besides the party-ready "Birthday Celebration," other top contenders for the EP include an "adult contemporary dubstep" number and a cheekily titled, IDM-driven ballad called "Even When I Hate You I Still Love You." But until the final selections are made, the two continue to work — and play — nearly tirelessly to get it done, "normal" schedules and perhaps personal boundaries be damned.

"It's challenging, but we have to remember why we're doing this music together. Technically, Tony doesn't need me to do the music. He could go play as Tony Smurphio by himself," Amador says. "I could do my own little beats on my computer and write my own thing and not have to argue with him.

"But the common goal is the same for both of us," Laurencio quickly adds, again finishing her thought. "Getting to that common goal, there may be a couple of bumps, but the overall result is worth keeping the unity."