Simón Mejía of Bomba Estéreo

Simón Mejía

Photo: Maria Jose Govea

News

Record Store Recs: Simón Mejía Of Bomba Estéreo Takes Us To Colombia

Facebook Twitter Email
The bassist/producer and co-founder of beloved electro-cumbia act Bomba Estéreo takes us on an adventure through some of the sounds and hidden vinyl haunts of his home country
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Aug 11, 2020 - 9:19 am

With the unprecedented global disruption of 2020, it's important to support the music community however we can. With our series Record Store Recs, GRAMMY.com checks in with vinyl-loving artists to learn more about their favorite record stores and the gems they've found there.

As the co-founder and producer of the lively electro-tropical outfit Bomba Estéreo, Simón Mejía has been crafting irresistible cumbia-infused beats that have been getting the world dancing for over a decade. Formed in Bogotá, Colombia in 2005 with vocalist Li Saumet, the GRAMMY- and Latin GRAMMY-nominated group made their mark globally with the explosive "Fuego" in 2009 and have been unstoppable ever since.

Watch: SOFI TUKKER & Bomba Estéreo's "Playa Grande" Will Get You Dancing Right Now

Now, with the debut of his new solo project, Monte (which means "woods" or "forest" in Spanish), Mejía is exploring an ambient take on the roots of Bomba's upbeat sound and colorful aesthetic—the music of the natural environment of their native Colombia—reimagined electronically. The album, entitled Mirla, is due out Sept. 18 and is led by the pulsating "Jungla" (listen below) and the twinkling, chirping title cut, inspired by the jungle and a bird that sang at his window every morning.

Each of the seven tracks was directly inspired by field recordings he'd collected in Colombia. "I started to discover that Colombian folk music was interrelated with the sounds of nature—when the indigenous guys played the flute they were imitating the birds, and when they played the maracas, they were imitating the crickets or the sound of water," Mejía explains in a press release. "That connection would become the foundation of the album."

For the latest edition of Record Store Recs, Mejía takes us on a journey to some of his hidden vinyl haunts in Bogotá and Cartagena, and introduces us to an amazing Afro-Colombian folk group.

The Last Record Store Recs: Salt Cathedral Talk Favorite Brooklyn Indie Shops & How To Support Artists Of Color

Please pick 3-5 records stores you love.

Cosmos Zapatería in Bogotá, Colombia

Downtown flea market in Bogotá

Mercado de Bazurto in Cartagena, Colombia

RPM Records in Bogotá [offers pickup and shipping within Colombia]

Amoeba [multiple California locations with U.S. shipping]

GRAMMYs

Cosmos Zapatería | Photo: Simón Mejía

Why do you love these shops? What kind of goodies you've found there?

These are the places where I started digging for records, many years ago, and where I found my most inspiring cumbia, champeta, salsa and classic albums. Many were underground record stores here in Colombia which don't have websites or anything similar. Mostly are in flea or food markets here in Bogotá and Cartagena (on the Caribbean coast).

One of them was actually a shoe shop called Cosmos Zapatería in downtown Bogotá. The records were hidden on the second floor. You had to know the owner to access it. That's what I loved about those places—purely underground. It's the same thing in the Bazurto Market in Cartagena. You had to know the way to access the good joints where they really had the classic albums in good shape. Nowadays both are more popular, and almost all the good classic records are gone.

More Record Store Recs: Chulita Vinyl Club On The Best Music Stores In L.A., Oakland, Austin & Beyond

GRAMMYs

 Canalón de Timbiquí LP | Photo: Simón Mejía

For at least one of your favorite shops, share a recent record or two you bought there and what you love about the record/artist. 

RPM Records recently gave me a record for my birthday. This store is a really good place here in Bogotá, not as underground as the others—you can order online! The record [De mar y río] is of a band from the Colombian Pacific coast named Canalón de Timbiquí. It's purely Afro folk music from an area of Colombia which is going to be my next sonic exploration. Anything that comes from that musical universe is very inspiring to me. It's a completely different vibe from cumbia and the music from the Caribbean—much more Afro and mystical. It's really high energy and danceable vibes. 

What's an upcoming/recent release you have your eyes on picking up and why?

I think that should be the next Bomba Estéreo album—I can't wait to see the vinyl release so I can keep on growing my personal collection of Bomba on vinyl! 

What were the first CD and first vinyl you remember purchasing when you were younger?

I remember it very clearly. I bought two vinyl albums at the same time at a record store near my place—Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses [1987] and [GRAMMY-nominated] Kick by INXS [1987]. I was a teenager and only cared about music!

World Music Innovators Turning Jewels Into Water Fuse The Spiritual With Digital On Their New Album

Ghetto Kumbé

Ghetto Kumbé

Photo: Kata Garces

News

Record Store Recs: El Guajiro Of Ghetto Kumbé Shares The Music & Rhythms That Inspire Him

Facebook Twitter Email
With Ghetto Kumbé's self-titled debut full-length album, released in June, they're ready to bring their global sound and the messages of unity around the world
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 25, 2020 - 5:28 pm

With the unprecedented global disruption of 2020, it's important to support the music community however we can. With our series Record Store Recs, GRAMMY.com checks in with vinyl-loving artists to learn more about their favorite record stores and the gems they've found there.

To listen to Colombian trio Ghetto Kumbé's music is to go on a lively, joyful journey through time and space, where borders no longer exist and drums and dancing are aplenty. The group consists of singer/producer El Guajiro, percussionist Chongo and West African percussion master Doctor Keyta—all veteran musicians who grew up on Colombia's musically and culturally rich Caribbean coast.

Their music seamlessly fuses traditional sounds with modern electronic beats and aesthetics. For example, their use of call-and-response lyrics come from the rich African and Afro-Colombian tradition called gaita, and the hand drums and rapid rhythms they incorporate also come from Afro-Colombian traditions.

Read: Amid Black Lives Matter Conversations, Black Latinx Artists Urge Non-Black Latinx To Do Better

Based in the talent-filled musical melting pot of Bogotá, Ghetto Kumbé have been making their mark ever since they released their debut EP, Kumbé, in 2016. They've since opened for Radiohead, performed at Barranquilla's world-famous Carnival and gotten a Boiler Room under the belt in early 2020. Now, with their self-titled debut album, released in June, they're ready to bring their global sound and the messages of unity around the world.

For the latest Record Store Recs, Edgardo Garcés, a.k.a. El Guajiro, takes us on a musical aventure to his favorite record stores in Barcelona, Paris and beyond and offers a taste of the music that moves and inspires him.

The Last Record Store Recs: Willaris. K Finds The Experimental Beats In Melbourne

Pick three to five records stores you love.

Crocodisc in Paris

Superfly Records in Paris

La tienda de Jacobo a.k.a. Inter Discos Bogotá in Bogotá

Munster Récords in Madrid

GRAMMYs

Garcés at Superfly Records in Paris | Photo: Courtesy of artist

For at least one of your favorite shops, share a recent record or two (or three or four…) you bought there and what you love about the record/artist. 

I really like African music, musica picotera, as we say in the Caribbean coast in Colombia. This music has influenced us since we were little. To be part of this culture in Colombia is amazing.

One of the first vinyls I bought was in a very small shop without a name in Barcelona—it just had a little sign with discos vinilos ["vinyl records"] written on it. Inside I met a vinyl collector, who had some great African records—gems. Among others, one of my favorites I found one from Nigerian bassist Oliver de Coque, an album is called Mbulubia Uwa (Destiny).

I also love salsa, which influences me as a singer—especially Hector Lavoe, Ángel Canales and Saulo Sánchez, the singer of the [Colombian] salsa band Pantera.

Once, at one of my favorite shops in Paris, Crocodisc, I found a vinyl from a salsa band called Doble R. It was the first time of my life I saw this name, so I was curious—it was a salsa group from Curaçao. Salsa from the Antilles [islands]—wow! I had to buy it. On the album, I heard one of the most impressive voices in salsa, Ompi Stefania, an amazing singer who has become another reference for me.

In this same shop, I found the Pantera album from 1979. This vinyl has a particular history and is very hard to find. They said that it was a pirated copy and actually, that's the version that every collector wants.

GRAMMYs

Garcés with vinyl selects | Photo: Courtesy of artist

What's an upcoming/recent release you have your eyes on picking up and why?

We just released our new album! It's called Ghetto Kumbé—it came out on July 31 on ZZK Records. We released a green edition vinyl that sold out in month and we will release a second edition, orange this time, very soon.

What I liked most about it were the creation and the recording processes. It's our first full-length album and we wanted to do something special. It's eleven sincere tracks, with a lot of messages that are important to us, that we wanted to pass to the listeners. And we're always trying to highlight and preserve our roots. We're very happy to show the album to the world!

Another Record Store Recs: Simón Mejía Of Bomba Estéreo Takes Us To Colombia

What were the first CD and first vinyl you remember purchasing when you were younger?

Actually, I remember my first cassette. I didn't have the money to buy CDs, so my plan was to go to some friends' houses to listen new music and record it on my cassettes. Sometimes I would even spend all day next to a radio to wait to hear my favorite songs and bands and record them on my cassettes.

One of the first cassettes I bought was one from the Colombian band 1280 Almas. I always was a big fan of the music and bands from Colombia. When people [including Juanes] were listening to Metallica and other foreign bands, I was really into Colombian [rock] bands like La Pestilencia, La Derecha and 1280 Almas—they were my favorite because of their Latin style that was pretty new at the time. Also, Aterciopelados and an infinite list of local bands that have the level to play at any festivals or with any other international band.

In your opinion, what can music fans do to better support BIPOC artists and business owners? 

First of all, more than divide people because of ethnicity or color, we have to support everyone. In Colombia also, there is racism against indigenous people and Black people, but it is changing slowly. Mucisians have a big responsibility in the evolution. Traditional music bands and [fusion] projects like Ghetto Kumbé are sharing strong messages to people in every country and beyond to shift the mentality [of division and racism].

To support the artists' projects and independent artists, the fans needs to buy the music, physically and digitally. And when we are able to do concerts, we will need people to come and see us.

How Gloria Estefan Crossed Latin Music Boundaries On Her Second Spanish-Language Album, 'Abriendo Puertas

Salt Cathedral

Salt Cathedral

Photo: Courtesy of artist

News

Record Store Recs: Salt Cathedral Talk Favorite Brooklyn Indie Shops & How To Support Artists Of Color

Facebook Twitter Email
"One of the most useful resources to support Black artists directly is Bandcamp," the Colombian electropop duo shared
GRAMMYs
Jul 8, 2020 - 8:36 am

With the unprecedented global disruption of 2020, it's important to support the music community however we can. With our series Record Store Recs, GRAMMY.com checks in with vinyl-loving artists to learn more about their favorite record stores and the gems they've found there.

Finding inspiration from tropical, danceable rhythms of their native Colombia, Bogotá-born, Brooklyn-based electropop duo Salt Cathedral create breezy, joyful music that's impossible to not dance to. 

The band, consisting of Juliana Ronderos and Nicolas Losada, first met in the U.S. while attending Berklee College of Music. They first released music as Salt Cathedral in 2013 and were signed to the legendary electronic label Ultra Music in 2018. Their name is a nod to their shared hometown, inspired by the Catedral de Sal in Zipaquirá, an underground church built 200 meters underground in a former salt mine in the small town outside of Colombia's capital.

Preceded by three self-released EPs, their sunny debut album, CARISMA, featuring Ronderos' angelic vocals in both English and Spanish, dropped this May on Ultra Records. Originally slated to play SXSW and other major festivals and shows this year, and without these spaces to share and evolve their new music live, they decided to reimagine the tracks, with the help of some virtual collaborators, on the forthcoming CARISMA remix album. Their latest release, "CAVIAR *isolation mix*," offers a fun taste of the project.

For the latest edition of Record Store Recs, we caught up with the pair to get the scoop on their favorite record stores in New York and some of the gems they've found there. They also share useful tips on how to better support artists and business owners of color.

The Last One: Record Store Recs: Polo & Pan Take Us To Paris' Les Balades Sonores

Please pick three to five record stores you love. (The links below have online shopping options.)

The Mixtape Shop in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Human Head Records in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Face Records in Brooklyn, N.Y. 

What do you love about these shops? What kind of goodies have you've found there?

Most of our favorite record shops are around where we live (in New York). The first one is The Mixtape Shop. It's in Bed-Stuy and you can find eclectic and new records of every style of music. The place is amazing and it's one of the prettiest record shops we've ever encountered. The curation is very selective, so when you pick a record there, it's because the owners believe in it. We love their Brazilian and African selection.  

Our second favorite record shop is Human Head Records. Overall, it's a great place to find good records but, what's remarkable about them is their Latin section. It's pretty big and you can find records from Fania or Discos Fuentes to a really obscure Cuban santero record. In my experience, I don't very often see record shops with a big Latin section so, for a fan of that kind of music it's great.  

Our final recommendation is Face Records. It's a record shop located in Williamsburg and it has a big selection of Japanese music. If you want to go further with and beyond [Haruomi] Hosono, [Ryuichi] Sakamoto or Yellow Magic Orchestra, this is place to go deep into Japanese music. 

GRAMMYs

Sun Ra vinyl | Photo: Salt Cathedral

More: Record Store Recs: Öona Dahl Tells Us Her Favorite Places To Find Vinyl In L.A. And Berlin

For at least one of your favorite shops, share a recent record or two you bought there and what you love about the record/artist.

I got Sun Ra's Astro Black (1973) and Mariah's Utakata No Hibi (1983) from The Mixtape Shop. Those two records opened my mind about the possibilities and perspectives of music. With those two records, I realized that you can challenge people's views with music. That's pretty powerful. 

What's an upcoming/recent release you have your eyes on picking up and why?

Nothing particularly, but we always check what [London's] Soundway Records is releasing. They have been very instructive to us and we pretty much love everything they had released. 

GRAMMYs

A growing vinyl collection | Photo: Salt Cathedral

How would you describe your record collection in a few words? When did you first start collecting?

I started collecting just a year ago. I wasn't into collecting at all [before]. I love music and I realized that collecting is one of the many ways to discover new music, from the past or present. I would describe my collection as eclectic; all over the place and driven by curiosity. 

And More: Record Store Recs: Chulita Vinyl Club On The Best Music Stores In L.A., Oakland, Austin & Beyond

What was the first CD and vinyl you remember buying?

My first CD was Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers (1999) and vinyl was Hot Rats by Frank Zappa (1969). 

Learn: How Black Trans Artists Are Fighting To Achieve Racial Justice & Amplify Queer Voices

What can music fans do to better support artists and business owners of color?

One of the most useful resources to support Black artists directly is Bandcamp. There is an incredible site called blackbandcamp.info offering a crowdsourced list of Black artists on the platform, which music fans can search by genre and location. The beauty of Bandcamp really helps you find and buy directly from these artists, making sure that you're not supporting a big corporation or label but the actual musicians. 

This article from Brooklyn Vegan is a great resource to find Black-owned record stores—it doesn't just list the record stores but speaks about their story. And the best way to support Black business owners is to research what is local to you, to your city or your neighborhood. We live in Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, for example, and Black-owned restaurants and stores have signs that say so. Pay attention, and make sure that when you have the option, you choose to support a Black-owned business. The times are changing and the Black community needs all our support. Look to support local because small, family-owned and independent businesses need it the most. 

From Aretha Franklin To Public Enemy, Here's How Artists Have Amplified Social Justice Movements Through Music

Claudia Saenz, Chulita Vinyl Club founder

Claudia Saenz, Chulita Vinyl Club founder

Photo: Mariana Gonzalez

News

Record Store Recs: Chulita Vinyl Club On The Best Music Stores In L.A., Oakland, Austin & Beyond

Facebook Twitter Email
In the latest edition of our crate-digging interview series, two reinas from the all-vinyl Latinx DJ collective reveal their favorite vinyl haunts across California and Texas
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
May 18, 2020 - 11:46 am

With the unprecedented global disruption of 2020, it's important to support the music community however we can. With our series Record Store Recs, the Recording Academy checks in with vinyl-loving artists to learn more about their favorite record stores and the gems they've found there.

Texas-born, San Jose, Calif.-based Claudia Saenz originally founded Chulita Vinyl Club to share her love of records—especially Tejano, ranchero, Motown and soul—in a fun, tangible way. The collective, a crew of female-identifying Latinx vinyl-spinning DJs, has grown to seven chapters across California and Texas, including the (Northern California) Bay Area Chapter, which Saenz, a.k.a. Chulita Tear Drop lives.

The fabulous record-spinning DJs of Chulita Vinyl Club have brought their joyful, soulful music to parties around the country, including Coachella 2018! Twice a month, they release all-vinyl mixes from the squad on their SoundCloud, the most recent (listen below) coming from la jefa Saenz herself.

We caught up with Saenz and one of her fellow Bay Area cohorts, Los Angeles-born, Oakland-based Mar Velez, a.k.a. DJ Marvelouz, for the latest edition of our Record Store Recs interview series. Read on to find out where they get all their great vinyl gems from, and learn about some of the indie labels, artists and new records they have their eyes on.

Read: Record Store Recs: Jean Pierre Takes Us To Chicago, Brooklyn, Frankfurt, Amsterdam & London

Please pick three to five record stores you love. (The links below have online shopping options.)

Saenz:

Breakaway Records in Austin, Texas

Janie's Record Shop in San Antonio, Texas

Needle to the Groove in San Jose, Calif.

Velez:

Amoeba Music in Hollywood, Calif. 

Record Jungle in East Los Angeles

VAMP in Oakland, Calif. 

GRAMMYs

Mar Velez & her vinyl collection | Photo: courtesy of artist

What do you love about these shops? What kind of goodies have you've found there?

Saenz: I started devotedly collecting records while living in Austin, in about 2014. I was living on my own, working my first big "real" job, a post-grad trying to make ends meet. I had my own place for the first time ever, but I couldn't afford wi-fi and didn't want it either. Collecting records and surrounding myself with music became my new obsession. Breakaway Records, a cherished record shop in my neighborhood, became my second home.

They have records for sale on their website now to help their sales and keep the shop afloat during these times. They have a 45 grab bag that I would totally get if you were looking to start your collection or add to it. I would trust Gabe and Josh's hand-picked selection.

Another Vinyl Queen: Jayda G Is The Environmental Scientist & House Music DJ/Producer The Planet Needs Right Now

If you're looking for a historic West Side San Antonio establishment for tejano, norteno or conjunto jams, Janie's Record Shop is the place to go. You walk in there and you're surrounded with tejano history in the form of records, tapes and CDs and, not to mention, say hi to the legendary owner Juanita Gonzales, aka Janie all while tejano jams are playing on the shop speakers. I have shopped there many times and felt giddy with joy with all the records they have in stock.

Needle to the Groove is one of my favorite records shops in the Bay Area. I got the Leonor Gonzalez Cantos De Mi Tierra Y De Mi Raza record there and it's been one of my favorite buys. The record shop has a wide selection of all carefully selected genres and the owners and clerks are super helpful with finding what you need. They've also got a great shop online with the same great collection.

GRAMMYs

Claudia Saenz selects a record | Photo: Arabela Espinoza

Velez: This might be an obvious favorite for a lot of music lovers, but I grew in South Central Los Angeles and every time I took the bus or got a ride from friends to get to Hollywood, a trip to Amoeba was an entire adventure for me. The hour and a half journey was worth it because what awaited me was rows and rows and rows of music to discover. Amoeba has just about any possible genre you could be looking for and of course your mainstream standards. 

One of my most treasured finds is the El Gusano record that I got at the Amoeba in Hollywood about ten years ago. The band is from San Antonio. I liked the name of the [1975] album, Fantasia del Barrio, and loved the story behind the album. The album was inspired by one of the member's deployments to Vietnam and him fantasizing about returning to Texas and his Chicano upbringing. At the time, I don't know where I could have found this album that opened me to a Chicano experience out in Texas. The album is a dreamy psychedelic treat.  

Record Jungle is a community treasure in the east part of Los Angeles. I love how quickly the records change in the store. I could dig there one weekend and literally the next weekend they have a whole new stock of albums. The owner is super dedicated to keeping records rotating in the store.

VAMP is a groovy little store in Oakland run by Fernando and Misty. The store specializes in vintage clothing and vinyl from soul to reggae to rap. Fernando and Misty have both been collecting records for a long time. They themselves are DJs and spin at some of the local bars and music venues in Oakland and the Bay Area. I particularly love how they carry a great independent record label out of the Bay Area called Discos Mas.

Discos Mas is pushing out vinyl from some of the greatest names in today's Latinx music scene, including cumbia sonidera giants Los Daddys and local [San Jose] artists like Philthy Dronez and his quebradita, "Vamos a la Playa." The music and artists that Discos Mas is featuring and releasing really capture the nostalgic sounds of timeless Latinx music genres like cumbia, salsa, rancheras and put a contemporary twist that is a stamp by today's generations. It's an incredible label and VAMP is the place where you can get the latest. 

For at least one of your favorite shops, share a recent record you bought there and what you love about the record/artist.

Saenz: At Janie's Record Shop, I got a 45 record of Los Aguilares on the Joey record label. The Aguilares are a legendary conjunto group from San Antonio. I also unabashedly got the record because one of the sides of the record was titled "Claudia." It is a really nice tune to dance to and I am so glad I picked it up.

Velez: I've picked up several Discos Mas records from VAMP recently [see photo below], including Los Daddys' "You Soy Cumbiambero," Philthy Dronez's "Baila Mi Vida" and Los Guapos Sensibles' "Cumbia del Amanacer."

Discos Mas

Discos Mas scores from VAMP | Photo: Mar Velez

What's an upcoming or recent release you have your eye on?

Saenz: Lido Pimienta's Miss Colombia was recently released and it was a bright sound that was even stimulating to hear during these quarantine times. Miss Colombia is a beautiful collection of songs of resisting and dealing with healing all through Lido Pimienta's angelic voice. I have of course already heard the album through streaming platforms, but I can't wait to get the record to add to my collection.

Velez: A release that I am looking forward to is one by a longstanding cumbia sonidera group out of Mexico City, Grupo Kual?, "Amor Regresa Ya." Musica sonidera originated out of cumbia Colombiana. Mexican sonideros made their own style of cumbia by slowing down the RPM when they played the vinyl records, many from Colombia. Over the years, the genre has expanded.

One of the most notable groups is Grupo Kual, that came from the lineage of one of the greatest architects of the sound, Alberto Pedraza. Nearly all of cumbia sonidera music is on CD. They're the kind that you buy in the flea markets or swap meets where there's like one hundred songs on a CD. However, thanks to labels like Discos Mas and a new label called Discos Rolas, whose releasing it, Grupo Kual is releasing their first-ever 7" album [via Discos Rolas]. 

What were the first CDs and first vinyl you remember purchasing when you were younger?

Saenz: Early on, and full disclosure, CDs were shared amongst my siblings, but I remember having Selena's "Ven Conmigo" and the [GRAMMY-winning] Selena Live! album as my first CDs.

Velez: My first-ever CD I purchased was Britney Spears' …Baby One More Time. My dad took me to Best Buy to get it when I was like in fifth grade. Surprisingly enough, I still have it. And I recently bought it on vinyl as well! Beautiful clear vinyl for this amazing pop album. 

Selena Forever: Remembering The Latin Pop Icon 25 Years Later

musician

Photo: Soundtrap/Unsplash

News

Good Splits Debuts Free Music Royalty Calculator

Facebook Twitter Email
The free artist-centric tool was launched in beta in 2019 and is now available accepting sign ups for new users on a rolling basis
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Aug 25, 2020 - 1:15 pm

Last week, on Aug. 19, Good Splits officially launched their free music royalty calculator for artists, after a 2019 beta round. The new tool was created by Nashville-based music manager Jordan Mattison, who founded Good Folk Management, and New York-based digital agency Coalesce.

"The music industry has a terrible history of serving the artist last. Good Splits was built to help artists do their royalty accounting in a super accessible way—and I hope it's one step toward a more equitable music business," Mattison recently told Billboard. "Not only does it save time, it actually helps more artists get paid what they're owed, which in turn actually lets them plan for the future—something musicians feel is often out of their reach."

Watch: How The Watts Summer Festival Created Community And Offered Healing | History Of

Good Splits' target users are independent artists or, as their website states, "working musicians who don't have access to fancy accounting teams." With the artist in mind, the team created "a new, simple tool that would allow musicians to bid farewell to their unwieldy spreadsheets, calculate payments faster, and provide more reliability and transparency to their collaborators."

"We saw a problem in the music business and knew that some smart strategy, simple tech and savvy design could help fill the gap in a real, tangible way," Tucker Margulies of Coalesce said to Billboard. "It shouldn't take crazy technology to be able to know how much a song has made or how much you owe a collaborator."

Good Splits was designed to work with all major aggregators and distributors, including self-distributor models like Tunecore or serviced-distributors like AWAL. The only data the user needs to provide is a CSV file from whichever music service they use, along with the splits. The tool will offer "a clean, easy-to-understand earnings breakdown by song, album and collaborator" to help users make payouts simpler and more transparent.

Good Splits is accepting new users for the free service on a rolling basis—visit their website for more info and to sign up.

Engineer Evan LaRay Brunson Goes Inside Cardi B’s Pandemic Recording Routine, The "WAP" Backstory & More