Conclave turns – In June 2022, when the summer heat felt unbearable, “Habla” on Conclave’s debut brought back a sliver of ease—music that feels like open fire hydrants, shade under scaffolding, and a whole block moving together.
June 2022 wasn’t kind to me. Walking to pick up my oldest from school, I was in a really bad place mentally—depressed, angry at the world, sunburned, and soaked through with sweat. The heat wasn’t just uncomfortable. It felt hostile.
Then “Habla,” the second track on Conclave’s self-titled debut, settled into its groove. I didn’t even choose it. It just took over. My body did that automatic thing—strutting instead of trudging. moving through the streets in lockstep with the music as a much-needed cool breeze kicked up. For a moment, some scaffolding gave me an entire block’s worth of shade.
I smiled. Not for an hour. Not for a whole day. But the first time in what felt like a long time.
Conclave’s debut has stayed in my summer rotation ever since. The record doesn’t solve anything—nothing can fix what’s broken in a person’s head on a single listen. But it does what good summer music is supposed to do: it makes everything feel lighter for a while. You can feel it in the blend that keeps the tracks moving—Latin rhythms. funky synth bass. smooth vocals. and the kind of dance-floor momentum that makes you forget you’re trapped in your own mood.
It also sounds like New York in a very specific way. Where other summer records go straight for beach breezes or backyard barbeques. songs like “Habla” and “Perdón” carry the heat of sweaty asphalt and the casual focus of playing dominoes on the sidewalk. Conclave is the sound of a broken air conditioner and an open fire hydrant—pure, loud relief.
The album keeps reaching sideways, too. “Take Heed (Nu Sunlight)” and “Alati Yeye Chege” brush flashes of jazz and salsa against house. P-Funk bass lines keep writhing their way through the track list. and on “Rise (Interlude)” the guitar lands with a languid pull that calls Prince to mind. especially the massive melody lines on “Purple Rain.” “Rise” itself—separate from the interlude—is punctuated by electric piano stabs that eventually bleed into minimal techno bass wubs by the end.
The influences are obvious, but they don’t feel pasted on. They’re blended by Cesar Toribio—the Berklee-educated brain behind Conclave—who builds a block-party DJ set worth of vibes and somehow still keeps it sounding like one cohesive record.
Conclave Habla NYC summer music Latin rhythms house funk synth bass Cesar Toribio Berklee
So basically music cures depression now? lol okay.
I didn’t even know Conclave was a thing but “Habla” sounds like it should be blasting out of a bodega window in August. NYC heat is no joke though, so I get the vibe.
Wait is Conclave like a church thing (conclave)? Cuz the title makes me think politics or meetings not a summer album. Also “open fire hydrants”?? Is that actually about water or just poetic marketing?
I read the headline and thought this was gonna be about the city pumping out AC or something. But it’s just a dude saying the album makes him feel cooler in summer. Honestly I believe it though, like some songs just hit at the right time. Still though, depression doesn’t just get fixed by Latin rhythms and funky synth bass, come on. But if it helps for a minute, cool.