Press release
Movement is the language at the center of Lester Rey’s latest release.
From underground parties in Chicago to culturally rooted gatherings influenced by Afro-Caribbean rhythmic traditions, his work has consistently blurred the lines between scenes, sounds, and communities. With the release of “Juke It” on April 24th, Lester Rey constructs what he calls a “criollo futurism sound,” a sonic language shaped by both inheritance and reinvention.
Rather than blending traditions, Lester Rey reframes them. The single offers the first glimpse into his debut album Antes de Correr (2026), a project rooted in ritual, transformation, and diasporic identity. In it, Bomba, Plena, and Salsa are not referenced as static forms, but reinterpreted through bass, drum programming, and movement-based composition. The result is a sound that feels both ancestral and immediate, ceremonial and club-driven.
“This is not fusion. This is return.”
The release arrives ahead of a full-circle performance moment: on May 3rd, Lester Rey will open for Chuwi in Chicago, marking his return to the city where he first championed the group’s U.S. debut back in 2024. The performance will include the first live presentation of “Juke It” since its release.
A cinematic music video, directed by Daniel Delgado (@RicanFX), arrives May 8. Filmed in Puerto Rico, the visual incorporates horses, street dance, and communal ritual—expanding the song’s exploration of movement as both memory and expression.
Collaborators & Creative Team
At the core of “Juke It” is the collaboration with MoonDoctoR, a Chicago-born footwork producer and founder of FreshMoon Records, the first footwork label outside Chicago operated by a Chicago native. Alongside his wife and co-founder FreshtillDef, MoonDoctoR has helped expand the global reach of footwork culture. Emerging from the Teklife ecosystem and shaped by the legacy of his father, Chicago house pioneer Tony Mundaca, MoonDoctoR brings a generational perspective to electronic music, one that extends beyond genre into cultural preservation and evolution.
The track also features Matt Skillz, whose work as a bassist spans Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning projects, including collaborations with Tank and the Bangas and Robert Glasper. He adds depth and texture to the track bringing a live musical sensibility that bridges jazz, soul, and electronic performance. Skillz and Lester Rey share a long performance history in Chicago, notably through A Party Called Tribe,a cornerstone of the city’s house and live music culture.
The upcoming video, directed by Daniel Delgado (@RicanFX), brings the project full circle visually—connecting Puerto Rican landscape, movement, and identity with the sonic framework rooted in Chicago’s underground. The director brings the visual world to life. Born in Puerto Rico and shaped by his time in Chicago, Delgado’s work spans commercial, editorial, and music spaces, with features in The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, and Forbes. His approach centers human detail and purposeful storytelling, bridging geographies through image.
With the upcoming sold out performance with Chuwi May 3rd and the music video arriving May 8th, Lester Rey continues to expand his world, one grounded in both place and possibility.
Lester explains,
This Friday (April 24), I’m releasing a new song called Juke It.
It’s probably one of the most honest things I’ve made.
Not because it’s perfect—
but because it finally sounds like where I am right now.Between Chicago and Puerto Rico.
Between club energy and something more spiritual.
Between wanting to move… and figuring out why.—
I used to think everything had to fit somewhere.
This doesn’t.
And that’s the point.
