To close out the year, Crossfade is picking its favorite albums by 305 artists. Check out the full list of Miami's Best Albums of 2011.
Mr. Pauer
Soundtrack
(Fabrika Music)
After tirelessly toiling away for nearly two decades, Venezuelan-born DJ, producer, and all-around contributor to Latin culture, Toto Gonzalez, broke out in a big way this year.
He booked some major shows, like L.A.M.C.'s Summer Stage and Calle 13's gig in Miami. But most importantly, he released his debut album, Soundtrack, which earned him a nomination at this year's Latin Grammy Awards.
However, Grammy nods are small potatoes compared to hometown cred. And it's time Mr. Pauer got his due.
Soundtrack is a distinctly Miami affair, accurately capturing the essence of the tropical/cumbia/Afrobeat vibe that hums and runs like a current through Gonzalez's frequent gigs around town.
From start to finish, these tracks -- like the first single, "Cumbion del Sur," featuring Locos Por Juana's Itagui Correa or the hypnotic "Que Si Que No" -- immerse the listener in Pauer's signature electropico sound.
It infects and inspires. And at the end of the day, isn't that what the best albums do?
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