Bajofondo's album, recently nominated for a Latin Grammy in the Pop Instrumental Album category, comes out just a few months after the U.S. release of Gotan Project's La Revancha del Tango (Tango's Revenge), another mixture of tango and electronic beats that proved to be equally successful around the world. If you loved Gotan Project's music you'll probably like Bajofondo's work as well, albeit because of its differences, not its similarities. While Gotan Project revolves around two European producers and an Argentine guitarist aided onstage by a live band, resulting in a uniform chillout vibe, Bajofondo's album includes the work of seven producers and programmers spread across different cities around the world. The less cohesive feel of their music, though, doesn't have to do with geography as much as the producers' contrasting musical styles, which encompass tango, pop, rock, jazz, electronic, and even hip-hop.
Over the course of sixteen songs, Bajofondo's effort gives you some certainties: The more they use minimalist trip-hop backgrounds or slow-paced drum and bass programming to complement real tango, the darker and more interesting the results. On the other hand, every time they try to mix tango instruments like bandoneón and piano with way-too-shiny house beats, the music gets diluted and sounds impersonal.
The highlights on Bajofondo's album, then, incorporate tango artists and delicate soundscapes. Some of the tracks refer to Astor Piazzolla's avant-tango legacy, especially his own "Soledad" (included here in "En mi/Soledad"), and Juan Blas Caballero's "Exodo II." Among the other tangueros are Adriana Varela (one of today's tango stars in Argentina, she sings on the first single, "Perfume") and the late Roberto Goyeneche (his sampled voice on "Mi Corazón" is worth the price of admission). Near the end Juan D'Arienzo's sampled orchestra sustains "Duro y Parejo," another high point where the fusion of tango and electronic beats sounds natural and effortless.
