Neu in Rhein-Neckar, aber immer auf der Suche nach neuen Tango locations und Milongas. Samstag Abends gibt es hier in der Gegend nur eine Milonga in einer „gewöhnlichen“ Tanzschule — und das [Don Carlitos](http://www.cafemilonga.de). Die Wahl ist einfach: wenn Tango dann Tango. Es war der erste Samstag im Juni, und deshalb auch ein spezieller Samstag Abend: NeoTango Club mit Isabella und Jaro von [Tango Flores](http://www.tango-flores.de/„Tango Flores – Tango Argentino mit Isabella und Jaro“), angekündigt als „50 % Tango und 50 % NeoTango und Alternative Musik“. Eine Aussage, die bekannterweise einen guten Teil der Tangotänzer abschreckt… Ich bin ja abgehärtet aus mehreren Jahren Münchner Erfahrung: [Tango Fusion Club](http://www.tangofusionclub.com/„tango fusion club | home“) und Nik & Hauke’s Milonga im Lachdach sind schon seit Jahren auf der experimentierfreudigen Seite. Entgegen meinen Erwartungen (…[Platz für 20 Paare](http://www.wolkengeschichten.de/tango_regional.html)…) eher Platz für doppelt so viele Paare, und wenn man gesittet tanzen würde, bestimmt Platz für 50 Paare . Aber, da die Veranstaltung NeoTango spielt sind die Spielregeln eh wieder ganz andere. (Der Platzbedarf steigt mit der Geschwindigkeit der Musik und der Menge an getanzten Sacadas, Voleos, etc.) Wie war die Musik? 50 % Tangos, Valses und Milongas — und 50 % NeoTango und Alternatives, ganz wie angekündigt. Leider waren viele der Alternativen Stücke viel zu schnell, so daß sich das Gesamtbild eher so darstellt: 25 % Tangos, 50 % Stücke mit der Geschwindigkeit einer Milonga, der Rest Valses oder langsamere Nicht-Tangos. An sich ist das alles auch kein Problem, wenn nicht die Hälfte der Tänzer bei den schnellen Stücken Vollgas geben würden — halbes Tempo wäre eher angesagt; dann klappts auch mit den Nachbarn und der Tanzrichtung. Aber sonst ein Lob an die Veranstalter und DJs. Die Musik war durchaus tanzbar und abwechslungsreich! Lediglich ein kleiner Verbesserungsvorschlag: vielleicht wäre es schöner, wenn die Quote eher so aufgeteilt wäre: 50 % (Tango) — 50 % (Milonga, Vals, NeoTango und anderes). Hier werde ich öfter tanzen! Und auch sehr schön: Tango Flores versucht, die Mannheimer Tangoszene ein wenig zu beleben! Mehr dazu später.

Inspiracion: Espiracion (DE) It arrived yesterday. Ⅰ listened to it for at least 5 times since then and still can’t get enough. You may have read my last post about its upcoming release – Ⅰ had checked the website and was not so much impressed with the sound samples. Ⅰ was expecting a great successor to Revancha Del Tango (DE) and this CD is not really it – but wait. What is this CD not? It is not a CD completely created by Gotan, it is not a copy or remake of the „old“ Revancha, there are not just new cool club-tangos… What IS this CD then? Why do Ⅰ like it so much? How is it different? When you get the CD and hold it in your hands you feel that it is different. The case (no plastic) is made out of paper with a glossy shine on it – it feels quite different to the matte, rough surface of Revancha. The design of the cover can be compared to the hotel costes series, you see a couple in the tango embrace, but no faces. The title of the Cd is given as „A Gotan Project DJ set“, and this silently introduces you to the idea, that this CD is definitely something different than just another Gotan CD. Looking inside you find a booklet, and two CDs, and you finally begin to understand, that the title „Inspiracion Espiracion“ describes the two CDs, one named „Inspiracion“, the other named „Espiracion“. Take the CD and throw it into your CD player, hit „play“ and then look at the track listing. „La Cumparsita„, a track that Astor Piazzolla once dismissed into the trash bin of tango music. But you start listening and you don’t hear La Cumparsita but a spoken intro by Bandoneonist Ceruti – and after twenty seconds you feel yourself fading into Piazzolla’s „Cité Tango“ – a perfect transition into a perfect tango. If you still have wandering thoughts you can open the booklet and start reading what Philippe Cohen Solal (the mastermind behind remixing, selecting and producing the CD – and only part of GoTan) has to say about the history of each track. By now the next track has appeared in your ears, „Round About Midnight“, Gotan’s take at Chet Baker (this song has been floating around the net for a while now and Ⅰ believe it has been played at Gotan’s live performances) which is amazing – beautiful for listening, but even more so for dancing… and it lasts a good 7 minutes sou you can really enjoy it. Next track, Confianzas has more rhythm to it, its sound a bit closer to Gotan’s previous tracks, although much more relaxed and less club like. If you own the double CD version of La Revancha you already know the Kruder remix of Triptico, and in fact there is a sibling to it: Gotan remixed a Kruder Track called „The Man“ (by Kruder’s Peace Orchestra); the Kruder remix can be found a bit later on the CD. Back to The man, it has that Gotan feeling to it that you could expect from all other remixes Gotan has done (remember „Whatever Lola wants“ from Verve Remixed (DE) ?) which we love and expect from them. And in order to make things interesting the next track is completely off the tango base: „Percusion“ by Domingo Cura; if Ⅰ read the booklet correctly it does have Argentinean roots in chacacera… and it fades smoothly into another remix, this time a gotan song (la del ruso from Revancha) remixed by Calexico – its sound somewhere between gotan and Mexico western country – definitely a song that drives me to dance. Suppressing my need for dancing Ⅰ glance at the next track’s title „El Capitalism Foreano“ Ⅰ am thrown back some years, again to La Revancha, until Ⅰ realize it is a remix by Antipop Consortium, with a touch of hip hop (and somehow Ⅰ have heard it before – „our freedom we need it, don’t take it for granted“). And to make the contrasts complete the following track is Anibal Troilo’s „Tres Y Dos“, just a classic tango recording and somehow odd in this mix, although it is, in itself, a beautiful song. But you can almost sense that you are now completely in Gotan Wonderland, stumbling from one world into a completely new one when the next track comes – this time in the shape of „M.A.T.H.“, Al-Shid’s fusion between HipHop and Tango, followed by Peter Kruder’s remix of Triptico (with interesting radio excerpts). Moving to techno-fusion-wonderland during Pepe Bradock’s remix of Santa Maria. Amazed, slightly worn out from not dancing (yet) to the CD you put the CD back into the glossy sleeve, take out CD „Espiracion“ and throw it into your iBook – realizing there is only one track to listen to and a surprise. The song is a jewel of old times, one that was not ready for La Revancha, but got finished and polished during the last years – and it is a song that definitely fits La Revancha, even more so than the DJ set Inspiracion. The surprise comes in form of a video by Gotan’s personal video artist featuring songs from the album, not being a music video but something quite more than that. Finished with the video you realize you need to listen to it all again, again again and again and you feel your need to start dancing….

Otros Aires – Otros Aires

About this release

Ⅰ have just learned about Otros Aires, a new project from somewhere between Barcelona and Buenos Aires, mixing creative influences of old ages with modern beats and instruments. Although they call themselves “an electronic-archaelogical project” nothing within their songs sounds like it does not belong here (but they so quote and sample Carlos Gardel quite much) neither do they show the massive imbalance towards the electronic like so many newcomers in the tango nuevo/electronic tango genre. Very refreshing, very much for the ears of tango dancers as well as general lovers of tango.

The CD is available from Amazon DE or Amazon US. For my German readers: Otros Aires will be in Germany between May 28th (Wiesbaden) and June 17th (München) — playing at many milongas. A complete Listing is available at Just Records Babelsberg.

The details

Otros Aires really know the roots of tango and they do play with them. Listening to these songs really does create a memory of old friends, tangos Ⅰ have heard so often, so much, tangos Ⅰ have loved so much — and yet they are new, fresh, exciting again. A fresh wind into these old crusty songs, sampling of old melodies, fused with modern beats, old voices converse with modern club coolness; some old moods and melodies resonate with the new barcelonian beats. Like in “Amor que se baila” where the old, rhythmic happiness and weirdness of “Aquel Milonga Triste” is fused with a steady beat that brings coolness to this milonga. A distant voice accompanies the neverending flickering bandoneon melody. “Sin Rumbo” merges D’Arienzo’s staccato with exact beats, a bass piano and grains of samples, melancholy and a driving energy towards the end of the song. Followed by “Percanta” that is born from “Mi Noche Triste” in such a subtle way that the ear does remember but is still open for the new arrangement. But do not get the impression that all Otros Aires does is sample. There are 3 original tracks on the album: slower songs they are — very suitable for dancing. While many of the sampled songs really build on old memories, these songs are unique: “De Puro Curda” is multilingual with a touch of vodka. “Barrio de Tango” is full of melancholy with a very soft flow, “Rotos en el raval” mixes a slow sad bandoneon with ornery milonga memories.

Resumé

This CD is very much obligatory for anyone who loves tango and also has an open mind. (Keep cool, your mind does not need to be as open as for Bajofondo, Tanghetto or the like.) Ⅰ expect it to become an essential part in many tango nuevo tandas as well as at tango fusion club events. Not speaking of cruising the streets in summer in your mini convertible with these sounds banging out onto the street…

Gotan Project: Lunatico

About this release

Gotan Project has finally released their new album — long awaited by their fans, much less hyped than their second CD, but much more promising and satisfying. (Although Ⅰ loved “Inspiracion…”, many of my fellow tango dancers did not, Ⅰ fear). But you out there, fear not: this CD is a must. The official CD release in Germany is April 14th, but the album is already available on the iTunesMusicStore for € 9,99, or you can pre-order at Amazon DE or at Amazon US.

The third CD of Gotan Project (after “Revancha del Tango” and the DJ-set “Inspiracion – Espiracion”) is, in a way, a departure from Gotan’s last venture, but definitely more of a return to their old roots. The tracks on “Lunatico” are no remixes like you would find them on “Inspiracion – Espiracion”, but definite Gotan originals. Still capturing tango melancholy, still featuring slow tracks as well as tracks with danceable and trancelike beats.

The details

The CD starts out with some slower tracks, full of melancholy, but picks up its speed quite a bit on track 3 (“Diferente”, see the video), with a mesmerizing beat that soon gets mood by a bandoneon and a piano with a beautiful voice – and it doesn’t stop, ever. The sound of Diferente is so intriguing and capturing you will never want the song to stop… and it does not, its echo stays in your mind for a long time. A definite club track as well as a permanent spot on my iPod. To balance this hypnotic track “Celos (track 4)” is very much slow and chilly, and, in my eyes, the first track on this CD suitable for a very erotic and danceable tango; vibrating with sensuality, complexity and that unfulfilled yearning we all love about tango. So, here we are, dancing (at least in our minds) and we are not disappointed by the next track “Lunatico”: starting with D’Arenzioesque strings hammering a tango beat – the added electronic beat adds a drive that will make the song less a tango but more milonga – a driving beat, nervous, hectic, supported by its voice-overs. Energetic, but taxing on your condition as this some drives more and more into its beat. At the end your heart is pulsing, your mind is nervous, expecting more, unsure of its position — and “Mi Confesion” picks you right up, with a very intriguing beat, less danceable as a couple, but very much alone. The beat is syncopated, the bandoneon keeps your senses and emotions alert, a piano raps together with the voice – incredible. “Tango Cancion” drops the speed again, feels more like a caress, slow, sensual, erotic – but never boring. Very different and full of changes in mood, a sound that needs to be absorbed. And here it is: “La Viguela” a very energizing track – fast, rhythmic, danceable – bandoneon over electronic beat, and suddenly the addition of a robotic voice. Here Gotan really captures the fusion of tango sounds with electronic music – making no difference between the two. “Criminal” returns much more to tango sounds, very dramatic strings and bandoneon, very fast and disturbing. “Arrabal” reminds me very much of the last album “Inspiracion…” – almost a bit too much nostalgia, but so does “Domingo” remind me of the african/candombe roots of tango, Ⅰ believe there were similar remixes on “Revancha…”. The last track, “Paris, Texas” makes you miss the album already, very much a song of saying goodbye. Again, very suitable for argentine tango.

This third album by Gotan Project is already on my personal hit list. It is very suitable for listening, many tracks are great for club dancing and having fun; whereas there are also a good selection of tracks Ⅰ would like to hear at the next milongas. Danceable, new sounds yet familiar, and nothing like many neo-tango creations that are just too fast to enjoy and lack the deeper emotions you will find here on this new masterpiece by Gotan.

Elsewhere

Another great review of “Lunatico” can be found at popmatters.com, blog.azeyes.net, iamadonut, nanolog