Customer Reviews

Amor

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Not only a startling discovery, but a refreshing splash in the sometimes shallow pool of dance music, Vienna duo Madrid de los Austrias have crafted one of 2002's finest albums by showcasing their deep-rooted appreciation for the beauty of Spain. Grounded in the spicy sounds of flamenco and fused to bass heavy rhythms, Amor forms that rare combination equally suited for home appreciation and dance floor damage - literally even, on the floor stomping "Ole."

Binding the cuts are layers of percussion backed to thick drum breaks that invoke names like Kruder & Dorfmeister or Dzihan & Kamien, accentuated with Spanish vocals, guitar, and lively bass playing central to each piece. "Sportscabaret" shows an ideal mix as such, excitable Milagros Pinera Ibaceta working around stereo-bouncing bongo beats, while cooing "Los Canos De Meca" and more subdued "Belle de Jour" aim straight for the percussion fiends and just screams "license me." Continual variations abound over the thirteen tracks, with flute-filled "Cleo in Madrid," vocals by Carol C, the other highlight. Complaints are few; the invariable track with annoying sounds marring an otherwise fine effort ("Ponta Rosa's" perpetual ping) and fast scat ("Brazileiros") that isn't for everyone.

More than just this year's Gotan Project, Madrid offer innovation to a scene already crowded with nu-jazz, nu-bossa, nu-global-samples-over-my-drum-beat-to-sell-on-Budda/Karma-compilations. Amor may not be on the radar of cool-hunters yet, but it's just a matter of time. And the fortunes of chillout CD exploitation will surely follow.

Although Madrid De Los Austrias is from the same region as Kruder and Dorfmeister and Jazzanova (they've even collaborated with Dorfmeister on more than a few 12's), there is a reason why they put Madrid in the group name. With tunes that are a bit more uptempo than the aforementioned acts, but still not quite at a house music tempo, this album really stands on its own as a unique and quality album. Definately the kind of music that makes you want to grab your parner, down some Sangria, and build up a sweat on the dancefloor. Very organic, highly sexy music with a Latin twist. Highly recommended.

Frequent Richard Dorfmeister (of Kruder & Dorfmeister fame) collaborators Madrid de Los Austrias strike out on their own with this debut, AMOR. Though the easygoing downtempo vibe is still in full-effect, they keep things lively. "Ole" grounds the acoustic guitar and twinkly synths with a strong bass and flamenco percussion (especially towards the end there), while "Dove Estuta" is almost all low dub tones with a sultry spoken word by Rebeca Jimenez. "Sportscabaret" picks up the pace some, but like other tracks on the album (like the prototypical Latin jam "Viva La Evolution" or the oddly dull "Sport in Lissabon"), it falls into the "nicey-nice" category - it's nice, but so what? The house kick of "Belle De Jour" spices things up, but the heat runs out quickly. "Brazileiros" sounds like a watered-down Nuyorican Soul. Their mix of a Nickodemus track (renamed "Cleo in Madrid") shows a bit more personality with the plaintive wails, and "Afi" delves into straight-up jazz to throw things for a loop. While by no means a bad album, AMOR might slip by your ears without really catching them.

Madrid De Los Austrias have created the perfect album for your next fiesta! Producers Connie Kreiner and Heinz Tronigger are from Vienna although you couldn't tell that after listening to the flamenco-infused "Amor." Songs like the groovy "Ole", the energetic "Sports Cabaret" and its sexy companion, "Sport is Lisbon" and the super funky "Cordoba"--only to name a few--are amazing songs with heavy basslines and layers of wonderful instrumentation and stylish vocals. Kreiner and Tronigger are masters at creating truly authentic sounding Latin music, something not even most Latin artists are good at. "Amor" comes Highly Recommended!!!