The Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 1

Nortec Collective

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 20, 2001)
• Original Release Date: February 20, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Palm Pictures (Audio
• ASIN: B000059M07
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,393 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Latin Music > Urban > Latin Electronica

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Mexican electronic music, yes. But which Mexico? The capital city and its panorama sprawl of concrete, or the interior's jungle promise of Mayan premodernity? Well, how about Tijuana, which depending on your trajectory might mean economic promise or B-movie titillation? In other words, exactly the sort of high-traffic, low-rent zone that breeds artists--for example the various acts that comprise the Nortec Collective, all young, pop-minded, tech-enabled musicians who want to build a bridge (and verse and chorus) to the 21st century. Amon Tobin's digitizations of Brazilian percussion have prepared listeners for this blend of indigenous sounds and globetrotting club culture. There's something for everyone here: Fussible's hard 4/4 dance sounds, Terrestre's encompassing collages, Hiperboreal's eerie street recordings--and, most of all, the general funhouse-mirror thrill of hearing the familiar (Norteño's tuba and accordion, techno's ethereal ambience and studio sheen) in entirely new ways. --Marc Weidenbaum

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Norteno goes techno, March 5, 2001

By	Enrique Torres "Rico" (San Diegotitlan, Califas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

It had to happen, Tijuana the swinging gate of Mexican culture, has exported a sound that has been burning up the club scene there for years. Nortec is more than a musical trend as it is a whole collective of border artists working with various media. The sound of Nortec is distinctivly south of the border electronica that apppeals to those high energy, charged up hormones that cut loose on the dance floor. What makes this different from some of the other electronic music pulsating out of the clubs is that this is local. The music is a hybrid sound reflecting Tijuana. A blend of electronica/folklorica, Nortec fuses acid jazz with elements of nortena. Nortena is that style of Mexican music that uses accordian and guitars that is very similar to Tex-Mex found along the southwest border. Couple this with Ranchera guitar and Banda Sinolense horns, and soulful wailing guitar riffs, syncopated beats, dropping beats ala dub, jazzy samba and electronic wizadry that has depth and you have a sound unique to Nortec. It sounds like Banda or Tex- Mex on acid. My 16 year old(he likes punk) son heard me listening to this one day and said "Listening to that Acid-Macarena music dad?" So it does have a trippy quality to it. Technically it is a marvel, a synthesis of sound that is Latin based with heavy percussion that weaves and winds through a myriad of sound that is almost undescribeable. Some interesting tracks are "Tijuana for dummies' with a call announcing "This is Tijuana, Cali"over an ongoing percussive beat infused with horn and reverb as the beat goes on......it's like a long intro. "Tepache jam" reflects the Banda Sinolense ompah, ompah sound with a twist, complete with back beat and jazzy lounge groove." Norteno de Janeiro" once again fuses the banda sound with electronica but this time with a samba feel, it's Norteno goes Brazil. This is new border music reflecting the diversity of the swinging human gate that is Tijuana. This is a good choice for something different that hits right on target. An excellent CD that is deserving of four stars because of it's innovative qualities and excellent production. There is enough variety, including some some fringe ambient, to further stimulate one's interest on what's going on here south of the border. If you like this there is another release entitled "Bostich+Fussible."

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Techno-polka? Breakbeat-rhumba? Just darn good all-around!, August 25, 2001

By	Nowhereman "mediaddict" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

I saw the Nortec Collective perform at the DNA Lounge in SF, and ran out to buy this CD the day after. I am not familiar with traditional norteno music, but I am a big fan of cool 'twists' on traditional techno, and these artists deliver that, in spades! This disc for me is a varied and refreshing take on techno that succeeds in not sounding 'gimmicky' in it's execution. Some people might buy this expecting another salsa-techno CD, but they will be surprised by the variety of the music contained within. While the music here has very strong mexican/latino music influences, you won't find many salsa melodies attached to a thumping house drum line. Instead, you get a wonderful panache of sounds. A few of the songs reflect a strong polka influence (like track 1), with thumping tubas and horns calling to mind rolling, happy big-beat tracks. Other tracks are more breakbeat influenced, but the infusion of horns, guitar riffs, and some spanish vocalizations keep things fresh.

While it's highly unlikely you will fall in love with every single one of the songs on this collection, due to their wild variety, I can almost completely guarantee you'll find at least a few tracks that you'll just fall in love with.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, But Not Nearly Good as the New "Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3", July 30, 2005

By	Lil' Creeper (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Don't get me wrong, this is a good album. But the Tijuana-based DJ collective doesn't live up to the name 'Nortec' (a fusion of norteno and techno) on this 2001 debut. This album felt more like a regular electronica album made by some musicians who just happened to be Mexican. Thankfully, the boys took their time and came back with the downright genius "Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3", which is far better. Vol. 3 far exceeds this album because you can really hear the norteno influence integrated with the electronica. In sum, skip this record and pick up the new one!