Panamericana

Federico Aubele

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 18, 2007)
• Original Release Date: September 18, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Eighteenth Street Lounge
• ASIN: B000R28H7O
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #72,566 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The name of Federico Aubele's new record references the Pan-American highway, a road that stretches--except for a 54-mile gap in the Columbian rainforest--from northern Alaska all the way to the southernmost tip of Latin America. Built as a supply chain during World War II, long stretches of it are more dirt than concrete, and less than obvious signage could leave you hopelessly lost. It's more of an idea than a road really, a metaphor for the complicated connections between these two continents. For Aubele, it's a way to summarize the fused cultural mismatch at the heart of his sound. As on his 2004 debut Gran Hotel Buenos Aires, Panamericana is grounded in Latin guitar, tango, and Argentine flavor, but it's also steeped in a more modern brew of trip-hop, dub, and ambient textures. The combination works, of course; released on Thievery Corp's ESL label, it fits nicely with the subgenre of ethnic-infused acid jazz that's also sprung up around artists like Gotan Project and Fila Brazilia over the last decade or so. Still, one wonders what Aubele's music would be like without the velvety bass hooks and electronic sheen. His guitar work here, though not as prominently featured as it was on Gran Hotel, beams through the production rumble like filtered sunshine as it wraps around a mix of male and female voices (all singing in Spanish). He could probably ditch the whole fusion approach and release straight world music (à la Seu Jorge, say) that matches or exceeds the material here. But though it can get weighed down by its reverb-laden haze, Panamericana's airy melodies and sensual tunes will still set you adrift in a warm sea of daydreamy armchair travel. --Matthew Cooke

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, December 18, 2007

By	Seybold (Seattle) - See all my reviews

At first listen, I didn't think this was as good as Gran Hotel Buenos Aires, his first album. In the end though, it is--this album has a more consistent groove--some of it is even danceable. In part, this makes it sound a bit more generic, and a bit less distinctive; there is less of a clear Argentinian center on this disc.

This album doesn't have the highs of the first album--no song is as good as Diario de Viaje or Contigo--but the tone is more consistent and even than Gran Hotel, which had some extremely slow, dirge-like songs that broke up the rhythym of even a 5-star album. As good as Gran Hotel was, it isn't easy to listen to it all at once. This album is more coherent, and easy to listen to all the way through, any time day or night--it represents the growth of an excellent artist. The song with Amparo Sanchez of Amparonoia is excellent--they really should do an album together!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the same as the first, September 21, 2007

By	Thomas Squeo "squeot" (Aptos CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This album is an undoubted evolution since the first. This album has the smoky beats and the groove expected from ESL and anything produced by half of Thievery Corporation (Eric Hilton gets production credit). What this doesn't sound like is another TC album with a different artist title. En Cada Lugar is an excellent intro to the album if your looking to skip around. Federico is a talent that is great to find. Great album, can't wait for more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad!, May 25, 2009

By	CR "Pacatelas" (Ningun lado) - See all my reviews

Has a faster,more danceable, and more poppy feel than Gran Hotel. Probably better to liven up a party with, but for everyday listening just doesn't have the brooding beauty & impact of Gran Hotel's tunes.

Also, he sings more on this one, which is not a good thing and turned into a disaster in "Amatoria".