Various Artists – Future Sounds of Buenos Aires

Listen To The Future

Consider the source: Argentina is in no way a stranger to turntables, mixing, and the fleshing out of the local sounds through sick rhythms and electronic beats, turning them into pulses that blow up and burn down dance floors around the world. Folks really like shaking a groove thing to that tropical swing. So it should be (and to most people, it probably isn’t) no surprise that Future Sounds of Buenos Aires is a concise, yet well conceived package of where the music trend can go.

This 12-track compilation is the spawn of a unique music merger between two who have eyes on the bigger prize: Argentinean label ZZK (notable as curators of South American music) and US-based Waxploitation (who sport massive indie credibility). What we have here is the hybrid flair of wickedly intelligent and sophisticated tracks from some of Argentina’s burgeoning underground electronic artists, embracing the individual artist and giving them room to breathe and create. “Malambo” by Tremor is an airy, skittish track that clicks (literally) and does so well with its lower current of bass synths keeping it grounded.

The Latin folk/dance music, cumbia (and its inherent rhythm), afro beats, and ragga are some of the foundations upon which each of the ZZK resident artists build his or her house, so all things sound earnest and earthy, but there’s no shortage of avenues to torch a dance floor or slink somewhat sensually. Mati Zundel goes deep and wide on “Señor Montercostez”: It’s dub, it’s tech, and it’s injected with a ripe energy and throbby percussive bass. A healthy salsa beat and rugged vocals lamenting something that has got to be about love are engaged on Fauna’s “Hongo x Hongo” and if there’s one track on Future Sounds of Buenos Aires all but guaranteed to incite lively steps, this is it.

Outside of the Latin communities, the players such as Super Guachin, the Peronists, King Coya, Dale Duro, etc. may not be household names, but do they need to be in order to find a righteous and respected place within other musicspheres? Not at all. Future Sounds of Buenos Aires is safe harbor for all.