Federico Aubele - Amatoria (2009)

Federico Aubele - Amatoria
Original Release Date: May 19, 2009
Label: Eighteenth Street Lounge
Genre: Electronica, Lounge, Downtempo
Size: 220 Mb
Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklisting:
01. Luna Y Sol [0:03:35.57]
02. Suena Mi Guitarra [0:03:01.73]
03. Otra Vez [0:03:14.08]
04. Te Quiero A Ti [0:03:45.70]
05. Este Amor [0:03:35.73]
06. Hermosa [0:03:04.28]
07. Del Aver [0:03:24.40]
08. Siemphire Nuevo [0:03:10.44]
09. Riendo Asν [0:03:03.96]
10. El Sabor [0:03:15.86]
11. Tan Cerca [0:03:45.49]
12. Amatoria [0:03:37.12]

Review by Alex Henderson

Some listeners have a hard time comprehending or appreciating subtlety, which is why so many of the more myopic jazz critics had no kind words for jazz' Cool School back in the 1950s and '60s. But in fact, subtlety can be compelling; it has worked wonders for artists ranging from Joni Mitchell to João Gilberto to Sade to the late Chet Baker. And subtlety certainly works well for Federico Aubele on Amatoria. This December 2008 recording never shouts to get one's attention; Aubele is a master of restraint and understatement, but that doesn't mean that the Argentinean singer/songwriter isn't highly expressive on breezy, gently introspective offerings such as "Siempre Nuevo" ("Always New"), "Tan Cerca" ("So Near"), "Luna y Sol" ("Moon and Sun") and "Este Amor" ("This Love"). A wide variety of influences assert themselves on this 40-minute CD, ranging from downtempo and trip-hop to reggae, boleros, flamenco, tango, and salsa. Aubele has cited the Beatles as an influence, and to be sure, the influence of Fab Four's softer side (as in "My Michelle," "Across the Universe," and "A Day in the Life") does assert itself on parts of Amatoria (the fact that this album was recorded 38 years after the Beatles' breakup is one of the many examples of how long-lasting their influence has been). But whatever influences might assert themselves on a particular track, Aubele's songs always sound very personal. Amatoria doesn't beat listeners over the head with Aubele's emotions, but for those who can appreciate subtlety and understatement, this excellent album never fails to demonstrate that the Buenos Aires native is an artist of major depth and substance.

Download

Federico Aubele - Panamericana (2007)

Federico Aubele - Panamericana
Original Release Date: Sep 18, 2007
Label: Eighteenth Street Lounge
Genre: Electronica, Lounge, Downtempo
Size: 290 Mb
Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklisting:
01. La Esquina [0:03:24.85]
02. Maria Jose [0:03:08.41]
03. En Cada Lugar [0:04:26.80]
04. Las Canciones [0:03:24.89]
05. Tan Dificil [0:02:52.56]
06. La Orilla [0:03:12.76]
07. Pena [0:03:13.82]
08. Este Momento [0:02:55.98]
09. Corazon [0:03:26.37]
10. En el desierto [0:03:21.50]
11. Lluvia [0:03:02.52]
12. Su Melodia [0:03:27.50]
13. La Mar [0:03:06.38]

Review by Jason Birchmeier

Federico Aubele's second album, Panamericana, features many of the same qualities that earned acclaim for his debut, Gran Hotel Buenos Aires (2004), and garnered a strong word-of-mouth following for his music. The porteno again sets his lovely Spanish-language songs against a hypnotic backdrop of Spanish guitar, dub basslines, hip-hop beats, Latin percussion, and ambient production motifs informed by Thievery Corporation, one of whose members, Eric Hilton, is credited with the album's production. As on Gran Hotel Buenos Aires, many of the songs are sung by females; in the case of this album, the dreamy voice of Natalia Clavier, a fellow Argentine from Buenos Aires, graces ten of the 13 songs, either as lead ("La Esquina," "Maria Jose," "La Orilla," "Corazon," "Lluvia") or harmony vocalist ("En Cada Lugar," "Tan Dificil," "En el Desierto," "Su Melodia," "La Mar"). In addition to playing guitar, along with most of the other instruments heard throughout the album, Aubele sings lead on about half of the songs ("En Cada Lugar," "Tan Dificil," "Pena," "En el Desierto," "Su Melodia," "La Mar") and harmony vocals on a few others ("Las Canciones," "Corazon," "Lluvia"). This is a key difference between Panamericana and Gran Hotel Buenos Aires, on the latter of which he performed the music but generally let a varied cast of women rather than himself sing the vocals. Also, the songs of Gran Hotel Buenos Aires were much less lyrical than those of Panamericana, with not only fewer vocals but with those vocals run through effects and mixed into the background. The vocals of Gran Hotel Buenos Aires consequently sounded like just another element in the mix, on the same level as the dub basslines and Spanish guitar. Perhaps purposefully, Panamericana is more of a singer/songwriter album, with the vocals in the foreground and Aubele stepping further into the spotlight, and with the dub aspects noticeably toned down. This may disappoint those who enjoyed Gran Hotel Buenos Aires as a lounge album, one that was beat-driven rather than song-based. These distinctions noted, Panamericana is still a fine album featuring many of the same qualities of its predecessor. Some may in fact prefer Panamericana because of its greater emphasis on songs, and perhaps because it's more conducive to live performance (Aubele indeed mounted a supporting tour, with Clavier in tow).

Download

Federico Aubele - Gran Hotel Buenos Aires (2004)

Federico Aubele - Gran Hotel Buenos Aires

Original Release Date: Feb 24, 2004

Label: Eighteenth Street Lounge

Genre: Electronica, Lounge, Downtempo

Size: 258 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklisting:

01. Federico Aubele - Ante Tus Ojos

02. Federico Aubele - Postales

03. Federico Aubele - Despertar

04. Federico Aubele - El Amor De Este Pueblo

05. Federico Aubele - Esta Noche

06. Federico Aubele - Diario De Viaje

07. Federico Aubele - Mona

08. Federico Aubele - Salvación

09. Federico Aubele - Contigo

10. Federico Aubele - Malena

11. Federico Aubele - Un Lugar

12. Federico Aubele - Besos De Sal

Review by Charles Spano

Argentine Federico Aubele is first and foremost a guitar player. But inspired by artists as diverse as avant-garde tango composer Astor Piazzolla, Wes Montgomery, and Thievery Corporation, he set out to create a solo record that crossed electronica, dub, and Latin guitar music while capturing the sound and feeling of Buenos Aires. The resulting album, Gran Hotel Buenos Aires — actually produced by Thievery Corporation and released on their label, ESL — is like the reverse image of trip-hop. Aubele's songs are atmospheric, driven by sampled beats, and even employ scratching in some cases, but unlike trip-hop, Gran Hotel Buenos Aires is sunny, free-spirited, and celebratory. Always at the center of tracks like "Ante Tus Ojos" and "Despertar" is Aubele's hypnotic guitar. Around that he collages an entire band worth of instruments and samples and, finally, sultry female vocals sung in Spanish — provided by friends of Aubele from Buenos Aires. The format seems ultimately liberating, allowing Aubele the ability to masterfully apply solid hip-hop beats to jazzy Latin numbers ("Esta Noche" for example) and to allow what could be Argentine folk songs to drift into the realm of electronic ambience and dub (the beautiful "Diario de Viaje"). Gran Hotel Buenos Aires is a wholly brilliant album and Federico Aubele may be to Argentina what Sigur Ros is to Iceland: the most forward-thinking and experimental artist to capture the sound of his homeland's cultural, symbolic, and physical geography.

Download

Saint Privat - Superflu (2007)

Original Release Date: May 7, 2007

Label: Dope Noir

Genre: Electronica, Lounge

Size: 223 Mb

Flac + .cue + .log + Covers

Tracklist:
1. Poisson rouge (2:31)
2. La melodie (3:14)
3. Oh-lala (3:16)
4. Superflu (4:18)
5. Une derniere cigarette (3:52)
6. Un, deux, trois (3:56)
7. Mademoiselle (2:52)
8. Somebody to Love (4:11)
9. Rosemarie's Baby (3:46)
10. Confusing Love (3:18)
11. Sans remords (6:38)

A collaboration born of a chance meeting at a midsummer wedding, Saint Privat is the project of singer Valerie and producer Waldeck. Their debut album Riviera broke the constraints of every format and received heavy rotation on alternative, classical and pop radio stations. The album sold out immediately upon release and was repressed several times. “Tous les jours” was the connoisseurs’ summer hit of 2004 in Germany, Austria and beyond, playing on radios from Hamburg to Vienna.
The honeymoon on the Riviera may have passed but now the result of two years of creative marriage has given birth to the new album Superflu, heralding the revival of the “Chanson psychedelique”. At times fresh, charming and tres trippy.
The seductive world of Saint Privat is one of glamour, luxury and enrichment (in French : Le Superflu), but behind the beautiful facade, the dark foundation of the Jet-Set life emerges: hedonism, decadence and melancholy. Superflu becomes a nostalgic daytrip to places inaccurately remembered because our minds have been hobbled by divine champagne.
It is 1976. We take the Concorde from Paris to New York. The pilot reminds us somehow of Alain Delon, and he greets Valerie with a knowing wink. The next morning, Valerie doesn’t wake up as usual in her Upper East Side Apartment, but under a blossoming cherry tree in Central Park. She is wearing her evening dress, barefoot. Lying next to her in the grass : an empty pillbox, a bottle of champagne and singer Grace Slick from Jefferson Airplane.
And the music : The very French ” La melodie”, the melancholic yet erotic “Une derniere cigarette”, the frivolous “Oh-Lala”. Always supple and 100% at ease, Valerie playfully switches between the roles of the “Femme Fatale” and the “Lolita”.
The album was recorded by the Saint Privat Live Band- Clemens Wabra: guitar, Ruediger Kostron: bass, Erwin Schober: drums. The vocal recordings were recorded with the band to catch the authentic atmosphere of a raffish old French Variete theatre. To accentuate the feeling the musicians were shown psychedelic soft porn as they played, and playing his own organ, Mastermind Klaus Waldeck refined the songs with some sublime dub, clubgroove and electronic sounds
Le superflu est chic !

Links:

part1 part2 part3

Saint Privat - Riviera (2004)

Original Release Date: Aug 24, 2004

Label: Dope Noir

Genre: Electronica, Lounge

Size: 220 Mb

Flac + .cue + .log + Covers

Tracklist:

1. Rokoko (4:29)

2. Pan Am 009 (4:15)

3. Nothing to Lose (3:51)

4. Tous les jours (2:23)

5. Mille baci (3:38)

6. Gone With the Wind (3:51)

7. The Girl From Ventimiglia (3:49)

8. Bach en dub (2:45)

9. September Song (2:51)

10. Good Bye Honeymoon (4:14)

11. Dolcissimi (5:03)

Saint Privat is a story born of a midsummer wedding. Valerie performs in thewedding band and in doing so meets electronic producer Waldeck who isamongst the guests. They start a conversation and discover they want to movein the same direction- musically that is. Et voila... some time later Saint Privatis born.Saint Privat takes you to a glamorous world nestled between soft Bossa-Nova,60’s Riviera and Rococo Jazz. Intimate and glamorous vocals reminiscent offrench chansons combined with subtle electronic sounds set the delicateframework for their dreamy, fresh but nevertheless deep debut album. “Riviera”brings back a forgotten world in which charming jewel thieves end up in highspeed car chases on the French riviera. A world full of spotaneous joy(“Nothing Lose”), baroque feelings (“Rokoko”) and sparkling hedonism.The music on this first album ranges from compositions of their mastermindWaldeck, who recalls some classic Italian and French movies in a self-mademusical microcosm, and rearranged Kurt Weill music (“September Song”) toJohann Sebastian Bach compositions (“Bach en dub”). Like no other electronicartist, Klaus Waldeck manages to put his audience in a blissful hypnosis bymeans of ingenious elements and repetitive sequences.The name Saint Privat not only reflects the “private” nature of the music, butis also the name of a small village in the South of France in which the charmingsinger Valerie Sajdik currently resides; a place of spiritual power where musicianslike Pink Floyd and George Harrisson as well as the writer Ian McEwan havecreated works of unique character.Most tracks of the album have been recorded live by musicians of the DopeNoir Jazz Division: Clemens Wabra, Rudiger Kostron (electric bass), Shayan Fati(drums) Phillip Moosbrugger (acoustic bass), Flip Phillip (vibes) and Stoney“The Flute”. Waldeck/s electronic skills are used less as heavy counterweightagainst the acoustic framework, but more as an intelligent and spicy ingredient.

Links:

part1 part2 part3

Les Hommes - Les Hommes (2002)

Original Release Date: Aug 20, 2002

Label: Schema

Genre: Electronica, Lounge

Size: 301 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + Covers)

Tracklisting:

01 - In Spring

02 - Intraspretto

03 - Six and Eight

04 - WeeGee

05 - Pousada do Amor

06 - The Fourth Homme

07 - Vista do Mar

08 - Hommage

09 - Boogaloogalick

10 - The Way-Out

Links:

part1 part2 part3 part4

Thunderball - Scorpio Rising (2001)

Original Release Date: Jul 10, 2001

Label: ESL

Genre: Electronica, Lounge

Size: 318 Mb

Flac (Separate tracks + .cue + .log + Covers)

Tracklisting:

01. Heart of the Hustler

02. Domino

03. Vai Vai

04. Sapphire

05. Angela's Lament

06. Scorpio Rising

07. Stereo Tonic

08. Vibrations

09. Solar

10. On The sly

11. Golden

Review by Bret Love

One can only guess which Hollywood director will be the first to enlist Thunderball masterminds Sid Barcelona and Steve Raskin to compose the score for his or her next movie, but rest assured it will be worth dropping a hard-earned eight bucks for admission. On the heels of their critically acclaimed (and very appropriately titled) debut, Ambassadors of Style, Scorpio Rising is an even more seamless imaginary soundtrack. In Thunderball's world, blaxploitation funk, cinematic soul, bossa nova lounge, downtempo dub, and downtown drum'n'bass all come together to create a hipster vibe few other groups could even aspire to, let alone create. From the Curtis Mayfield tribute of the opening "Heart of the Hustler" and the airy jungle jazz of "Vai Vai" to the ambient, Indian-influenced hip-hop of "Stereo Tonic," these guys blend styles like Esquivel mixes drinks, making this the coolest album you'll hear since United Future Organization disappeared. Could someone please give Guy Ritchie Thunderball's number?

Links:

part1 part2