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Although the idea of setting Latin melodies to house and dub was by no means a reinvention of the wheel marked interesting club music – Rey De Copa’s seminal 1992 floor filler Frontera Del Ensueno is a case in point – Gotan Project gave it a superb spin with their 2000 single Triptico. It was a quite head-turning creation. Against a pounding 4/4 kick drum, bandoneóns and organs alternately danced and melted into a haze of low-slung electronics before building to ecstatic riffs just as one imagined that a meeting of Lee Perry, Masters at Work and Astor Piazzolla would have done had anybody been godly enough to corral them into a fantasy studio in audio Valhalla.
Thereafter Gotan, a three-man Franco-Argentine-Swiss production team (Philippe Cohen Solal, Eduardo Makaroff, Christoph Miuller), augmented by skilled instrumentalists, cornered the market in tango for ears that had no fear of a breakbeat. But this latest offering raises big questions about their ability to move beyond that feted template, which, in fact, sounds increasingly like a formula in need of new elements.
The equation goes like this: heavy programmed drums and sub-bass, usually dredging away in minimalist phrases, plus weeping bandoneón theme embellished by stock cinematic sound effects such as a filtered voice or crowd roar, equals a moodiness that can induce what hip hop hails as head nodding. It can work. It did work. But it feels stodgily clinical here, especially when the last part of the equation sounds suspiciously like an announcement for a holiday show promo of Bueno Aires.
Still, there is something to be admired in the great attention to detail with which Gotan fashion their dubscapes, and the balance struck between dense and airy tonalities is effective. Yet the essential problem is that the constituent parts in the creative process are too often mechanically bolted together and that the programming, above all the basslines, lacks real dynamism. There was such cut and thrust in the groove of Triptico that it acted as an energising springboard to the keys. But here the beats are the concrete holding things down rather than the rubber bouncing them forward. --Kevin Le Gendre
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In a musical world chocka with bland homogeneity, acts that have an instantly recognisable, inimitable and original sound are as rare as rocking horse digestate. TGP are one of those. When I first heard Revancha it stayed in my car CD player for months. Deffo a 5 star album if ever there was. Trouble is 3.0 is even better so what rating to give it? The sound is fuller, more fleshed out with additional instrumentation e.g. electric guitar and mouth organ and featuring dub and other influences as well as the core tango sound. After several disppointments from fave groups this year it's a relief to find that my hard earned's been well spent at last. If you've already got TGP's other stuff this is an essential purchase. 6/5 stars
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
After feeling slightly disappointed in Gotan Project's last studio album - Lunatico - it's a great feeling to have them back on top form again.
Things get off to a languid start with 'Tango Square' but the beautiful sound of the bandoneon makes its prescence felt immediately. Next up is 'Rayuela', which uses snatches of sampled voices and has an oddly moving section where children recite numbers and verse.
As with previous albums, the best tracks are those which bring together the sounds of tango and Argentinian folk but underpin them with hip-hop influenced beats and tense instrumentation. 'La Gloria' is the standout here, which is full of drama and has lots going on within the mix (including crowd noise, football commentary, unusual little melodic flourishes). All the while, there is this creeping sense of danger and intrigue. 'Tu Misterio' is another great track - male lead vocals for a change, minor chords and a twisting, elegant melody.
'Panamericana' is more upbeat, with handclaps and a sound that reminds me of Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' (sounds an odd combination, but it works!)
Final track, 'Erase Un Vez' is gorgeous - pure Gotan Project magic, with an rich female vocal.
With 'Tango 3.0', Gotan Project seem to have rediscovered the essence of their sound. There is variety here but undeniably the strongest moments are those which recall the finest moments of their earlier work. This could be the soundtrack to many people's summer.
Things get off to a languid start with 'Tango Square' but the beautiful sound of the bandoneon makes its prescence felt immediately. Next up is 'Rayuela', which uses snatches of sampled voices and has an oddly moving section where children recite numbers and verse.
As with previous albums, the best tracks are those which bring together the sounds of tango and Argentinian folk but underpin them with hip-hop influenced beats and tense instrumentation. 'La Gloria' is the standout here, which is full of drama and has lots going on within the mix (including crowd noise, football commentary, unusual little melodic flourishes). All the while, there is this creeping sense of danger and intrigue. 'Tu Misterio' is another great track - male lead vocals for a change, minor chords and a twisting, elegant melody.
'Panamericana' is more upbeat, with handclaps and a sound that reminds me of Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' (sounds an odd combination, but it works!)
Final track, 'Erase Un Vez' is gorgeous - pure Gotan Project magic, with an rich female vocal.
With 'Tango 3.0', Gotan Project seem to have rediscovered the essence of their sound. There is variety here but undeniably the strongest moments are those which recall the finest moments of their earlier work. This could be the soundtrack to many people's summer.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I awaited this album eagerly cos I love the first two, but for me its a disappointment. apart from Panamericana, which is outstanding, it just seems tired and a limp rerun of earlier stuff. I think they need to get their creative vibe going again rather than just churn out the bland tracks on this album.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Very good
I quite liked this. Modern tango can be a bit hit and miss sometimes, often with a couple of belters on an album but a lot of mediocre padding. Read more
Published 1 month ago by G. P. Bartley
Tango 3.0
I'm very pleased with my purchase. I received it within the following week of me placing the order. The quality of the product is excellent. I just can't stop listening to it. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Isabelle
A change from the past albums but nice
Buying as the first disc from Gotan Project could be somewhat dissapointing but when you put on perspective with their past works you'll notice the evolution on an unmistakeable... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Alfonso Correas Serrat
more of the same
Service spot on. Product ... I will stick to the previous albums. Good quality but a bit repetitive.
Published 18 months ago by Noe
First impressions not good, but loving it now
When I had my first quick flick through the tracks on the CD I was not impressed. It wasn't the same as my other 2 Gotan Project albums - they were instantly appealing and very... Read more
Published 22 months ago by D. Laverty
same old same old
If you like Gotan project (which I do) you will enjoy this, but dont expect to be too excited, their earlier ones were fresher. Really, this is just more of the same.
Published 22 months ago by foodiefan
Gotan... Going, going, gone...
I found the new Gotan project album rather disappointing. It lacked the vitality of their previous musical offerings. I don't think it's a patch on Revancha del Tango or Lunatico. Read more
Published 22 months ago by S. Kynman
Good, BUT...good enough?
I am a firm fan of GP. I waited for this release for a long time. They just don't seem to have pushed any boundaries or moved on a great distance with this offering. Read more
Published 22 months ago by M. E. Davies
Spicy tango
In 2001, the trio Gotan Project released their first album, one million-selling La Revancha Del Tango, where they mixed hot tango with cool, electronic items. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Hernes Per Olav
Pleasant but not remarkable
More vocals to be heard as Gotans depart slightly from their previous instrumental formula. Pleasant without being remarkable, and still very listenable.
Published 24 months ago by SS
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