Federico Aubele

Fresh out of the Eighteenth Street Lounge (founded and managed by CSV favorite Thievery Corporation) catalog comes the sophomore release of Federico Aubele Panamerica. Some might look down on lounge music, granting the respective artists the same status as jam bands, but I beg to differ. ESL has consistently put forth quality electronic/lounge/downtempo acts for quite a while now, and Aubele is the best of them all (Thievery excluded of course).

Aubele's Panamericana isn't just "world" music--it's not just a collection of different Latin influences. This is an album crafted with catchy melodies and riffs in mind. Each song illustrates a picture of something, somewhere--a series of magnificent mirages that only last 4 minutes each. "Maria Jose" conjures up a slow-motion Chevrolet dustying through an abandoned stretch of highway (the driver must have aviators on, right?), while "Corazon" is more reminiscent of a summery evening at the beach as the sky slowly fades to purple hues. These images, these emotions are what make Aubele's music intriguing. This is what makes him different than the slew of "lounge" artists out there.

Go and get yo'self a copy of Panamericana.
Listen to "La Orilla" (4.7/5)
Listen to "Maria Jose" (4.8/5)