Bajofondo (previously known as Bajofondo Tango club) was one of the first, so called Electrotango acts, who tried to revive tango and bring it back into the mainstream. They achieve this by blending acoustic tango with electronic beats ranging everywhere from trance, house, chill-out and trip-hop to even drum&bass. It is important to note that this is essentially an electronica album and not tango with some electronic samples. The electronic beats are the foundation of the songs, giving them their shape, while the Latin instrumentation (especially the ever prominent violin) adds the soul, character and melody.
The album starts off with Montserrat, an intriguingly mischievous piece, immediately grabbing your attention. Next up is the slower, but all the more mysterious, En Mi Soledad. And then followed by yet another standout, the deadly infectious Los Tangueros, which was designed for the dance floor. It’s perhaps now worth mentioning that vocals do appear here, as (rarely as) they do in most electronica albums. They are most prominent in the single Perfume that captures the intoxicating Tango vibe perfectly.
After the exceedingly promising first start though, things take a turn for the worse. The album progressively becomes more and more lethargic, drifting aimlessly till the end. The beats are at the forefront here, which can become rather tedious, as they are hardly the bands strongest quality, as they are overly simplistic. It’s a bit underwhelming to say the least, especially in comparison to the first few tracks, that scream for attention, while almost the whole second half is more appropriate as lounge music. And the especially unmemorable kind that is. What I’m trying to say here is that some people may have a hard time staying all the way through the end; even if there are no dreadful tracks, some of them could have easily stayed off the album.
In conclusion, while Tango Club features little to no progression in the two respectful genres, it’s for the most part successful in merging the two. You should definitely give this album a listen, especially the aforementioned highlights, but it’s your choice if you want to stay for the whole run.
