Tanghetto
Encyclopedia
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and one of the most important on the neo tango scene.
The style of Tanghetto is a blend of tango
Tango music
Tango is a style of ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, double bass, and two bandoneons...
and electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
. Formed in 2001 by producer and composer/songwriter Max Masri . Then Max Masri asked guitarist and composer Diego S. Velázquez to join, the band's lineup includes bandoneon
Bandoneón
The bandoneón is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It plays an essential role in the orquesta típica, the tango orchestra...
, violoncello, acoustic piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, acoustic and electric guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, electronic and acoustic drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, samplers
Sampler (musical instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
, and synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s. The main feature of their music, apart from the balance of electronic and ethnic sounds, is the strong presence of melody and song structure.
Tanghetto released their first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Emigrante (electrotango)
Emigrante (electrotango)
Emigrante is the debut album by Buenos Aires-based electronic neo-tango band Tanghetto. The album was released in 2003, reaching gold sales in early 2005 and soon became platinum and double platinum...
in 2003. A concept and idea of Max Masri inspired in the economic crisis that Argentina was facing back in 2001 and also was inspired in the feelings of distress generated by the massive exile of many young Argentines, that decided to flee from their country, in a desperate move to find a future. Emigrante was nominated for a Latin Grammy award in 2004, and reached platinum status in Argentina in 2006 and double platinum in 2009. In late 2004 the group released an album from a side project called Hybrid Tango
Hybrid Tango
Hybrid Tango is a side project by the members of Buenos Aires-based electronic neo-tango band Tanghetto.Released in December 2004, Hybrid Tango contains twelve instrumental tracks in which, apart from the blend of electronic music and tango that is the distinctive sound of Tanghetto, there are...
, in which a variety of world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
styles are blended with their unique sound, including flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
, candombe
Candombe
Candombe is a musical genre that has its roots in the African Bantu, and is proper of Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil .Uruguayan Candombe is the most practiced and spread internationally and has been recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity...
, and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. This album was also nominated for a Latin Grammy award in 2005.
In early 2005 a compilation of different electronic and neo-tango artists was released in Buenos Aires under the name Tangophobia Vol. 1
Tangophobia Vol. 1
Tangophobia Vol. 1: Contemporary Sounds of Buenos Aires is a compilation CD released by Argentine independent label Constitution Music. It contains tracks from different neo-tango and electronic artists from Buenos Aires, including NeoShaft, B.A...
which later became "Electrotango Sessions" : Contemporary sounds of Buenos Aires, including 9 unreleased tracks by Tanghetto.
In October 2005 a new album, Buenos Aires Remixed
Buenos Aires Remixed
Buenos Aires Remixed is a remix album from the Argentine neotango band Tanghetto. The album includes 12 remixes of older songs from the band in a house / progressive mood...
, was released. It's an album that contains 12 remixed versions of Tanghetto songs plus two cover songs (Enjoy the Silence
Enjoy the Silence
"Enjoy the Silence" is Depeche Mode's twenty-fourth UK single, released on 16 January 1990, and the second single from the then upcoming album Violator....
, from Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
and New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
's Blue Monday
Blue Monday (New Order song)
"Blue Monday" is a single released in 1983 by British band New Order, and later remixed in 1988 and 1995. The song has been widely remixed and covered since its original release, and became a popular anthem in the dance club scene.-Background:...
. Their version of "Blue Monday" became an alternative radio hit in the USA, and a favorite on KCRW radio station in Los Angeles. Buenos Aires Remixed reached gold status in early 2007 and became their second platinum album later that year. In 2005 they released their first controversial video "Tangocrisis", with images of the Argentine economic crisis. Their second video from Hybrid Tango, "Barrio Sur" was their first video with rotation on MTV. In July 2006 they released their first DVD, "Live in Buenos Aires".
After consistently touring through Europe and the Americas, the band recorded their next studio album, called El Miedo a la Libertad
El Miedo a la Libertad
El Miedo a la Libertad is the second studio by Buenos Aires-based electronic neo-tango band Tanghetto, or the third, considering that their side project Hybrid Tango is in fact part of their official discography, as well as part of their regular live repertoire...
, named after Erich Fromm
Erich Fromm
Erich Seligmann Fromm was a Jewish German-American social psychologist, psychoanalyst, sociologist, humanistic philosopher, and democratic socialist. He was associated with what became known as the Frankfurt School of critical theory.-Life:Erich Fromm was born on March 23, 1900, at Frankfurt am...
's classic essay, Fear of Freedom
Fear of Freedom
The Fear of Freedom, as it is known in Britain and elsewhere in the English-speaking world – published in North America as Escape from Freedom – is a book by the Frankfurt-born psychologist and social theorist Erich Fromm...
. The album was released on March the 1st, 2008 and in July 2009 it won a Gardel Award, the Argentine equivalent of the Grammy and reached gold status in 2011. In late 2009 after their first big tour in Brazil, they released a new studio album called "Mas Alla Del Sur" which was also nominated for a Carlos Gardel Award, this time in 2010. In 2011 they released their album VIVO (live around the world) which was recorded during their last two tours. The album also includes a cover version of "7 Nation Army" from The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
and an electrotango version of the song "Computer Love
Computer Love
Computer Love may refer to:* Computer Love , an album by Australian artists TZU* "Computer Love" * "Computer Love" * "Computer Love", a song by the band Eruption...
" by German electro pioneers Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
. There's a second volume for the "VIVO" album dubbed "VIVO 'Milonguero'" with 14 live tracks, including unplugged versions recorded during the 2007 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Sessions and some bonus tracks, such as Piazzolla
Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music...
's "Allegro Tangabile" . This album features their much acclaimed version of "Libertango
Libertango
Libertango is a composition by tango composer Ástor Piazzolla, recorded and published in 1974.The title is a portmanteau merging "Libertad" and "Tango", symbolizing Piazzolla's break from Classical Tango to Tango Nuevo....
" also by the great tango revolutionaire Astor Piazzola.
Tanghetto's current lineup
- Max Masri: synthesizers and programming
- Diego S. Velázquez: nylon-string guitar
- Chao Xu: violoncello and erhuErhuThe erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles...
- Federico Vazquez: bandoneonBandoneónThe bandoneón is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It plays an essential role in the orquesta típica, the tango orchestra...
- Antonio Boyadjian: acoustic and electricElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Daniel Corrado: acoustic/electronic drums and percussion
Albums
- 2003: Emigrante (electrotango)Emigrante (electrotango)Emigrante is the debut album by Buenos Aires-based electronic neo-tango band Tanghetto. The album was released in 2003, reaching gold sales in early 2005 and soon became platinum and double platinum...
(studio albumStudio albumA studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
) - 2004: Hybrid TangoHybrid TangoHybrid Tango is a side project by the members of Buenos Aires-based electronic neo-tango band Tanghetto.Released in December 2004, Hybrid Tango contains twelve instrumental tracks in which, apart from the blend of electronic music and tango that is the distinctive sound of Tanghetto, there are...
(studio album/side project) - 2005: Tangophobia Vol. 1Tangophobia Vol. 1Tangophobia Vol. 1: Contemporary Sounds of Buenos Aires is a compilation CD released by Argentine independent label Constitution Music. It contains tracks from different neo-tango and electronic artists from Buenos Aires, including NeoShaft, B.A...
(compilation, including five unreleased tracks by Tanghetto) - 2005: Buenos Aires RemixedBuenos Aires RemixedBuenos Aires Remixed is a remix album from the Argentine neotango band Tanghetto. The album includes 12 remixes of older songs from the band in a house / progressive mood...
(twelve remixes & two covers) - 2006: Live in Buenos Aires (Live DVD)
- 2008: El Miedo a la LibertadEl Miedo a la LibertadEl Miedo a la Libertad is the second studio by Buenos Aires-based electronic neo-tango band Tanghetto, or the third, considering that their side project Hybrid Tango is in fact part of their official discography, as well as part of their regular live repertoire...
(studio album) - 2009: Más Allá Del Sur
- 2010 VIVO (live album - in early 2011 it was re-released with new packaging plus a studio bonus track EP)
- 2011 VIVO Milonguero (2nd live cd with 14 new tracks and a 3-track bonus studio EP)
Singles (Promo or Digital)
- 2003: Inmigrante (from "Emigrante")
- 2004: Una Llamada (from "Emigrante")
- 2004: Mas de lo Mismo (from "Hybrid Tango")
- 2005: Alexanderplatz Tango (from "Emigrante")
- 2005: Enjoy The Silence (from "Buenos Aires Remixed")
- 2006: Barrio Sur (from "Hybrid Tango")
- 2006: El Boulevard (from "Emigrante")
- 2007 Blue Monday (from "Buenos Aires Remixed")
- 2007 Mente Fragil (from "Emigrante")
- 2008 Buscando Camorra (from "El Miedo a la Libertad")
- 2008 Tangocrisis (from "Hybrid Tango")
- 2008 Englishman in New York (from "El Miedo a la Libertad")
- 2009 La Milonga (from "Mas Allá del Sur")
- 2010 Tango Mistico (from "Mas Allá del Sur")
Videography
- 2006* Tangocrisis (from the album "Hybrid Tango")
- 2006* Barrio Sur (from the album "Hybrid Tango")
- 2006* Biorritmo (from the album "Tangophobia")
- 2006* Montevideo (from the DVD "Live In Buenos Aires")
- 2007* Blue Monday (from the album "Buenos Aires Remixed")
- 2007* Mente Fragil (from the album "Emigrante")
- 2008* Alexanderplatz Tango (from the album "Emigrante")
- 2008* El Duelo (from the album "Hybrid Tango")
- 2009* Buscando Camorra (from the album "El Miedo a la Libertad")
- 2010* Tango Mistico (from the album "Mas Alla Del Sur"
- 2010* La Milonga (from the album "Mas Alla Del Sur")