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All Music Guide:
Federico Aubele, an Argentine singer/songwriter with an international following, creates music that incorporates a variety of styles, chief among them downtempo electronica, dub reggae, tango, and bolero. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Aubele moved to Berlin in 2001, at the height of the Argentine economic crisis, and lived there for a few years. He later moved to Barcelona before returning to Buenos Aires. While living in Berlin, Aubele was signed to Eighteenth Street Lounge (ESL) Music, the label of Thievery Corporation, and made his recording debut in 2003 with a trio of double-sided 10" vinyl releases: Postales (b/w "El Amor de Este Pueblo"), Contigo (b/w "Ante Tus Ojos"), and Esta Noche (b/w "Malena"). The full-length album Gran Hotel Buenos Aires (2004) followed and included each of his previously released songs, along with another half-dozen. Thievery Corporation are credited with production, and indeed the album, particularly its dub basslines and downtempo ambience, sounds similar in tone to the duo's own work. Featured vocalists include Sumaia O and Gabriela Mairu, who sing several songs each, as well as Aubele himself.
Panamericana (2007), Aubele's second album, was a departure from Gran Hotel Buenos Aires, showcasing a stronger singer/songwriter element and less of an electronica influence. Aubele played most of the instruments and sang half the songs, with Natalia Clavier singing the other half. Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation is credited with production. In the wake of Panamericana's release, ESL released the La Esquina/Corazón 12" EP, which includes the two album standouts as well as accompanying remixes. This was followed by the release of Amatoria in 2009, a collection that reflected influences as wide-ranging as downtempo and trip-hop, reggae, boleros, flamenco, tango, and salsa, but all done with his signature subtlety. Aubele returned to his trademarked smoky realm of acoustic guitar licks, heavy rhythms, erotically charged dub atmospherics, and seductive vocals on 2011's Berlin 13. The set featured guest appearances from Jesse Harris, Karina Zeviani, Natalia Clavier, and Mauro Refosco (of Forro in the Dark -- and Thom Yorke's live band).
Wikipedia:
Federico Aubele (born 1974) is an Argentine singer-songwriter whose music blends a variety of genres and styles: Jamaican dub and reggae, American ambient and hip-hop, Mexican bolero, and Argentine tango. He describes his music as a synthesis of styles from throughout the Americas.
Born and raised in Buenos Aires, he started playing music at 12, with his early musical influences coming from his mother, an amateur guitarist (although she was a notary by profession). He moved to Berlin in 2001 (during the Argentine crisis), where he lived for several years (he speaks German). After submitting a demo via email to Thievery Corporation's Eighteenth Street Lounge Music, he was signed quickly to the label, and released his debut album Gran Hotel Buenos Aires, produced by Thievery Corporation, in 2004. In 2006, he played at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. His song "Esta Noche" was featured in the 5th season of Alias (TV series) (episode 8) and "La Esquina" was featured in the 2007 movie The Take, starring John Leguizano. After Berlin, he moved to Barcelona where he began working on his new album, Panamericana (a title to indicate the many musical influences and in part named after the Pan-American Highway), which was released on September 18, 2007, also produced by Thievery Corporation. He now lives in Barcelona, Spain, although he frequently returns to Buenos Aires.
