From time to time, Tigre Studios turns into a dance club. And in true Boiler Room fashion, Sinego throws rhythm and tropical color from his turntables with this latest live recording, “La Under Mesa.” We’ve covered the magic of this Bogotá born and Mexico City based producer and he continues to surprise us with a mix of old boleros and deep house.
With “La Under Mesa,” Sinego shows that his mission to revalidate Latin American culture on the dance floor lives on. The title arises from a fusion of the underground sounds of electronica with our “sobremesa” – that habit of sitting at the table after a meal to chat. “It feels a bit like a joke about the electronic rave scene with what’s going on at Tigre Studios,” explains Sinego.
“I feel that Latin has always been closely related to reggaeton, to some pop stars, especially in the US. And that energy is not the one I share, it’s not why I make music,” says Sinego. “By exploring different sounds, I realized that electronica has some of that underground energy of Latin music, of what is played at some parties. It’s an energy that focuses more on the music, and not so much on what’s happening around. So I saw a connection between the clubber culture and the Latin American culture.”
Sinego selects jewels from the popular Latin American songbook and assembles them organically on electronic beats. The process is unique and its result is magnetizing. “I achieve the mix leaving what I consider the most important of electronica, its structure, which is the bass, the kick drum and the percussions. Then, the harmonic and melodic parts are Latin. I like to explore Latin music from an almost anthropological point of view, from Argentina to Puerto Rico. I base myself on legacy sounds, such as boleros, Fania music, and artists who had their peaks in the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. That’s where I draw inspiration.”
Video: Andres Cora
Photos: Gabrielle Peige