Otros Aires 4

Is there any mileage left in tango electronica? Let me think for a picosecond. No. While Buenos Aires septet Otros Aires are not bereft of musical ability – their fourth self-titled release features real bandoneón (squeezebox), drumming and guitar amid the scratches and loops – they don’t do anything new with either tango or electronic music. Also, they lean towards the ploddingly predictable ballad.

Some Argentinian singers seem to think slurring the words ‘Buenos Aires’ and chucking out a bit of slang gets the outside world dancing. It won’t; this is lazy and artless. ‘Raro’ has a lively boingy-boingy sound, but singer Miguel di Genova merely talks over it, before giving way to the inevitable lame rap. A version of Lou Reeds ‘Perfect Day’ is risibly Tarzanic in pronunciation and quite horrible.

This stuff still gets used ad nauseam in idents – it helps lazy television producers have a day off Philip Glass. But as music for stimulating the soul Otros Aires offer very little indeed.