Carnabailito

Best-known as the musical master behind the legendary Argentinean acrobatic theater extravaganza De la Guarda, one would expect the debut solo album by Gaby Kerpel to be as high energy and festive as the show from which he is known. However, Kerpel takes a more soulful and native approach on Carnabailito, although it's all relative as Kerpel continues to manipulate the sound of his homeland into something more modern and esoteric via subtle yet extensive studio trickery. In doing so, Carnabailito plays very similar to other such modern/ethnic crossbreeds like Damon Albarn's Mali Music project, although Kerpel's native knowledge of the music plays more genuine than Albarn's novice aspirations.

Most striking are the vocals, performed mostly by Kerpel himself, with assistance by Mayra Bonard on "Casi te Canto" and Mariana Yegros on the opening "Se Que No Vas A Volver." Kerpel also incorporated a live string section and percussion on all of the cuts, assuring that the listener gets a good earful of traditional sounds, with the electronics appearing as only slight augmentation. For those expecting the typically anemic sound of ethnic-flavored electronica, Kerpel is certainly too genuine for those ears (although "Xplicando" is a surprising rock number). But for those curious about foreign music untainted by the usual American pop pervasiveness, this is definetly a good place to start.