It seems that electronic music doesn’t belong to this inventory in Jacques Prévert’s style. What a pity! Mexico is the country of many artists who make electronic music unscrupulously. There is nothing “geographical” about them, just like their Polish, German, Canadian or Swiss counterparts: techno, electronica or dub which are all universal. This is also right for many South-American countries, in particular Brazil, which DJ Marky revealed to be part of the drum-and-base world. But also Chile (where a Love Parade will take place this summer), which is the native country of one of the most famous actors of the minimalist circle in Berlin, Ricardo Villalobos; Uruguay via the net-label Grhk.org, and Argentina, which the French label, Telegraph, gives us an overview through the anthology Post Office Special Argentina Madness (feat. Gurtz, Franco Cinelli, Funzion, etc.). 

But let’s go back to Mexico. The main figure of the Mexican electronic scene is indisputably Murcof. He rightly acquired an international dimension, after he signed with the English label Leaf (featuring Eardrum, Susumu Yokota, 310, Twisted Science, etc.). His subtle and intimate music, halfway between electro-acoustic and radical electronica, has also seduced Jan Jelinek, Deathprod, Sutekh, Icarus and Colleen, who didn’t hesitate to remix it with unexpected tempos and tons. This recognition, which appears also through many collaborations concerts – in particular his jazzy collaboration with Eric Truffaz and Talvin Singh - shows, if ones needs proof, the quality of his work.

Murcof’s discographical path is also marked by Static Discos, a leader label which has partly built its fame on the Internet. Besides, its works are available in their entirety through a (legal) download platform. This structure based in Tijuana, the influential town of this movement, is also the camp number one for future artists like the electro-pop duo Pepito (Jose Marquez & Ana Machado) and especially Fax, nominated at the Qwartz Awards this year. Fax, whose real name is Ruben Tamayo, is also time in charge of the net label Cyan Recs, dedicated to “nowadays’ digital music” – which means, according to the currently in force terminology, glitch, experimental, microhouse, minimal techno, digital dub…

Independent net labels, representative of these times, play a major role in the recognition of the Mexican electronic scene by touching the opinion leaders –DJs, journalists, “otaku”... Thus, initiate people, that one can find, know Filtro under the aegis of Cristian Cardenas and his staff, and other Mexican groups who are really at ease with the “minimal-dub/ clicks-n-groove” wave and so can compete with the northern hemisphere’s groups…  Among the artists affiliated to Filtro, we can name in particular Lao, Alvaro Ruiz, Emmerichk and Subnor, who are a little bit more abstract (see Looking For Drugs In All The Wrong Places EP…). Some compilation albums –Bitflow and Region 4- complete this family picture –Plug, Karras In Dub, Bifidus, Sanchez Dub. You must note that Filtro’s future development should be realized through CDs publishing.

This general survey makes us also name Diskos Konfort, another net label, who proposes for free other groups from Zofa – meaning Miguel Gonzalez, the founder of this structure - , Androïde, Flux (aka D-Konstruct), Victor Haus or Hermetic Sound.  Two series of collections, with rather explicit titles, even for those who are not polyglots, are reflecting Diskos Konfort publishing policy pretty well: Minimas Texturas and Maximas Texturas. Walkal is also part of it with his coppery and film atmospheres which have reached France through MK2 Music. The same label net also presents his last-born, Mandoria, who themselves propose a type of music a little bit more intellectual and experimental coming from the entire world – from Akira Rabelais to Christophe Bailleau.

We won’t forget to mention a curious but interesting initiative, which is well integrated in the technological context of the beginning of this century: EM. This online electronic music festival relays its programs through the web radios –Radioglobal.org, etc. - and is broadcasted all over the world – Barcelona, Paris, etc… In this panel, we stressed very culture-bound musicians, but Mexico is far from being closed to the rest of the musical world. Thanks to websites or distributors like Diskoteca, and especially Hot-Cake, the cream of the European “technoid” labels are still present – from Burial Mix to Traum, Staubgold, Kompakt, Logistic, Ghostly…

Finally, in a more “overground” register, with far more than simple electronic music, we have to name Noislab Records. Among local groups which are sometimes really specialized – Instituto Mexicano del Sonido - we can find some international, mass audience artists with different profiles – Morissey, Vitalic, Mogwai, Echo & The Bunnymen and The Libertines!?. As we are talking about the audience, we can’t forget to say that the Nortec Collective (along with their very changeable number of members) met a great success that is still vivid in people’s minds with Tijuana Sessions (Mil Records) for example, combining traditional Mexican music – norteno, tambora - and electronic tones. They are far from Plaid’s clichés, historical legend of Wrap, with the super hero character Super Barrio in a song with “electro-latino” tons (see Greedy Baby with Bob Jaroc) or also far from, in another style, a funky and hip hop “Mexican melting pot” from Up, Bustle & Out (Mexican Sessions on Collision).

Laurent Diouf

Websites:

Discos Konfort: www.discoskonfort.com

Discoteca: www.discotecaonline.net

Fax: http://faxmusik.com

Filtro: www.filtro.com.mx

Hot-Cake: www.hot-cakes.net

Instituto Mexicano del Sonido: www.institutomexicanodelsonido.com

Mandorala: www.mandorla.com.mx

Murcof: http://murcof.com/

Nacional Records: www.nacionalrecords.com

Noiselab Records: http://noiselab.com

Nortec Collective: www.norteccollective.com

Pepito: http://pepito.net

Radio Global: www.radioglobal.org

Static Discos: www.staticdiscos.com

Wakal: www.wakal.com