Argentina’s alternative rock scene was blossoming throughout the early 1990s due to genre-bending innovation and increased popularity. However, with the breakup of Soda Stereo in 1997, it left questions as to which direction this style of music would head. Bocanada, released in 1999, flipped the switch with its electronic, trip-hop inspired sound whilst retaining such quality that it is regularly touted as one of the greatest albums to come from Latin America.
Cerati, who built his recording studio in his own home, describes Bocanada as ‘a movie’, a set of songs that feels so orchestral and cinematic due to both their placement within the album and the futuristic instrumentation behind them. This is due to the influence he drew from Bristol’s trip-hop scene and albums such as Portishead’s Dummy and Massive Attack’s Blue Lines, with Cerati taking this formula and adding a Latin soundscape to create a truly unique sound. Songs such as the title track ‘Bocanada’ and ‘Alma’ reinforce these dreamy landscapes in which Cerati’s blurred poetic vocal melodies allow you to get lost in a swarm of hazy synths and restrained drum patterns.
The album flutters repeatedly between traditional soft-rock ballads and ambient electronic showcases, with Cerati evolving the album from an outrageously consistent first half to a more experimental finish, ending the album with the Aphex Twin-inspired instrumental ‘Balsa’ to show the masterful range that has been put on display. There are also familiar sounds akin to Cerati’s previous band, Soda Stereo, present in songs such as ‘Tabu’, ‘Puente’ and ‘Paseo Inmoral’, the latter a head-bopping, groovy number which showcases Cerati’s brilliance as not only a songwriter, but a technical guitarist as well.
Some deeper cuts include the funky, violin-driven ‘Rio Babel’, and ‘Verbo Carne’, which was recorded in Abbey Road Studios and features a 48-piece orchestra, including trumpets, cellos and tubas to give the song a James Bond-esque appearance. A personal favourite is ‘Perdonar Es Divino’, a song that samples various hip-hop drumbeats and features a pitched-down banjo in the background to give it an almost mystical and airy feel alongside Cerati’s melancholic lyrics.
Part of why this album has stood the test of time is due to how futuristic yet nostalgic it still sounds. TikTok’s recent revival of popularity in this album has also helped to expose non-Spanish speakers to a ‘new’ wave of Argentinian rock, and I hope that this album continues to receive its flowers over the next few years.
“Gustavo Cerati in 2006” by Camila Rueda Lopéz is licensed under “C.C. BY-SA 3.0“
