Update: “Bulevar 2000”, the new album by Bostich + Fussible, is now available on iTunes. Other digital media sources should have this by mid-Spetember, with a tentative October 5th release date scheduled for the CD. Check out the tunes on MySpace if you don’t already know for a fact that you want it, which you do. Hey, I think someone should put together some corporate gifts that includes all of the music by Bostich + Fussible since I’m so amped over them. I sure would want such a gift if I worked in corporate land. Man, imagine receiving a corporate gift basket filled with tasty gourmet treats, a couple of bottles of champagne or good wine, flutes or wine glasses, and a couple of Bostich + Fussible cd’s. Take a break from the grind and let loose for awhile. After all you hear them say corporate gift baskets are perfectly acceptable gifts to recognize individuals and make it a special day. Make my day special, please.

You’ve got to admit it’s tempting. Ok, that might be a bit over to top for corporate land, but I do think “Bulevar 2000” is well worth buying.

Seriously. If you liked where they were going over the last year or so, you’ll be blown away by the latest stuff.

This album is by far the finest of all the Nortec Collective work. Also known as the Tijuana Sound Machine, Bostich and Fussible’s mix of techno and Norteno illuminate your ears. This particular album uses more vocals and by far exceeds anything done before. First time I was listening to the album I was relaxing in the hudson valley hot tub I had just had installed by RoyalPools & Spas a local company. Having a hot tub and spa environment that provides hours of entertainment and relaxation for family and friends is the best. But on this particular day I will chillin by myself  and really getting into Bulevar 2000 when I get this totally out of the blue text from a friend. “Need advice. Need an at home private std test kit, pronto.” Whoa there! I totally blanked on the music and sat up. My girlfriend looked at me with puzzlement, not knowing what was going on. When I showed her the text she turned off the music. We consulted, she went online to google out some sites and feed me the info. “Found great site. No need to see family doctor- as if he would since he wanted to keep the “need” under wraps for now. My girlfriend and I found the week wait for the kit to be delivered a bit long, but most sites allowed over night delivery for an extra fee. I sent the website’s url and wished him Good Luck or something like that. It took awhile before I was in the mood to listen to Bulevar 2000. But once the music was blasting away, I really got into it. Later when I spoke with my friend on the phone, he said the std test result was negative and his symptoms had disappeared. But he had became rather paranoid, so he ended up going to his family physician who tested him again. His results were also negative the second time around. SO I said celebrate and listen to Bulevar 2000, you need it.

Additionally, Bostuch + Fussible are making the rounds; you should be able to find them performing near you…even if you live in Shanghai! No strangers to festival shows, B + F will be performing during the opening day (Oct. 8th) of the high-profile Austin City Limits Music Festival, on the Clear 4G stage.

Of course you already know about Clorofila’s Corridos Urbanos, right? Trivia: those of you who dig the underground sounds of the 80s should know that David J (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets) appears on the album. Those of you who don’t care will still get an amazing collection of tracks — especially El General, which has been on my regular rotation for weeks now. Don’t expect ‘vintage’ NorTec — this is a unique twist which adds even more organic instrumentation to the electronic mix.

We haven’t found anything more recent about Hiperboreal since Southborderbilia, but we’ll be sure to post updates here as soon as we find them.

Norteño + techno = Nortec…

Electronica contiues to absorb all influences. Like hip-hop before it, the wide-ranging genre of music takes the (once) futuristic sounds of modern technology and merges with whatever speaks most to the heart of the artist.

More and more, artists are finding that electronica blends surprisingly and uniquely well with the indigenous and specialized sounds of the community. From the most ancient sounds to the isolated subcultures of the 21st Century, electronica is the great homogenizer of music.

The 1970’s saw a surge of interest in popular and crossover Latin music styles; underground, the synthesizers and rudimentary drum machines were also starting to pick up some of the polyrhythmic vibe. And from the very beginnings of sample-based music, artists have been going to the authentic well to tap some of the character and feel of traditional recordings.

Some traditional musics suit electronic interpretation more than others. Already gifted with a pounding 4/4 or 2/4 bass, cluttered with idiosyncratic percussion and  polyrhythms, much of the folk music of Mexico seems to be made for effortless adaptation to the modern electronic style. The connection is not so much simplicity as it is The Dance as the basis for communal catharsis and the opportunities it creates for artistic expression.

Techno, that rawest-of-the-raw electronica, brings its 909s and 303s south to the border…meeting up with Norteño’s accordions.

Of course, it’s not that cut-and-dry. Techno is not the only electronic influence in Nortec, just as Norteño is not the only Mexican influence. Nortec is just as willing to throw together Tambora and Trance, or Big Beat and Banda (Tamtra or Big Banda are all good names for a genre, too).

But that’s not the point. The point is that the elements come together, the style reflects a lifestyle, and the listening community responds. The modern and the traditional, the young energy and the aged experience…the borders are crossed. The music is a mirror to the synthesis of culture.