Kerpel
roland | oklahoma | 10/08/2003
(3 out of 5 stars)
"i wish i could see him live, but really have no way to find out. i live in a small crap town, but man, i got this disc on the recomendation of a coworker at the record store i work at and i can't stop thanking him. it's very laid back, very well done, and very cool. gaby manages to marry electronica and argentinian folk effortlessly. flutes,loops, messy drumbeats and weirded out voices dominate this soundscape of a cd. i hope he catches on."
Folk music meets electronica
Jeff Abell | Chicago, IL USA | 09/16/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Gaby Kerpel is an Argentinian musician, and a real discovery! Kerpel makes use of folk instruments, and his rather nasal vocal style suggests the singing of folk musicians. But rather than engage in quaint reproductions of native music, Kerpel takes full advantage of what a contemporary studio can offer, and uses loops, samples, changes of speed, etc. to warp these sounds into something rich and strange. Sung entirely in Spanish (with helpful translations provided: thanks, Nonesuch!), these songs evolve into catchy grooves, without ever sounding generic. Consider the weird speed changes at the beginning and end of "Herias sin Herir" (which includes some rich string quartet playing as well). Or the way several different rhythms accumulate at the beginning of "Sintenerte." It's very inventive stuff, and you can dance to it. I've recently been enjoying some great wines from Argentina: this disk is just as tasty."