User:Don Pedro Nadien/sandbox

Corridos Urbanos (2010 album by Clorofila)
Clorofila is the alias for musician / graphic designer Jorge Verdin. Corridos Urbanos is his first solo album after the breakup of Nortec Collective in 2007. Clorofila started as one of the projects that formed Nortec Collective, the Tijuana based genre breaking ensemble that created the Nortec sound, a fusion of Banda and Música Norteña (genres from the North of México) with electronic music and production techniques.

Album production and background
Although trained as a graphic designer, Verdin is a self taught musician and producer who started writing electronic music around 1998, facilitated by a Macintosh computer with Rebirth software. By the time he formed Clorofila with fellow designer Fritz Torres, Verdin had started producing the lion share of the bands work on computer software Cubase and the Akai MPC2000XL sampler and production workstation.

Corridos Urbanos, Clorofila's solo debut is composed of songs written specifically for the album, as well some tracks that had been written for the follow-up to Nortec Collective's Tijuana Sessions Volume 3. When that album, and an intended collaboration with fellow Nortec Collective project Hiperboreal failed to materialize, Verdin set about writing and recording album's worth of material, including songs with lyrics. Stylistically, the album followed in the tradition of Nortec Collective's mix of electronic dance music and banda and norteño, but also displayed Verdin's interest in atmospheric electronic music, post-punk and disco.

Given the running time of an entire album, Verdin took it as an opportunity to explore various sonic elements such as soul styled vocals (Naked Ladies), postpunk guitar pop ("BabyRock" Rock), or try unorthodox combinations such as yuxtaposing dissonant Ligeti influenced string arrangements with Jamaican dancehall beats (El General). He also wrote the track Llantera for the mechanical sculpture “Hi N' Lo” by Mexican artist Rubén Ortiz Torres, which was presented at the 2008 California Biennial and Petit Mal at the MUAC in Mexico City.

Seeking expand his instrumental palette, Verdin feautred electric guitars and bass more extensively than on previous Clorofila tracks. Also featured prominently is the use of various analog synthesizers like the Roland Juno106, Korg MS20 and MS10, ARP Avatar, Korg Mono/Poly, as well as Oberheim DX and Roland 606 analog drum machines, complemented by various circuit bent devices (among them a Casio SK1, Speak and Spell and a Roland TR727 drum machine), heavily processed electric guitars and lo-fi recording techniques (sourcing sounds from videotapes of recording sessions, dictaphones or DAT devices). Most of the sequencing and programming was done using Akai MPC 2000XL and MPC4000 samplers, complemented by Ableton Live. Verdin would go on to state that the work and studio methods of artists such as Talk Talk, David Sylvian, Bryan Ferry, Talking Heads and New Order were used as guidelines for the album. Amongst the musicians Verdin enlisted for recording sessions, were banda sinaloense ensamble Banda Agua Caliente, local Tijuana norteño musicians as well recruiting vocalists Fernanda Karolys, Supina Bytol and Robin Abernathy. Babai, a song written about the growing climate of fear as a result of narco cartel violence includes back vocals from David J, a founding member of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets.

As with all of his Nortec Collective work, the album was written, programmed and produced in Verdin's Pasadena home studio, with all norteño and banda instruments recorded in studios in Tijuana, Mexico.

Album reception
The single Baby Rock Rock was heavily requested at alternative radio stations and made the Top 20 at Reactor FM's annual 100 Most Popular of 2010 countdown.Verdin undertook a short Mexican tour with singer Karolys and 20 piece banda sinaloense ensamble Banda Agua Caliente. The Corridos Urbanos album launch at Mexico City's Lunario del Auditorio Nacional which was nominated for the Lunas del Auditorio Nacional for Best Electronic Music Performance award.

His song “Bajo Sextoy‘’ from Corridos Urbanos was showcased in Showtime series “Weeds”. He also has collaborated with and produced remixes for artists as diverse as Beck, Mochipet, Tremor, Matias Aguayo, Mexican Cumbia legend Rigo Tovar, Gotan Project side project Radiokijada and 17 Hippies.

In order to promote the album, Clorofila formed 2 ensembles: the "Big Banda" format, including all members of Tijuana based 20 piece tambora band Banda Agua Caliente plus singer Fernanda Karolys, and also a stripped down horn four piece Los Mezcaleros de la Sierra, comprised by Mexico City based musicians originally from the highlands of Oaxaca.

Track listing and credits
The album was released by Nacional Records in April, 2010. All tracks written and produced by Jorge Verdin (BMI), except Arriba el Novio, written by Jorge Verdin and Fritz Torres. Mixed with Luis Elorza (Tijuana) and Peter Warner (Ciudad de Mexico). Mastered by Sam John at Precise Mastering (London). Cover design and illustrations by Jorge Verdin, with additional illustrations by Fritz Torres.

Discoteca Nacional

Accordion: Juan Téllez |  Trombone: Elizandro Quintana  |  Clarinet: Edgar Hernández  |  Percussion: Paul Félix  |  Percussion: Tony Gómez “El Muñe”  |  Hammer-on guitar: Tom Strahle  |  Programming,  TR606 + MS20 + MS10 sequencing, circuit bent TR727 & Casio SK1, bass: Jorge. Tijuana sessions recorded by Pedro Meza.

Llantera

Accordion: Benjamin Rivera |  Accordion: Juan Téllez  |  Trombone: Elizandro Quintana  |  Trumpet: Gustavo Medina  |  MPC programming, analog synths, Yamaha VSS200, guitar: Jorge. ''Tijuana sessions recorded by Pedro Meza. Rhythm track samples taken from the assembly of “Hi & Lo”, a kinetic sculpture by Ruben Ortiz Torres. Assembly sounds recorded by Ruben.''

“BabyRock” Rock

Vocals: Fernanda Karolys |  Accordion: Juan Téllez  |  Tuba: Marcial Alonso  |  Clarinet: Edgar Hernández  |  MPC programming, guitars, keyboards: Jorge. ''Tijuana sessions recorded by Pedro Meza. Fernanda’s vocals recorded by Rick Alick and Jorge.''

Naked Ladies

Vocals: Robin Abernathy |  Trombone: Elizandro Quintana  |  Trumpet: Gustavo Medina  |  Solo trumpet: Leoncio González “El Tyson”  |  Tarola, reverse hihats, rides: Paul Félix  |  Bombo: Jose Maria López  |  Accordion: Juan Téllez  |  Percussion: Edgar Hernández  |  Acoustic guitar: Tom Strahle  |  MPC programming, analog synths, vocoder, fuzz bass: Jorge. ''Tijuana sessions recorded by Pedro Meza and Luis Elorza. Robin’s vocals recorded by John Piccari.''

Arriba El Novio

Clarinet: Ramon Ontiveros |  Accordion: Juan Téllez  |  Trombone: Elizandro Quintana  |  Trumpet: Gustavo Medina   |  Low-pass tuba: Marcial Alonso  |  Guitar: Tom Strahle  |  MPC programming, analog synths, keyboards, circuit bent Speak&Math: Jorge Verdin. Tijuana sessions recorded by Pedro Meza and Luis Elorza.

Nicole Ya No Baila Aqui

Accordion: Arnoldo Castillo |  Accordion: Juan Téllez  |  Clarinet: Edgar Hernández  |  Trombone: Elizandro Quintana  |  Flugelhorn: Gustavo Medina


 * Bottles, lead & rhythm redoba: Fritz Torres |  Programming, guitars, bass, Korg MonoPoly, piano, tapes: Jorge. Tijuana sessions recorded by Pedro Meza.

4:15am

Accordion: Juan Téllez |  Bajo sexto: Juan Carlos Reyna  |  Clarinet: Edgar Hernández  |  Trumpet, flugelhorn: Gustavo Medina  |  Acoustic guitar: Tom Strahle  |  MPC programming, guitars, keyboards: Jorge. Tijuana sessions recorded by Pedro Meza, Luis Elorza and Pepe Mogt.

Eso Esperamos

Bombo: Jose Maria López |  Tarola, hi-hats: Paul Félix  |  Programming, samples, tapes: Jorge. Vocal samples provided by El Zorrito de la Television, Maconsito y Quasimodo.

Radio 80

Accordion: Juan Téllez |  Bajo sexto: Juan Carlos Reyna  |  Clarinet: Edgar Hernández  |  Tuba: Marcial Alonso  |  Trumpet, flugelhorn: Gustavo Medina  |  MPC programming, analog synths, keyboards: Jorge. Tijuana sessions recorded by Pedro Meza and Pepe Mogt.

El General

Accordion: Juan Téllez |  Clarinet: Ramon Ontiveros  |  Percussion: Tony Gómez “El Muñe”  |  Percussion: Paul Félix  |  Violin, viola: Hector González  |  Programming, sequencing (MS20 + SQ10), analog synths, tapes, Boss Dr. Sample: Jorge. ''Tijuana sessions recorded by Pedro Meza and Luis Elorza. Strings arranged by Robert Watson and Jorge Verdin and recorded by John Piccari.''

Bajo Sextoy

Bajo sexto: Juan Carlos Reyna |  Trombone: Elizandro Quintana  |  Trumpet: Gustavo Medina   |  Clarinet, percussion: Edgar Hernández  |  MPC programming, analog synths, melodica, guitars, fuzz bass, percussion : Jorge. ''Tijuana sessions recorded by Pedro Meza. Additional horn arrangements by Edgar Hernández''

Babai

Vocals: Supina Bytol |  Accordion: Juan Téllez  |  Charchetas : Tony Gómez “El Muñe”   |  Backing vocals: David J  |  Programming, bass, guitars, MS20, Yamaha VSS200, samples: Jorge. ''Supina’s vocals recorded in Melbourne, Australia by Monkey Mark in his solar powered shed. David J’s vocals recorded by John Piccari. Tijuana sessions recorded by Pedro Meza and Luis Elorza.''

Clorofila