GOTAN PROJECT - fall tour dates! 09 Jul 2010

GOTAN PROJECT LIVE!

9/29            Montreal, QUE                       Metropolis
9/30            New York, NY                        Terminal 5
10/2            Los Angeles, CA                    Club Nokia LA Live
10/3            San Francisco, CA                 Warfield Theatre

An evening with The Gotan Project is a very special night indeed. They don’t come to the US very often (the last tour was in 2006), but when they do, the shows are truly magical.  The band really pulls out all the stops when they play live, and although they never imagined themselves as a touring outfit when they first began blending programmed beats with traditional tango music back in the late '90s, they have gone on to tour the world countless times, playing over 400 concerts in support of their three studio albums. The band have played everywhere from Russia to Australia.

For the live show in support of their latest album, Tango 3.0, Gotan Project have replaced their light suits with dark pinstripes, the grand piano has changed from white to black, and the mood of the show has transformed with it. The male members of the band are all dressed in sharply tailored 3-piece suits, cut to a design that harks back to the 1930's. The three founding members of Gotan Project, Philippe Cohen-Solal, Eduardo Makaroff and Christoph H Müller are identified by the dark fedoras, which complete their outfit.

The stage itself is drenched in black, with 5 bass drums arranged across the front of the stage, the skin of each drum featuring one of the nude character letters that make up the word G O T A N from the cover of Tango 3.0. The beautiful and engrossing visuals, created by longtime collaborator Prisca Lobjoy, are projected onto a transparent chain mail screen, lending a unique texture to the images and allowing the subtle lighting behind the screen to shine through.

Whereas Philippe and Christoph previously performed from a platform at the back of the stage, they now flank either side of the stage, bringing more emphasis to the musicians who take up centre stage. Indeed, the new live show feels more reliant than ever on live instrumentation, despite the ever-present use of Gotan's trademark production, samples and DJ technique.

In fact, the Western influence that has been ever more present in Gotan's sound. “De Hombre A Hombre” is represented by Philippe, who steps out from behind his decks and effects for the first time to play the electric guitar. The bandoneon is expertly handled as ever by Facundo Torres, and the piano by Lalo Zanelli. The strings however have been replaced by the impressive Ananta Roosens who switches effortlessly between violin and brass.

Last but not least, the vocals come courtesy of Claudia Pannone, an extremely capable replacement for Cristina Vilallonga. Claudia's vocal style is loaded with a melancholy and vulnerability that perfectly complements the more sinister tone that underlies Gotan Projects latest shows. Tango 3.0 is brought to life brilliantly and vividly while the live favorites from Lunatico and La Revancha Del Tango sound just as relevant as they did when Gotan Project first began touring.

This video, for Tango 3.0's "El Mensajero" was recorded live on their current tour.
http://vimeo.com/13150296

Cast list:
PHILIPPE COHEN SOLAL : electric Guitar, bass, keys, whistle & dub fx
EDUARDO MAKAROFF : acoustic & electric guitar
CHRISTOPH H. MÜLLER : programming, bass, keys, tenori-on, vocoder & fx
CLAUDIA PANNONE : vocals
FACUNDO TORRES : bandoneon
ANANTA ROOSENS : violin & trumpet
LALO ZANELLI : piano


GOTAN PROJECT - El Mensajero (live) from Ya Basta records on Vimeo.