Mexico - Revolutions and BPMs

Mexico has long been a utopia for beatniks, hippies and boozing American teens. More recently, it’s been called “the new Ibiza”. But the comparison just doesn’t do justice to Mexico’s rich electronic music scene. As far as Alex Herman (La Santenera Booker) is concerned, it’s no secret that Mexico has always been a major source of inspiration for musicians from The Beach Boys and The Beatles to Armin Van Buuren, DJT and Damian Lazarus. He puts it down to “the natural beauty, warm hospitality, mysticism and open mindedness of the country that has always embraced the creative soul throughout history and will always continue to do so”.

For evidence, look no further than the paradisiac shores of Playa del Carmen on the Riviera Maya where more than 18,000 people are welcoming in the New Year at BPM festival. For the fifth year running the ten day festival combines turquoise Caribbean waters, white sand beaches and more than 150 of the world’s top electronic names. This year’s bill features Richie Hawtin, Danny Tenaglia, Guy Gerber, Danny Howells, DJ Sneak, John Digweed, Lee Burridge, Martin Buttrich, Marco Carola, Soul Clap, Steve Lawler, Steve Angello and Sebo K. Smaller local beach clubs in the area also get involved and become part of the festival.

The director of operations at BPM, Alessandra Axelsson, says the festival was talked into life by two friends over beer and tequila on the beach at Playa del Carmen. “It started in 2008 as an event geared towards the hospitality and entertainment industry, and quickly morphed into the electronic music lover’s winter getaway delight”.

BPM may not have exactly transformed the music scene in a country that already featured amazing events, national talents and international artists. Mexico is well known as one of the markets where DJs can get paid the most. It’s a natural tour stop, at just a few hours flight from the US. “But the festival is of a different magnitude being ten days long and showcasing the number of artists it does”, says Axelsson. Electronic music promoter Cookie (Check his events here)  agrees that while he would not say BPM has changed things in Mexico it has undoubtedly brought a high quality event to Playa del Carmen. “Now it makes perfect sense to plan your holidays there,” he says.

Looking beyond BPM, the minds of many foreigners (read: spring-breakers) may next jump to Cancun, one hour north of Playa del Carmen. According to Herman, there was never a major electronic scene in Baja California to begin with. Cookie agrees: Baja California amounts to no more than 10% or less of the Mexican music market. He should know. Originally a guitarist, Cookie crossed over to DJing and finally promoting in 1997. “We kind of broke the scene here because there was not one before,” he says.

As someone with his finger on Mexico’s musical pulse, we obviously asked Cookie for his take on current trends. “The tech thing picked up again a while ago,” he says. “Those who claim they are the shit of the underground here play it”. Other popular sounds coming out of Mexico right now are those that combine latin sounds like cumbia and banda. However the curious thing according to Cookie is that these styles are taking a lot from electronic dance music: “almost to the point where 50% of it or more have 4/4 hard kicks, the obvious hi-hat, and the cheesy synth line”. Ricardo Tejada (Hardpop club owner - follow on Twitter here) has been putting on electronic music events in Mexico for more than a decade. He likewise speaks about a new sound called Tribal Guarachero that mixes cheesy house electro and cumbia. Although he respects traditional music from every culture, when the rules of a genre are broken and different sounds mixed, he is not a supporter. “I am not a hater but I don’t like this music,” he says. “The hip hop should be hip hop, cumbia-cumbia … [it] is the same when you try to wear a Dior Suit with Havaianas - you will look ridiculous”.

When it comes to popular electronic music, Herman says it’s all a question of what you consider “popular”. Tejada says the problem is that electronic radio stations in Mexico City are too commercial and TV programs promote only DJs like Armin, Tiesto and Guetta while ignoring the real underground. Herman’s tips on emerging artists include Hector, Miguel Puente, Damian Uzabiaga, The Midnight Perverts, Louie Fresco, Robbie Akbal, Muan, Mike Montano, Metrika, Andy Martin, Donovan, Zeque, Light IDR and Signal Deluxe. The Crosstown Rebels monolith is also a good place to start. Owned by Damian Lazarus, it won the RA 2011 Label of the Year. The labels Culprit, No. 19, Hot Creations, Wolf and Lamb, Visionquest, My Favourite Robot, and Life and Death also offer fresh pickings.

“The truth is there’s a scene for all types of electronic music,” says Herman. “Nu disco, IDM, psychedelic, progressive trance, electro and indie dance all enjoy healthy events”. Tejada points to house and disco, with overseas artists like Art Department, Soul Clap and Hot Natured gaining a massive Mexican following.

Herman also recommends nortec as worth checking out. The original sound fuses electronic beats and traditional norteno music with impressive results. As far as he is concerned the whole dub step craze is “thankfully” something that has been kept at bay. Tejada however suggests dub step and reggaeton are massive in Mexico although he’s not a supporter.

Cookie keeps working in Mexico because he believes there are still great opportunities there. “The scene today is as it is … because we built it that way..... You can do a lot over here”. Herman traces the uniqueness of the Mexican music scene to the country’s creativity and culture, not its size. “All around the country there are great proposals by emerging artists waiting for a captive audience,” he says. “Unfortunately many of them have to leave the country to receive the recognition and exposure they deserve”. Tejada suggests that further problems arise once Mexico’s few electronic artists do become well known in the world. “Some of them, as soon as they try the honey of fame, they became vain. I understand, they don’t have too much competition around, like in Europe”.

Most Mexican artists are influenced by the international simply because that’s the easiest way to make their art accessible to a greater global audience according to Herman. “But personally, I respect most those who simply don’t give a shit,” he says. Cookie is likewise saddened by the fact that “100%” of Mexican artists take their influences from what’s going on internationally. This is unfortunate because of Mexico’s diversity in rhythms, sounds and even economies that in turn determine local sounds. “I’d like to see more local sounds explored,” he says. “But it is either not happening or those who try it have not figured out a way to make themselves better known”.

The thing that makes it difficult, according to Tejada, is that Mexico does not have an electronic music culture. “You can see that when you turn on the radio and you cannot find any proper electronic music radio station,” he says. “I love this music but most of the time this work is not giving you back the same response that you want”. Another problem is the difficulty in finding a good producer. “People want norteno, cumbia, colombiana, or rubbish Mexican pop,” he says. “Our famous TV channel makes fake pop artists. I called them TV Poppets like RBD”.

So where to head to on a night out in Mexico if you’re after something decent? According to Cookie there’s 40 plus clubs in Mexico City alone that play nothing but electronic music. He recommends the Condesa neighbourhood as a place where it’s easy to find something good all the time. Tejada maintains there isn’t a proper electronic music club in Mexico City – instead promoters transform a pop club into an electronic club. “That is not right,” he says. “Club owners are very wrong in Mexico, they prefer to invest a lot in the place and they don’t care in the sound”. Tejada says that his club Hard Pop in Juarez promotes underground music. Other promoters like Footloose, Cookie, Difficult People and Adults Only help in keeping the underground scene alive. Big nightclubs include Rioma, Premier and Bleu in Mexico City, Palladium in Acapulco, The City in Cancun, La Santanera in Playa del Carmen and Bar Americas in Guadalajara. In Monterrey, Tejada says that people will pay $20 club entrance, “just to see beautiful people listen to Lady Gaga, Timbiriche, RBD”.

Mexico receives a lot of press for all the wrong reasons and there’s often a link made in the media between Mexico’s violent drug wars and its nightclubs. In 2010, Mexico’s ruling party proposed legislation to send musicians to prison for performing songs that glorified drug trafficking. Although the legislation was not brought into effect, the drug ballads, known as “narcocorridos” are still popular among some norteno bands. Tejada says that there is a lot of cocaine associated with norteno but maintains that the relationship between the electronic music scene and drugs is the same as in every country. “The drug war in my country is outside the clubs,” he says. Axelsson suggests the real problem is the control of the border into the US not the regular nightlife. “With or without, and long before the electronic music scene, these things existed,” he says. As far as Cookie is concerned, the drug wars and the Mexican music scene are not interlinked and no aspects of electronic music glorify the drug wars. 

When it comes to that more pleasantly recognisable symbol of Mexico, tequila, it may be a surprise that Mexicans aren’t all mainlining it on the dance floor. Cookie suggests tequila probably only represents 10% of alcohol consumed with beer 40%, rum 20%, vodka 15% and whiskey 15%. Axelsson says that while it’s not all tequila and drinks of choice vary by area, tequila definitely remains the shot of choice. American drinks are also a big influence in Mexico and Jagermeister is becoming very popular, according to Tejada.

Smaller mezcalerias and converted clubs in houses are also increasingly popular as a nightlife alternative. “The big club thing is getting old (for now at least) with parts of the crowd,” says Cookie. “Those smaller places are the answer to that”. Herman agrees that it’s only a natural response from people who are sick and tired of having issues such as dress code or bottle service ruin their musical experience. “It is a revolutionary country after all,” he says. And on that note: Viva Mexico Amigos!

For full info on the BPM festival head here

Special thanks to Alex Herman, Nitin Kalyan, Alessandra Axelsson, Ricardo Tejada and Cookie.