Amatoria

"It's such a vast and huge theme, love. You can approach it in different ways," reflects Buenos Aires-born songwriter and guitarist, Federico Aubele. "Love is such an important thing for every human being, whether we notice it or not. We all experience it at least once in life. It's one of the few things, along with dying, that is guaranteed to happen to you." Way back in 1 BC, the original Latin lover wrote the Western world's first guide to picking up women Roman-style, "Ars Amatoria", the Art of Love. Fast forward two millennia, when Aubele is swiping pages from Ovid's playbook, by way of smoky tango bars and the sultry heyday of Mexican boleros in the 1940s, and falling hard into the acoustic yet lush "Amatoria".

Aubele hears love in boldly eclectic yet elegantly spare arrangements. His new compositions hint at reggae, they have a touch of old-school down-and-dirty tango. They flow from the melodic essence of The Beatles, although with a distinctly Argentinean creative flavor. But the spirit of bolero, especially the rough-and-ready heartfelt ballads of the 1940s, form the backbone of "Amatoria", harkening back to Aubele's childhood in Buenos Aires. Aubele's mother was constantly playing records of tango, boleros, and bossa nova, including classic groups like Los Tres Ases. "Amatoria" features vocal collaborations with Natalia Clavier, Sabina Sciubba of The Brazilian Girls, and Miho Hatori of Cibo Matto.

Though a darling among wry hipsters, Aubele is an unabashed romantic, open to the inspiration that comes from staring at the moon on a Spanish night or at the face of a peacefully sleeping lover. Now with his own confidence built from experience, musical and personal, 'Amatoria' reveals Aubele's voice as relaxed and in the mood, with no reservations.