various artists – síntesis moderna: an alternative vision of argentinian music 1980-1990

As space for fringe behavior becomes surrounded, the importance of art tends to swell in dense, contained pockets. From the mid-1970s to 1983, Argentina was battling a right-wing dictatorship bent on widening the gap between rich and poor. This is a glitzy soundtrack not to freedom, but to resistance. It involves hypnotic grooves and deadpan delivery, collating the frantic cyclone of public mood as the country transitioned out of military oppression and towards a different kind of uncertainty. Some of the tracks are distant and brooding, but the compilation has impressive proportions that underline a playful, transgressive joy. This ought to be in the history books. 

23/30

A favourite: Mike Ribas – ‘Como Son Los Retratos’ (Harari Edit)

‘Síntesis Moderna: An Alternative Vision Of Argentinian Music 1980-1990’ is out now via Soundway Records.