Plaza Francia Orchestra

While they were, respectively, the keyboardist/programmer and guitarist of Gotan Project, Swiss-raised Christoph H Müller and Argentinian Eduardo Makaroff helped pioneer a certain brand of lounge tango. Joined by French singer Catherine Ringer and repackaged as Plaza Francia Orchestra since a coolly received debut in 2014, they continue to pursue their cause. At times their sound is removed from either European clubland or Buenos Aires tango salon. Opening track ‘Dedos de Oro’, with its lush strings and marimba, hints at a sultry tropical clime. The second song, ‘La Plaza Francia’, splices in a retro funk rhythm that swerves the musical direction Stateside. One of the most pleasant surprises is a proper vocal number, ‘Un Lugar’, featuring the singer Lura. But all 12 tracks rely mainly or entirely on the Gotan-honed electronic pulse. Plaza Francia, a Buenos Aires tourist hotspot, is a fitting virtual backdrop to a music built on repetition, allusion, pastiche and synthesis – postmodern but a bit old-fashioned too. The sequence winds up with Astor Piazzolla's ‘Oblivión’, among the most tried and tested of tango covers. Lushed-up, acoustic, melodious, it shows up the romantic side of Müller and Makaroff – seated on a bench, perhaps, on that plaza. Plaza Francia Orchestra's future, I feel, will be in the past.