Independiente, Uruguay
My iTunes has about a dozen songs titled “1987” and I really like them all, it might be because that was the year I was born. I’ve never done a thorough research on this particular year, but I know Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Player” was the zeitgeist. Uruguayan ‘newcomers’ Campo were also inspired by it, and have made it the first taste of many great things to come for the new band by Juan Campodonico. Campo made our Bands to Watch list for two things; first, Campodonico’s stamp of quality, and second, because we’re deeply in love with “1987” (Roundabouts).
Campo defines its sound as “subtropical music” and they get it right; “1987” sounds like Gorillaz doing a Cuban bolero. This is an all-around song that gets into your skin quickly. It takes me back to middle school, where an afternoon of skating, discoball, and your first love seemed like true paradise. “1987” is a consequence of the new global pop tradition, where extreme corners find themselves through subtle fusion. This track slides so easily you get the impression your listening to funk music, but you if you dig deep into it, it’s actually a very dark and depressing track looking for some light: “I’m hearing that sound, you’re getting much closer, my eyes are shut.”
This version of “1987” (Roundabouts) is still a demo and won’t be included on the actual album. For the production of Campo’s debut (out later this year), Campodonico teamed up with his Bajofondo partner Gustavo Santaolalla (you know him), and Joe Chiccarelli, (who has worked with The Strokes, The Shins & The White Stripes). The final version of “1987” will be in Spanish and it will feature Jorge Drexler.