In 2001, Argentina was going through its most violent crisis in recent years, with the whole political and economic system at the verge of collapse. The local record industry — once one of the strongest and most important exporters of music in Latin America — was about to vanish completely.
In that vortex of chaos and uncertainties, Babasónicos released Jessico, an album that marked a before-and-after not only in their careers, but in the whole Argentine music scene.
Up to that point, Babasónicos had been cult figures in Buenos Aires’ underground, pioneering post-modern trends and experimenting with multiple styles in a scene that was never able to fully figure them out. Jessico wasn’t necessarily more accesible to the masses than any of their previous albums, but the context was different. This time around, the mainstream understood them for the first time and Babasónicos became the first big success story of the post-crisis Argentina.
Today Jessico is seen as a landmark album. Maybe the last great album of the rock-en-español era. Or the first great album of a new era, if you may. In 2012, they celebrated the legacy of Jessico with the release of Carolo, a collection of unreleased b-sides and a limited edition vinyl reissue of the classic 2001 album.
Now there’s a documentary movie about it. Una Historia de Rock En Tiempos Convulsos, with never before seen behind-the-scenes footage of Jessico‘s recording sessions, and interviews with all the band members plus a who-is-who of Argentina’s rock royalty. If you’re not excited about this, you’re un pendejo.
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