The history and spirit of his native Patagonia, the temperate, southernmost region of South America, is a productive preoccupation for Argentine indie musician and producer Agustin Lino. Following a few singles, he now offers a five-song EP of soft-focus folk-rock nestled comfortably in a bed of ambient vibes and gentle beats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lino is based in the Patagonian town Esquel \u2013 or Esgel Kaik, in the Tehuelche tongue. That choice of title is indicative of how an Indigenous perspective informs the record. The honeyed \u201cEncuentro\u201d introduces a sample from an old archival record of Tehuelche and Mapuche songs \u2013 but it\u2019s the voices of the living that Lino prioritizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The appropriately celestial \u201cLuna Y Sol\u201d samples the words of diva Beatriz Pichi Malen, from her widely viewed We Tripant\u00fc (the Mapuche New Year) broadcast a couple of years back. Also, there are not one but two contemporary covers of songs by the late Hugo Gim\u00e9nez Ag\u00fcero, patron saint of Patagonian folk-pop. \u201cAlma Sure\u00f1a\u201d is a pretty instrumental, whereas \u201cKaikon Aurora\u201d is a remix of a performance by Gladis Saieg, a folk singer of Mapuche descent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Long story short, as the project\u2019s name requests: Lino\u2019s made a lovely thing here, culturally rich and a pleasure to listen to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n