Mexicans With Guns
Loaded for Pachanga at Fiesta Gardens Saturday
Fri., May 20, 2011
Mexicans With Guns
Ceremony (Innovative Leisure)San Antonio DJ Ernest Gonzales' masked alter ego, Mexicans With Guns, threads remix theory through the eye of total chaos – death and rebirth reshaped into electronic sculpture. No easy task, that, but Gonzales makes Ceremony an event, seamlessly fusing his mixtapes into a whole, drawing on hip-hop, drum 'n' bass, and Latin forms with inventive results. Between hi-NRG sample sales ("Dame Lo," "El Sol y La Luna") and slow jams ("Deities"), his ear for off-center beats and altered states demonstrates his collaborative nature. Closer "El Moreno," featuring electro en Español balladeer Helado Negro, mixes Gonzales' right and left brain to dreamy effect, while on "Highway to Hell," guest star Freddie Gibbs sounds more spirited than the blunted rapper ever has, and Chico Mann split "Me Gusto" transcends the barrio, updating cumbia for the nu-glitch set. This isn't just needle-dropping, either – Ceremony concludes at a higher elevation.
(5:20pm, DJ Stage)
– Audra Schroeder
