Tijuana Cartel

Tijuana Cartel are in town and ready to serve up the flavours of foreign lands with their unique blend of funky broken beats and multi-layered grooves that span the globe. The home-grown threesome – working with percussion, keyboards, electronics, trumpet, guitar and vocals – deliver a psychedelic concoction of Middle Eastern timbre, synth vocals, flamenco guitar and pulsing bass. This shambolic combo blends seamlessly to produce a sound that’s energetic, captivating and so unique that front man Paul George struggles to define it himself.
“Our music is really hard to describe, because I think it weaves a lot of different sounds. We’ve really made our own genre in that sense – it’s just heavy beats and bass with some weird instruments thrown in … it’s hard to define unless you hear it,” he says.
Paul explains the abstraction of their work has evolved organically over almost a decade, with years of touring, travelling and collaborating all unconsciously influencing their musicality.
“We went to India for a while and I studied for the sitar, Carey and I spent about eight months there getting lessons from a guru. We started getting into that Hindustani classical sitar based sound and those scales are what we use throughout our songs,” Paul says.
Whilst Paul does have his favorite world musicians – check out Ravi Shankar on sitar – he explains there has been no real defining influence that originally sparked their interest in exotic rhythms and textures. “It’s hard to pinpoint any one musician that’s influenced us. We like southern Indian music and Middle Eastern music — it’s pretty broad, but that’s how broad our taste is. And on top of that, we mix everything from hip hop, to rock, to dance music.”
The band is currently wandering around the country in anticipation of an upcoming studio release. Set to surface in August this year, Paul explains that while the new tracks will parallel some of their older vibes (as heard on their 2014 album 24 Bit Guitar Orchestra), it is much more vocal driven, leaning toward a stronger indie feel. Hot tip: hop along to the Torquay Hotel to have a sneak peak of some of these new tunes.
With only Paul based in Byron Bay, this tour gives the boys a reason to come together, hitting the road and returning to what they know and love. “It’s our life – I can’t imagine doing anything else. It feels like [our fan base] is building, I think because we have such a niche and a different sound. Every year we do it we see the crowd growing and the music getting better, so it feels like it’s worth doing.”
This could be one of the last chances to catch these guys nearby for a while, as they are hoping to take their forthcoming album to Europe. So bring your best dance moves and an open mind, because Tijuana Cartel are guaranteed to pack some exotic treats and give you an experience like no other.
When & Where: Torquay Hotel, Torquay – April 3 & Howler, Melbourne – May 2
Written by Emily Hirst