Graphic designer and producer Jorge Verdin, of multimedia, electro-norteño alliance Nortec Collective, will release his long-awaited, debut solo album 'Corridos Urbanos' (Nacional Records) on April 13. Verdin, who's known by his artistic name, Clorofila, collaborated with a variety of Tijuana-based tambora and norteño musicians on tuba, accordion, clarinet and horn parts. He favored a more organic approach to songwriting this time around, eschewing the prevalent synth of past works in favor of bass and guitar-based compositions. The album, which features special guest vocals by David J (Bauhaus, Love And Rockets) and Australian singer Supina Bytol, is an introspective look at the past, as well as a more heart-wrenching exploration of the universal feeling of loss. Inspired by fragments of his idilic childhood in Tijuana, Verdin waxes nostalgic on the places that left an impression on him: the record store where he bought his first 45's on the track 'Discoteca Nacional,' the now defunct radio station that specialized in Norteño music on 'Radio 80,' and a popular late 80s nocturnal hotspot that was considered something of a Tijuana rite of passage on 'BabyRock Rock.' The disc's B side takes a darker turn with songs like 'Babai,' '4:15,' 'El General,' and 'Nicole Ya No Baila Aquí' ('Nicole No Longer Dances Here), lamenting Tijuana's downfall.
Verdin, who had been working in Los Angeles as a graphic designer when Nortec originally coalesced in the late 90s, first became involved as a visual artist with the loosely assembled collective. He was recognized last year with a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Recording Package for his work on the cover art for Nortec's most recent release, 'Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3.'
