Mexican Institute of Sound

Few electronic projects lean so heavily on the past as Mexican Institute of Sound. Mexico City DJ and producer Camilo Lara builds its tracks from classic Mexican recordings dating between the 1920s and 1960s, layering them with Esquivel vocal samples, scratches and modern beats. Set beside Nortec Collective and Kinky, the project belongs to a growing Mexican electronica scene that blends folk and traditional sounds with contemporary production.

Lara first gained a following through an annual Christmas compilation of the year's best tracks, which became a collector's item in a niche market. Remix work for Placebo, Le Hammond Inferno, Gecko Turner and Babasónicos followed, and he formally founded the project in 2005. Its debut, Méjico Máxico (2006, Nacional Records), drew praise from Spin, the New York Times and URB. Piñata (2007) brought guests from Tom Tom Club and Fantastic Plastic Machine, and the 2012 album Politico engages with a political climate. "Es-Toy" was among its strongest singles, and the song appeared in Grand Theft Auto V in 2013. Their 2017 album Disco Popular was preceded by "Mi T-Shirt De La NASA", and Lara contributed the song "Jálale" to the animated film Coco that year.