Various Artists - Back Up: Mexican Techno Pop 1980-1989 [Dark Entries Records]

In Back Up: Mexican Tecno Pop, Dark Entries presents 10 divergent tracks of Mexican electronic music from 1980 to 1989, filled with vibrant analog drum machines and seductive synth hooks. Eight of these songs come from the 2005 CD compilation Backup: Expediente Tecno Pop, released by AT-AT Records. Additionally, it includes two unreleased tracks. This release marks the first time many of these songs have been released on vinyl; it is also the first vinyl compilation of Mexican New Wave and post-punk.

While the synth pop and dark electronics of Europe and the United States have been extensively documented, much less attention has been paid to similar proposals from the periphery. Back Up serves as an essential document of Mexico's burgeoning 1980s DIY scene, exploring a wide range of styles and emotions. Using home recording techniques, the bands included here managed to avoid relying on the expensive studios of the time.

Songs by Avant Garde, Vandana, and Silueta Pálida explore a somber but infectious wave that Dark Entries fans will recognize and celebrate. On the other hand, Volti and Artefacto offer a dancefloor-ready pop sound, with echoes of New York freestyle, Latin percussion, and marked rhythms. However, there are also darker turns, such as the New Beat influences of Década 2 and the electronic experiments of Syntoma and their alternate project Escuadrón Del Ritmo.

Back Up: Mexican Tecno Pop was remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The cover features a neon retro-futuristic design by Gwenaël Rattke.