Area 52 (album)

For the classified military installation, see Tonopah Test Range.
Area 52
Studio album by
Rodrigo y Gabriela/C.U.B.A.
Released23 January 2012 (Ireland) 24 January 2012 (United States)[1]
GenreAcoustic, folk
Length53:57
LabelRubyworks (Ireland) ATO (USA)[1]
ProducerRodrigo Sánchez and Peter Asher
Rodrigo y Gabriela/C.U.B.A. chronology
Live in France
(2009) 		Area 52
(2012) 		9 Dead Alive
(2014)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(73/100)[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]
Consequence of Sound[4]
Sputnikmusic[5]
Drowned in Sound[6]

Area 52 is a 2012 album by acoustic duo Rodrigo y Gabriela and the Cuban orchestra known as C.U.B.A. It is Rodrigo y Gabriela's fifth album overall, and their first collaboration with another group. Their aim was to 'do our music with a Cuban orchestra that plays in a very traditional way, a fusion'.[7] All the songs on this album are re-recordings of songs previously released in their previous two studio albums.[1] The duo spent 20 days recording in Cuba where 'the pianist also made the arrangements for the orchestra. We’d play along with the musicians so they could hear our energy'. Afterwards, the band overdubbed solo parts at their own studio.[7]

  1. ^ a b c "Rodrigo y Gabriela". Archived from the original on 27 June 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Area 52 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic.com. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  3. ^ Jurek, Thom (24 January 2012). "Area 52 – Rodrigo y Gabriela". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  4. ^ Cohen, Jake (25 January 2012). "Album Review: Rodrigo y Gabriela – Area 52". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  5. ^ Deviant (24 January 2012). "Rodrigo y Gabriela – Area 52 (staff review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  6. ^ Falcone, Jon (19 January 2012). "Rodrigo y Gabriella – Area 52". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Wondering Sound Interview" Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine, Tad Hendrickson, 'Q&A: Rodrigo y Gabriela', Wondering Sound, January 24, 2012.