Nortec Collective is a musical ensemble formed by various individual one or two man production projects. The group came together in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Their sound genre mixes electronica with musical elements and instrumentation of Tambora and Norteño music, resulting in the nortec (“norteño” + “techno”) style. The various projects began producing and performing Nortec music around 1999. In 2001, they were signed to a recording contract with Palm Pictures, that released their first album “Tijuana Session Volume 1” under the name Nortec Collective. The line-up for that album included Bostich, Clorofila, Fussible, Hiperboreal, Panoptica, Plankton Man and Terrestre. The latter two would leave Nortec Collective in 2002.
Nortec Collective’s second album, Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3, (Nacional Records) received much critical praise and was nominated for two Latin Grammy awards in 2006.
In 2008, Nortec Collective ceased to function as a proper collective, with the various individual projects performing and recording separately. According to the Collective’s Myspace page, “For the time being, Nortec Collective has decided to release music separately …” and “Until further notice, there will be not be any bookings for Nortec, Nortec Collective or Colectivo Nortec with the full four member line-up.”
The various individual projects went on to release and perform separately. 2008’s Tijuana Sound Machine by Bostich and Fussible (also Nacional Records) was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.
The Nortec Collective has borrowed several elements of Banda music sub-culture and have used them both in their songs (Narcoteque, Almada) and in their visuals and album covers.