Techno happy from Tijuana

When Nortec Collective emerged on the world stage seven years ago from its base in Tijuana, the group was hailed as a cutting-edge exponent of a dynamic border culture on the rise. Recently, however, the artistic promise of that teeming, edgy metropolis has been overshadowed by an outburst of shocking violence tied to turf wars between rival drug cartels. The talk of border culture as a harbinger of future trends has retreated, just as residents have curbed their lifestyles to avoid the city's wild shoot-outs in broad daylight.

By Agustin Gurza

May 3, 2008