An exquisite fusion of tango and electronica

Scratchy old vinyl gave way to a thumping drum machine. Delicate clusters of piano morphed into liquid-sounding electronica. A quartet of guitar, upright bass, violin and bandoneon -- the quintessential tango instrument -- was framed by a semicircle of two DJs and a female VJ who projected loops of old black-and-white film onto a giant screen.

Talk about the sound of the future. The local debut of Bajofondo Tango Club on Friday at downtown L.A.’s California Plaza as part of the Latin Alternative Music Conference delivered an exquisitely realized fusion of traditional tango and sophisticated electronica.

At the heart of Bajofondo is Los Angeles-based Gustavo Santaolalla, a man who has spent the last 15 years constructing an intricate sonic labyrinth through his production work for top-level rock en espanol bands, introspective solo efforts and moody film scores.

How he’s found the time to dabble in Latintronica remains anyone’s guess, but his group’s performance validated his original concept of fusing the darkness of Portishead with the morbid sentimentality of Astor Piazzolla.

At the Plaza, the seven-piece Bajofondo remained faithful to the sentimental spirit of authentic tango while exploring a variety of dance formats, from the menacing grooves of drum and bass to the pop conventions of trip-hop on a delightfully trashy reading of the standard “Naranjo en Flor.”

The show’s only flaw was the absence of Buenos Aires diva Adriana Varela, whose androgynous voice encapsulates the essence of electro-tango on Bajofondo’s anthem “Perfume.”

But watching a joyful Santaolalla performing live was a rare treat. It’s easy to forget that this respected producer began his career as a guitarist with Latin rock supergroup Arco Iris. No wonder he looked right at home on the Plaza stage, jumping up and down to his visionary tango beat.