It was in Brooklyn, not Buenos Aires, that I tracked down Federico Aubele by phone earlier this week.

The Argentinian singer-songwriter has been living in Williamsburg (New York City’s Mile End equivalent) since January, or at least, he’s been crashing there between tours.

In fact, he hasn’t lived in his homeland for a while – he spent two years in Berlin, and had a stint in Barcelona (this is starting to feel like a Sesame Street episode: “Cities That Begin with B”) – and that suits him fine.

“I was living in Buenos Aires my whole life,” he said. “I still go visit, and have a great time. But I wouldn’t want to go back to live there. ... It’s a pretty crazy city. It’s very fast, it’s huge. It can be pretty rough. And there’s a frustration in people that I don’t enjoy.

“There is a certain rudeness to people’s behaviour. Rudeness is typical of big cities, but I felt it very strongly last time I was in Buenos Aires, especially (from) the cab drivers.”

Though it is surprising that Aubele is not a fan of his exotic hometown, it’s not such a stretch to learn that he is turned off by aggressive attitudes. His recent album Amatoria is a collection of love songs. Therein, he pares down the trip-hop, tango and bolero-inspired compositions of previous releases.

It is his third disc on Thievery Corporation’s ESL label, and his first without production assistance from either of the Washington, D.C. down-tempo duo’s members, Rob Garza and Eric Hilton.

Alone at the helm (Aubele produced, arranged and played all instruments on the album), he incorporates lessons learned from his mentors, and follows his creative instincts. The electronic influences are still there, but more as background than main attraction.

“It was a process of getting rid of what’s not necessary,” he said. “The beats are more subtle. It was a result of touring a lot – not only with the band, but doing (solo) acoustic sets. It created an atmosphere that I wanted to reflect on the album.”

One thing Garza and Hilton always encouraged was for Aubele to give more room to his guitar. “They said it is a very characteristic thing,” he explained, “and that it should come out more.”

Guitar is all over Amatoria. Aside from the electronic beats, it is the only instrument used. It is his muse, the instrument that set him on the path to a career as a musician.

“I started playing when I was very young,” he said. “There was a guitar at home, which belonged to my mom. She wasn’t playing it anymore. I don’t know what attracted me to it. I was a lot into the Beatles back then.”

“As time passed, I started being interested in other types of music. I played with my sound in many different ways. I bought pedals and started experimenting with effects. Eventually it led me back to Spanish classical guitar, which is what I started with. It’s a simple instrument, but you can do a lot with it.”

You can’t escape your history, Aubele has learned. Like the Spanish guitar, Buenos Aires has a way of drawing him back. The new album was recorded there – a matter of convenience, he insists, without losing sight of the irony.

“It’s funny,” he said. “The less attached I am to Argentina, the more my roots shine through.”

Aubele assumes the role of gently crooning Don Juan on Amatoria. But he is not alone; a female presence can be heard throughout in the sinuous backup vocals of his wife, Natalia Clavier, who also joins him for the duet Este Amor.

“We got married around the time I was working on the album,” Aubele said. “When love is fresh, it can help you write fresh songs about love.”

He invited two other female vocalists to sing on the album: Sabina Sciubba of New York electro-pop act Brazilian Girls, and Miho Hatori, formerly of Cibo Matto. The result is an ongoing male-female dialogue that reflects Amatoria’s theme.

While he’s no love specialist, Aubele admits to being fascinated by the topic.

“Love is never-ending,” he said. “It keeps unfolding, you’re always learning more things about it. It connects you with other people – of course, that makes you grow and change. It’s part of a learning experience in life. If you’re always locked in your own world, you don’t get that.

“It’s way more challenging being with someone than by yourself. When you share your world with someone else, it forces you to question things. It makes you grow as a human being.”

Federico Aubele performs Thursday, Oct. 29, at La Sala Rossa, 4848 St. Laurent Blvd., with Depedro. Tickets cost $15, $17 at the door.