There
are some records that you expect, almost anxiously, because you know
the quality of the members of the band, and their capacity to deliver
something fresh with each delivery. One of those bands is Random,
from Tucuman, Argentina, that after a promising debut with their EP
"Prrimo, The" where they showed a progressive metal of the
odds of Mastodon, Tool and The Mars Volta, that would graze the
experimental for its longevity. In "Todo.s los Colores Del",
the trio would start to use stranger structures, alternating moments
of sonic devastation and others of unusual calm. It's one of those
works which are hard to find in the argentinian scene.
Some
time later, I got the chance to interview Raúl García Posse,
guitarist and main singer of the band, and even though "Pidanoma"
wasn't under gestation yet, some comments showed detachment of their
original sound, expressing the need to explore other paths, maybe
more weird and complicated. Some months later I had the pleasure of
seeing them live, with their performance being one of the most
interesting I've seen (technical issues included)
And
we arrive to the present. A time where after many listenings, I'm
writing about this work. I play it again, "Corto
Normal"
starts. The bass of Pablo Bianchi welcomes us, with an elaborate but
catchy riff, which then is followed by the whole band. Without a
doubt the beginning is very powerful, and it doesn't lose the
intensity with which it began. Probably this is the most digestible
song of the album, with a rather kind beginning before the real trip
begins. Prog Rock, Metal and a bit of Noise Rock salute as the
minutes go by. A beginning that smells like a preamble for what's
comming. To warm engines.
After
"Ojota
y Media",
a weird interlude that includes what seems like a radio recording, a
drum track in the background and other noises, starts "Me
Chango".
A 17 minute track, aand since the firs song it's delicious. The way
the make such a long song without losing the compass is amaizing,
because even repeating sections, none of them sound like the other.
The little details make it dynamic, putting a little surprise hidden
in every bar and making us attentive. The premise is clear: Random
wants the listeners to pay careful attention, to be immersed into the
music and be aware of details, and of every sound that comes from the
instruments. That idea is vital to enjoy this record in every
dimension. With a special guest on sax (Adrián Terrazas Gonzales,
former saxophonist of The Mars Volta and actual T.R.A.M.), the 20
minute improvisation, experimenting with timbres, intensities and
many other sounds become pure delight to the ears, making a cataract
of feelings that exceed you at times.
Fourth
song, "Mia
Gato Esta Solo en la Oscuridad".
Following the crescendo with which the previous song ended, the
thrack begins attacking our nervous system from the beginning. With
the neverending ghost notes and the great energy of Marckos Crosa,
madness is assured. He has to be the most riddled drummer I have ever
seen live, and on studio he does the same. The work of this guy is
just demolishing. If we add the the impecable production of this
record, that makes everything clear and distinguishable, but with the
fair amount of "dirty" to unleash a true sonic chaos on the
right moment, everything becomes stronger, turning memorable but over
all, hypnotic. At certain moments it's inevitable to feel off the
ground, getting into it so much that you feel part of a journey, an
unusual and uncontrolled journey, of which we enjoy every second.
Something remarkable are the Noise influences (probably brought by
Raúl, who has proven to be really skillful to make good noise on
his project "Seda que fue Baba"), which adds very
interesting textures to each of the songs of "Pidanoma",
going from increasing tension to stabilizing motives.
“Gurí
Gurí Tres Piñas”.
Unlike it's name may suggest, the song starts with parsimony, like
giving the listener a breef break of the rollercoaster of feelings
he's in; but without forgetting to add some samples that warn us that
it may blow up at any time. The vocal work on "Pidanoma" is
bounded, even more than in their previous record. Raúl preferred to
let the instruments talk by themselves, and reduced the vocals
practically to harmonize or intensify specific moments of the song.
In this last track, Raúl and his voice uplift certain sections of
the song, which in its 20 minutes tastes like glory. From that peace
and tranquilty that are transmitted on the beginning, it rises
progressively, almost without noticing, for being so calm... and in
minute 10, it all blows up. Calm starts to fade away slowly and it
reaches its algid point, entering a void where tranquility and
decontrol are fused, intensity is fired and the listener is caught in
the middle, with his ears as the sole witness of the overwhelming and
nerve-racking duality these 3 men are offering. A truly unique
duality.
The
album ends, the beatings lower. It's ridiculous to get into technical
aspects about each member and the used resources. The reason is
simple: "Pidanoma" is a record of feelings,
that ask the listener to intrude on it to get taken away. Without a
doubt, the best work of probably the most peculiar and interesting
band of the argentinian and latin-american ongoing musical scene.
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