Sofarnopolis [LP]

by Matias Aguayo, Matias Aguayo & the Desdemonas

Overview

Chilean/German techno producer/vocalist Matias Aguayo's fourth full-length is the first to spotlight his band the Desdemonas, which includes Italian drummer Matteo Scrimali, German keyboard player Henning Specht, and Colombian guitarist/bassist Gregorio Gomez. Musically, it's not all that far off from Aguayo's previous album, 2013's The Visitor, which had more of a spontaneous energy than some of the minimal techno he was previously associated with. However, this one feels a bit more focused due to the group's stable lineup, as opposed to the numerous guest musicians who contributed to the previous effort. The band explores a spooky post-punk dance-rock sound which tips ever so slightly into goth at times. Aguayo's reverb-coated vocals bring to mind Alan Vega with just a hint of the Residents, and he improvises lyrics in English, Spanish, and German which generally seem to reflect various states of paranoia and restlessness. "Nervous" opens with Aguayo howling "In the middle of the night!" in a Dracula-type voice, and it's hard not to think of it as an electro update of "The Monster Mash." "Cold Fever" has appropriately shivering vocals over a mean bassline, recalling later Two Lone Swordsmen. "Boogie Drums" is a lengthy workout with thundering tribal drums, eerie guitar waves, and anxious vocals expressing the desire to transcend the body. "Supreme" is relatively straightforward, although the tension rises as Aguayo sings of fever nightmares, and the music cleverly incorporates a nod to John Coltrane's A Love Supreme. "After Love" is an eerie piece of late-night noir with ghostly vocals and wailing horns layered over the ticking drum machines and chilling bass guitar notes. It almost seems surprising that Aguayo waited this long to form a proper band (not counting various duo projects with other techno producers, or Comeme supergroup the District Union), as he seems like such a natural frontman. The Desdemonas seamlessly blend the nervy energy of dark post-punk with dance music technology, harnessing hypnotic rhythms without sounding like they're merely following the beat. ~ Paul Simpson

Product Details

Release Date:	12/01/2017
Label:	Crammed Discs
UPC:	0876623007838
Rank:	141461

Tracks

1. 6 AM
2. I Was a Star
3. Nervous
4. Cold Fever
5. Supreme
6. The Rabbithole
7. Vocal Arranger
8. Boogie Drums
9. Amiga
10. After Love
11. Walk on By
12. Dream Sequence
13. Antidoto

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Matias Aguayo   Primary Artist
Matias Aguayo & the Desdemonas   Primary Artist