|
With
albums like this, it is not at all about the music. It
is more about what one thinks is there but may or may
not be there. It is about perception. It is about what
the songs in question make you feel or think. There
isn’t much of a message besides the whole ‘tune in
and drop out’ phrase that was commonplace back in
the late 60’s and that here could be cited just as a
preemptive recommendation of usage.
Nothing
to Say
besides a few whispered voices and some scattered
ghostly subtle mantras contains no vocals so a direct
message with a fixed meaning is nonexistent. The
interpretation of it is then totally up to the listener.
How and when is used, is also up to the listener.
Peru’s
Serpentina Satélite specialize in psychedelic jams. Like with
the drugs that motivated this style’s inception, this is not
about the destination, but about how you get there. Nothing
to Say, like the best recordings of its kind, is then marred by
freedom; guitar solos shoot out in all directions just at the
right speed to carry off the songs with them. Drums follow,
sustain the songs making room for a bit of jamming of their own, and
the bass is the most subversive of instruments. In my humble
opinion its pivotal role is understated here. Though well-played
it is a bit buried in the mix and also by the layering of
two-to-three laser guitars and general space debris.
Besides the
obvious psychedelic indulgences Serpentina Satélite also throws
in some nods and winks to the proto punk sounds of classic
combos like The Stooges and in its rollicking and developing
tempos, traces of kraut-rockisms are found. Very promising
indeed. In general cocky fashion, this Peruvian band brings
matters to a close with "Kommune" a twenty-three piece that is
as expressive as it is long and exquisite.
Official Site
MySpace |
