Error Subcutáneo
Error Subcutáneo
SCORE: 7.8 out of 10
With a delightfully nocturnal mix of drum&bass, jazz, trip-hop and Afro-Dominican rhythms, Error Subcutáneo present a stunning debut that, despite its relaxed nature, is full of bravado and confidence.
Much like their music, the guys from Error Subcutáneo seem like pretty chill people. Both Gonzalo (drums) and Mauro (electronics) expel a cruisin’-down-the-beach-at-night vibe that sublimates onto their drum&bass, trip-hop and jazz tinged sonic experiments quite gracefully. Due to this symmetry between the artists’ image and their work, the phlegmatic nature of their debut LP feels sincere, organic and contagious; despite its relaxed nature, this album is a delightfully nocturnal treat full of bravado and confidence.
Mauro’s electronic manipulations have a lot of range, going from incorporeal textures for mere ambiance to full-on grooves created by programmed bass lines and electronic keyboards; however, no matter how saturated or sparse they might be, there’s always plenty of space for the drums to freely move around the samples and grainy textures. The chemistry and synchronicity between Mauro and Gonzalo is such, that one may think that everything was programmed and arranged by one person.
Error Subcutáneo is tight but not uptight. Instead, their clockwork precision lies more in how they complement each other more than on the tightness of their grooves: just like the electronics have layers and nuance to them, the drumming can also be atmospheric or display a hard-hitting percussive punch. This allows the tracks to have a cohesive aesthetic instead of feeling like two disparate elements trying to occupy the same space and failing at it, and even when it’s time to play with syncopation -like in “Manhattan’s” last minutes, or “La Vida E’ un Pary’ (Avece’)”- the pair still feels like a synchronized unit. Gonzalo’s rhythmic dynamism is always pushing the songs forward, and Mauro’s programmed arrangements pave the way for the drums to have a sense of direction through their use of repetition.
This LP is an easy-going experience that will hardly rub anyone the wrong way, but if we were to point out a small flaw, it may be its lack of emotional range. For all of its expressive drumming, variety of sounds and vivid textures, Error Subcutáneo seems to be stuck in a perpetual state of tranquility, but the duo more than makes up for it by having stylistic variety -even if all revolves around the same nu-jazz aesthetics-. Nonetheless, this genre has never been known for displaying animic amplitude, and Error Subcutáneo is far from boring. Its well achieved balance is reason enough for us to be excited about any future releases by this duo.
