Releases that range from okay to magnificent (at least to our ears).

Ramona - Redes Sociales

Since their inception, Ramona have always been a trend-hopping project, but they were starting to become trend-setters, as their influence was getting quite palpable in the Mexican scene; nonetheless, their latest release, Redes Sociales, sees them jumping in the synth-driven, groove-oriented pop that a band like Clubz had already conquered before them.

Everything, from the songwriting and the production value is overly repetitive, making every song basically feel the same due to being restrained to a painfully consumer-friendly formula: Intro, verse, chorus, verse, repeat chorus twice and call it a day. Not since their collaboration with their peers Jardín, had Ramona delivered such a lazy effort, and it pains me to say this as they are nothing short of prolific and dedicated to their craft. They could have pushed forward instead of just imitating the sound of their current pals, Bandalos Chinos, whose singer, by the way, has a pretty forgettable cameo in "Calidez".

This tepidness actually extends to all the guests featured in the album, as their appearance feels more like the result of their friendship with the band (or pure networking) and not because they would have been able to bring a different flavor to the tracks they're in. None of them contribute anything to the songs but this falls more on the generic nature of the music than on their performance; the entire album could have been sung by any of them without being affected in any way. In a nutshell, Redes Sociales doesn't feel like a Ramona album as much as it feels like an album in which they're just the backing band. The chops are there as well as the skill, but the soul and personality were left all the way back in Cérès.

SCORE: 4.9

Dope Purple - Grateful End

By now, some of our readers (if any) must be aware that I'm getting tired of a lot of rockisms, or any idiomatic restrictions for that matter, especially when it comes to genres like psychedelic rock and stoner rock; however, this Taiwanese quintet has restored some of that lost faith thanks to a raw delivery, focused more on intensity than on "making you trip balls, man!". It's all visceral and in your face.

In essence, Dope Purple are pretty standard, just your usual elongated desertic jams filled with middle eastern modes and loose groves, but it's the energy and intensity of their delivery, as well as the fragility with which they perform the quieter parts, that gives them an edge. It all feels natural, sincere, and not too preoccupied with anything else other than providing a cathartic experience for them as well as for the audience. We can even tell from the band and album's name that they're self-aware which is always a good trait for an artist to have.

Their sound owes a lot to the usual roster of influences of this style, however, there's also a tinge of the noisy racket of a band like Les Rallizes Dénudés. This comes up in "Cosmic Rock is Not Dead", a song that can be taken as the band's manifesto and an undisputable highlight; the last few minutes of this track are a powerful discharge of pure energy. The third track also ends in a similar fashion, but by then, the bar had been set up quite high, and unfortunately it doesn't pack the same punch.

The impact may diminish as the album progresses, but the energy is still there. "New Man'' is an all-out rock number that may lose you at the beginning, but grabs you again as soon as the second half starts. For a meat-and-potatoes rock album, Grateful End delivers material that could have been on par with something released back in the genre's heyday. Here in the present, while some of its elements might be somewhat stale, they work due to the sincere delivery.

SCORE: 7

Grand Mood - The Final Urge to March/The Trench Between Black and White

This reissue compiles the only two EPs released by Grand Mood, but it amps up their power and energy by having them remastered. Black metal in essence, Grand Mood is not overly dark or evil-sounding, instead, their performance and overall sound have a quasi-hardcore sensibility and delivery. Even the guitar has a jagged, aggressive sound, much like we would find in an Envy song.

Though the catalog is short -these six tracks comprise everything Grand Mood did- and even if they were a side project to one of the many main endeavors of its members, we can feel the commitment to perfecting a sound. There is a difference between the three tracks of The Final Urge to March and The Trench Between Black and White: the songs became longer, the songwriting became a little more complex as did the guitar work. Look no further than the second EP's opening track, which is constantly evolving into something new, eventually ending in a cathartic crescendo.

As of now, there doesn't seem to be any plans to revive Grand Mood, but this remastered compilation scratches the itch to better appreciate what the band was doing and how it evolved in the five years they took between albums, becoming more intricate without sacrificing their raw intensity.

SCORE: 7.4

LES - Anisotropic Collapse

The -truly- independent Mexican netlabel, Virtual Soundsystem, keeps expanding their sound to go beyond their initial focus on everything vaporwave. While I have been somewhat lost when it comes to their latest releases, this one caught my attention from the moment I pressed play.

Anisotropic Collapse is supposed to mimic subatomic behavior, and it actually succeeds, as it is full of subtle movements that eventually lead to something bigger and more noticeable. Even though the overall sound and the concept behind the album is something that has been done before, it cannot be said that it has been done better. LunarEscapeSystems (LES) embed their work with enough gravitas placing them among artists like Simon Serc or Jessica Moss (both of whom have released albums with similar themes).

The Israeli duo use contrast to create their ephemeral structures, mixing dark and light through the use of thick, ominous drones and sparkling frequencies that dance around an invisible core. We can consider Anisotropic Collapse as the rebel sister to Caterina Barbieri's Ecstatic Computation, which definitely gives it an edge, compared to a lot of the synthesis-based projects which, frankly, are starting to sound the same as of late. The elements of this type of work are there, but LES have created a very idiosyncratic album with them.

SCORE: 7.7

RZENG - Phase Angel

Sound artist Snezhana Reizen re-releases her 2019 album in which she explores electronic music through a more-or-less traditional filter (compared to her work as a sound artists), but this doesn't imply that Phase Angel is a run-of-the-mill techno album, because it is pretty far from it. Her sensibility to approach sound as a live entity is palpable and combined with her disjointed sense of timing, results in abstract pieces with a pulse strong enough to be carried to the dancefloor, but that have a better fit in a more introspective and meditative setting.

Phase Angel takes techno back to its original purpose of creating music that sounded futuristic and alien, and being knee-deep into the future, it doesn't sound stale in comparison to your average rave set. However, Reizen's approach doesn't feel contrarian either: there's love for the style and this is not an attempt to destroy it, but just to adjust it to another wavelength. In fact, the opening track may lead us to believe that this won't stray too far from the usual aesthetics of the genre, but once "Triangle" starts, things take angular shapes.

The experience goes by fairly quickly, which is a shame because it is quite rich in forms and textures. RZENG is able to take us through different rhythmic patterns and filters, and from erratic dancing to meditative stillness in the blink of an eye, but always maintaining a sense of continuity. While there are no dull moments, the title track and "Tea Bot" may feel too familiar, but this doesn't take away from the quality Reizen is able to maintain through the whole album.

SCORE: 7.7

Scatmother - Vivikta

The German power electronics iconoclast returns with more of his deranged intensity, bringing the genre's in-your-face and no-surprises approach, as well as all the recognizable aesthetic elements, but Scatmother makes it work wonders.Vivikta is a disorienting and violent experience full of bleak psychedelia (shoutout to Ramleh), courtesy of all the crashing waves of feedback resulting in insane patterns that pierce like sonic shrapnel. "Ride The Tiger" is a damn fine example of this insanity, and its extreme nature is sure to alienate newcomers as well as fascinate fans of the genre.

There is no place for nuance as Vivikta is an uncontrollable entity moving in all directions. It reaches out and flows back unto itself with explosive energy; it is set to destroy everything it touches, but it also harms itself upon contact. Scatmother creates a vicious cycle and we're trapped in the middle of the upheaval.

The soundscaping work is pretty dynamic despite being somewhat repetitive. Among all the violent drones, other textures flourish amidst the chaos. This is not your typical white noise background on top of which the screaming vocals are just being barked: The sound is harsh as well as the vocals, and the performance really comes through. Put this in your soundsystem, and your surroundings will slowly morph into a filthy, abandoned basement. Such is Scatmother's power and ability to create a full experience.

SCORE: 8

Low Frequency Trio - Low Frequency Trio

The debut from this conemporary classical and experimental outfit fully exploits the range of each instrument, without veering into self-indulgent virtuoso territory. LFT play with restrain letting the instruments’ timbres shimmer, resonate and rumble, allowing their natural properties to be the focus of the album instead of the musicians’ technical abilities.

While, in essence, this album doesn’t really take us to new places compared to other endeavors focused on similar freeform musical approaches, it should be noted that these are not improvised pieces. Each piece was composed especifically for the trio to perform, and there is something to the way the instruments are treated that makes LFT stand out. Also, unlike just inviting your roster of friends (see the first review), the guest musicians actually add something to the tracks they’re performing in. Everyone takes these tracks and makes them their own as if they were improvising on the spot.

The album opens with a menacing rumble in a low register, and this intimidating demeanor remains for most of the album; there’s a darkness that permeates LFT as if it were the soundtrack to a silent horror movie. The extended techniques really bring out the expressionistic qualities of the instruments, going beyond the traditional use of notes, but when these are used, they add to the overall sonic splatter. As the reeds screech, the keys fumble across all the octaves, and the double bass covers everything under its heavy vibrations, LFT ends up being texturaly rich, mysterious and highly engaging.

SCORE: 8.4