DEFORMICA

Beyond the Crimsonesque air already noticed in this band by several reviewers, the opener to this album sounds immediately as "Larks tongues in aspic, part... (you name it)", which is not bad, at all, and even less coming to this from the progressive quarters. Carrying on from that promising start, the subsequent development of the completely instrumental proceedings never dissapoint the attentive listener, boasting tight and impresive rhythmic complexity, with constant and interesting changes in metrics as well as in accent. Also the melodic and harmonic dimensions contribute to wrap and keep you engaged, with a good measure of jazzy and even psychedelic sophistication. Not new, yet very good prog music.

Maybe this is bound to be Argentina's best input for the state of affairs of progressive rock in 2010... who knows? Years after the splendid debut album "H", Defórmica has just released another killer album entitled "Páramo". The basic premise for the development of this album's repertoire is the increase of the post-rock dose in the sonic amalgam that is also generous on Crimsonian schemes, math-rock tricks and psychedelic nuances. Proof of this is revelaed right away on the solid opener 'Novelesco', whose dual guitars recurrently intertwine in Crimsonized post-rock fashion (picture something like the most climatic moments of Isis or Explosions In The Sky). It wouldn't be fair to overlook the also notable presence of jazz-rock cadences along the road of varying motifs and moods. All this happens in a 5+ minute span and it really feels too short, at least I feel it that way. The same "too short for such excitement" feeling appears after I've finished listening to track no. 2 'Escapar En Círculos', a frantic exercise on math-rock augmented with Crimsonian details. The way that the band articulates this storm of rocking energy without letting go of the structural helms speaks volumes about the ensemble's integral tightness. Track no. 3 'Algo Se Lo Lleva Todo' is yet another demonstration of the sort of colorful musical creativity oen has to expect from this band. In its ¾ minute span the band recaptures some of the sophisticated dynamics instilled in the opener albeit with a more calculated administration of its inherent energy. The ethereal mid section displays a pleasant landscape of extroverted tranquility while the final section takes this tranquility and delivers a special magic out of it. No doubt that the addition of soft brass textures helps at this. 'Liberticida' establishes a fluid continuity of the consistent exploring attitude that has been the rule so far (and will continue to be) regarding the groovy mixture of post-rock, Crimsonian prog and experimental jazz-rock. The last passage's vitality closes the track down with full splendor. The following two pieces are not as long: 'Tropel' is a groovy exercise on post-metal (a piece like this might as well be the envy of Red Sparowes); 'Delves' states a similar energy in a more progressive manner, alternarting it with languid, subtly unquiet atmospheres a-la GYBE! On the other hand, 'Citrioino' is an agile hybrid of post-rock-friendly heavy psychedelia and mechanized krautrock (Neu!-style) whose compositional framework actually portrays a sense of warmth that is not usual in either heavy psych-rock or krautrock. The piece ends with brief layers of minimalistic electronica, in this way announcing the colorful majesty of the closing track 'Oh Rey!'. This track vigorously recapitulates a compendium of post-rock, heavy prog. Crimsonian moods and experimental jazz-rock, the four axes of Defórmica's eclectic approach to prog rock. Ofr the jazzy section, the instrumental delivery is augmented by addition og guests on trumpet and trombone, which generates a clever utilization of free-form tension wrapping around the robust rhythmic foundation. (I could have listened to this delicious passage for 4,5, 6 full minutes...). The revolving energy becomes craftily concentrated during the elaboration of the track's climax right before the coda brings a final breath of relative calmness. I interpret this coda as an allusion to something mysterious that lies underneath the rocking power that dominated most parts of this closure. All in all, "Páramo" signals the persistence of genuine musical creativity in the realms of South America and Argentina's prog rock nowadays. Defórmica is a band to pay attention to: I said it when I reviewed "H" at the time, now I feel obliged to reiterate this diagnose in my review of "Páramo".

One of the most amazing surprises to come out in Argentina's rock scene in recent times, Deformica is responsible for creating "H", an incredible catalogue of powerful music full of diverse nuances and robust developments. Points of reference to describe Deformica's sound are: "FromWithin"-era Anekdoten, modern KC, the fierce side of post-rock (Explosions in the Sky, Kayo Dot), as well as the use of clever counterpoints a-la Don Caballero and some hints to stoner rock. The band has a mind really set onto what they want to do: theis sense of conviction is definitely translated into the way they arrange their compositions and perform them as a well-balanced unit. The albums gets started with the ironically titled 'Final', which consists of a brief atmosphere of montonous dula guitar chords displayed under a soft density. The first symptoms of raw energy appear on 'Nuevo V' right from the outset. This highlight is built on the complementations solidly elaborated by the two guitars, hence creating the ethereal power that goes flowing throughout the entire piece. When each guitar goes loose in order to solo, the track acquires a particular sense of oppression. Meanwhile, the rhythm duo fluidly alternates the muscle of rock and the cadence of jazz. A permanent hero (many times, unsung) is keyboardist Alejandro Carrau, whose electric piano phrases and synth lines form the core of most of the album's tracks, at times sounding like a psychedelic musical box, at times creating powerful layers. Later on, 'Hidralia' will follow a very similar scheme to that portrayed in 'Nuevo V'. 'Mecafónico' is one of the most complex tracks, comprising challenging shifts in mood and rhythm: the explosive, the deconstructive, the pulsational and the neurotice succedd each other in a very schizophrenic fashion. Perhaps my personal favourite. 'Arañitas' can easily be describes ad a hybrid of Crimsonian tradition and the mysterious vibe of post-rock, and this same description can be applied to 'Acalambrase'. Being as they are less somber than tracks 2 and 3, they also happen to bear an enhanced dynamics, as if the band had retaken the energy of those tracks and decided to shake it in a more condensed area. 'Marionetas' shows a sort of playful mood, yet never letting go of the overall neurosis that has been working so well so far. In fact, the ensemble takes advantage of this basic playful mood in order to let the dual guitars explore the realms of math-rock, until serenity takes over and builds the track's finale. The album's tracks are always succeeded by specific epilogues. For instance, the epilogue to 'Nuevo V' consists of a series of surrealistic effects originated by delicately banging the guitar chords, while the epilogue to 'Mecafónico' is occupied by a couple of minimal guitar chords tha tseem to portray a person's mind lost in distant melancholy. Other epliogues are: a jazz-oriented drum solo, chaotic synthetic noises in a very krautrock fashion married to a contrabass' creepy phrases, and why not, a beautiful, dreamy sonata on acoustic guitar. 'Sofisma', teh closing track, is a peculiar case, in which the epilogue is much longer than the main track. This is a languid motif that lasts 2 ½ minutes, followed by a mysterious silence that is only broken when a Sigur Ros kind of jam emerges as a fog amidst the clouds in the sky. "H" is a valuable, even indispnesbale item for those who love heavy prog or whatever they call that kind of art-rock full of tension, dense atmospheres and powerful psychedelia. In fact, Deformica has to be paid attention to - sometime ago they were a bright promise, but nowadays they are a consolidated young band that, hopefully, still has much to offer in prog music.