CUENTOS PARA DORMIR

Someone's been listening to latter day King Crimson!

That may not be quite fair. ABRETE GANDUL is by no means a Crimson clone, but the influence is definitely there. These guys are the definition of experimental. They may come from Chile, but you will hear no indication of South America on "Cuentos Para Dormir." This is some challenging, sometimes dark, RIO inspired music. It's quite enjoyable too. No vocals, just instrumentals, and this band can play. The instruments, pop, wind, wail, strut, and sometimes even mellow out. It's an eerie ride all the way through, but a pretty tasty one too. If you are in for something a little out of ordinary, but still somewhat melodic, check this out.

H.T. Riekels

Sophomore release by this fabulous Chilean band called Ábrete Gandul after undergoing a major line- up change with the departure of one of the original guitarists: "Cuentos Para Dormir" finds the band adjusted to an exclusively instrumental format and working solidly on an enhanced hardening of their experimental prog sound, and may I add that I like the band better (no disregard for the excellent debut album, whatsoever). Not unlike a host of other great compatriot bands (Ergo Sum, Tryo, Exsimio, Koiak, Autómata, Flotante, Mar de Robles, Estigma,.), Ábrete Gandul bears and flaunts a particular way to absorb the King Crimson influence and exploit the psychedelic potential in an inventive way. Ábrete Gandul are specifically related to Estigma and Ergo Sum, since they tend to create clever mixtures of powerful, neurotic displays (Crimsonian with slight connections to heavy prog) and ethereal, colorful nuances (jazzy and fusion). Despite the evident technical competence of all members, the band's sound is not based on pyrotechnics but on articulations: the two guitarists preferentially concentrate on complementing each other's harmonic bases and counterpoints; the keyboardist states lots of atmospheres in order to fill spaces; the rhythm duo handles the tempo and mood shifts with total ease. The opener 'No Se Metan con el Capitán Problema' gets started with a brief intro of spacey synth before the main body gives way to a series of 80s Crimson counterpoints, with a jazzy rhythmic foundation that turns a bit Fighter in the rockier moments. This pertinent opener states a preparation for 'Al Fin y al Cabo', a piece that focuses on the jazz element, including a ceremonious intro that reminds us of Present-meets-Naikaku. 'Hay que Volver a los Chinos (De Nuevo)' can be described as a missing track from 81-84 era King Crimson refurbished and rearranged by musicians from Mahavishnu Orchestra in a relaxing situation. Of course, some tense passages must emerge in some strategic places. it's almost a higher statute! 'Alguin Intrascendente' is not an intrascendent piece at all, but a beautiful example of Ábrete Gandul exploring the jazzier side of their musical realms. The candid melodic drive developed in the piece is occasionally seasoned by a magnificent, sober bass solo; meanwhile, the drummer states a cleverly complex foundation without going over the top. 'Dr. Finger' seems to go for a similar trend, but the accentuation of Crimsonian vibrations is easy to notice, as well. There are also a few passages in which the bands states a hard jazz-rock dynamics (like "Flex-able"- era Steve Vai) in an interesting contrast against the more atmospheric installments (including a beautiful flute solo, very Focus-like). The conclusive climax is simply hypnotic. 'Primanocte' starts on a mid-tempo note, until teh second half brings a more intense ambiente, sounding like Gordian Knot- meets-Djam Karet. 'La Ira (. de la Novia de Byron)' brings back a combination of moods from tracks 1 and 3: the band takes good advantage of the 9 minute span, generating epic moments that mix Crimsonian neurosis, cacophonic space-rock and heavy prog. 'Dilema' is a brief yet varied piece that uses sources from Baroque, jazz-rock, funk and chamber-rock. Its main mission is to serve as a prelude to 'Disminuyéndote', the monster track that occupies the album's last 9 ½ minutes. Tha band turns into similarities with Flotante and Estigma: some parts on rhythm guitar, bass and keyboard remind me of Gentle Giant and Soft Machine. The section that begins at minute 4 states a cosmic aura that borders with the creepy: from then onward, the piece is developed through a sustained climax built on a tense crescendo, culminating on a powerful ending for this great album. "Cuentos Para Dormir" is a real exciting album that shows how alive the prog rock genre remains in these days. Latin American bands never cease to bring relevant inputs for the world of art-rock.

(Review dedicated to my Chilean friend Fabio Salas Zúñiga).

One more interesting album from a Sourh American band!

This is the second album of Abrete Gandul, a band from Chile who was born in the late 90s- early 00s, a band whose name was the first thing that caught my attention, so I wanted to know their music. Their debut album was released in 2000, and this second record named "Cuentos para Dormir" saw the light in 2005.

This album features nine songs and a total time of 56 minutes. It kicks off with "No se metan con el Capitán Problema". The King Crimson tendencies are obvious since the first moments. The guitars and even the soundscapes remind me to some kind of Thrak moments. Later the song changes and a flute appears adding an extra flavor, in moments the song turns heavier but later slows down and continues as it began. At half the song there is a nice guitar solo and great use of keyboards. Great first track.

"Al fin y al cabo" opens with a happy-mood style due to those kinds of jazzy guitars. The rhythm is very friendly and nice, so anyone could easily enjoy this track. The bass work is very interesting and there is also a wind instrument over there. A couple of minutes later an aggressive guitar appears and the mood totally changes. Again, another Crimson reminiscence can be appreciated here. I dare say their were Abrete Gandul's stronger influence.

"Hay que volver a los Chinos (de nuevo)" I would say "hay que volver a la Discipline-era de nuevo" (We have to comeback to the Discipline era, again) You will understand why I said this, the guitars show that obvious influence. However, the song changes in moments but that Crimsonian element is almost always present. But let me tell you, that despite that big influence, Abrete Gandul is far from being a KC copycat, not at all. "Alguien Intrascendente" could have been the second part of the previous song, because it begins with a similar sound, though later it has some changes, both songs could fit in as one long track. Pretty nice instrumental music so far.

"Dr. Finger" is an interesting longer track with excellent guitars and keyboards, the sound in moments is symphonic, though the tag of eclectic prog is really accurate with this band, at least with this album. After two minutes, there is a nice guitar solo that marks the end of the first part of the song. Later it stops and new bass lines start with a softer rhythm and more relaxing mood. There is also a piano here, and with the sound of a flute, the song really turns gently and friendly. Just before minute six, there is a minor stop that will give pass to a guitar solo. There is also a synth effect as background so the atmosphere is quite nice. The last minutes are a bit heavier and emotional. What a great composition, an excellent song.

"Primanocte" has a soft and delicate start with guitar and flute. Later it progresses and accelerates a little bit, though it slows down seconds later, again. This structure continues for a couple of minutes until it makes another change. The addition of piano puts a gentler sound on it. There is stop before minute three, and then a new structure begins to be built up.

"La Ira (?de la novia de Byron) is a nine-minute song that takes again those Crimsonian guitar figures along with the synth effects as background. The atmosphere is nervous and dark in some moments, creating some kind of tension. To be terribly honest, this time I would say that this song could have fit in Thrak, because the sound is really similar. Later the song make some changes, and very interesting ones, the atmosphere keeps being tense and chaotic, the sound produced by keyboards and those strong guitars make it even better. Another great track.

"Dilemma" is the shortest track here. A gentle flute and keyboard oriented track at first, later with the addition of the guitars, puts again that KC flavor on it. And the last song is the longest one, entitled "Disminuyendote" it reunites all the Abrete Gandul sounds, I mean, it could be like a compilation of all the previous songs. This track would be an exceptional example of the band's music.

This is a very interesting album, though in moments it could sound repetitive, I believe they managed to combine their own style, with the clear KC influence, and the result was this sophomore and eclectic record. Another example of the excellent music created in Chile. My final grade is four stars.

Enjoy it!