HIBRIDOS

Not too long alter the release of "La Paciencia de Job", one of his definitive master opuses, and while the band Saena was working on their debut album, José Luis Fernández Ledesma still found time to complete yet another solo effort, "Híbridos", eventually relasing it in late 2007. Generally speaking, this album is quite close to the scheme of "Sol Central" but an expansion of the man's musical vision is also noticeable: for instance, the elaboration of fusion-inspired ambiences is a bit more recurrent than on previous albums, and there are also some occasional flirtations with electronics (mostly, in the shape of electro-jazz). There is also some more room for the development of melodices in certain places. The final result and instrumental amalgams feel less stormy than in "La Paciencia de Job" or "Sol Central", just to put tow examples. Is JLFL's music more accessible, then? No, indeed, since JLFL doesn't cut off a single inch of his experimental essence. 'Santo y Seña' kicks off the album with an explicitly extroverted mood, set on the well-ordained conjunction of pipes and percussions: there is a sense of joy that flows on though the track's mysterious vibe. 'Tricky Trip' is a brief instrumental homage to the Art Bears' standard (one of the most consistent influences present in JLFL's input), and next comes 'Cita en Ziggurat', another Art Bears-inspired track, only this time with the incorporation of Botello's vocals and accordion. An effective shift of mood occurs when 'Road Movie' displays a solid exploration of electronic sounds and ambiences, something like a marriage between Stockhausen's post-war avant- garde legacy and pulsational krautrock ("Future Days"-era Can). 'Bolero', despite bearing a title that alludes to Mexican folklore, is actually an exercise on grey density that feels pretty much related to the predominant atmospheres in the previous album "La Paciencia de Job". The dense layers that go on and on for 9 minutes are solidly sustained in the air, as if they were parts of a cloud of soft disturbance. Things turn to a more agile stance in 'Cayó del Cielo'. This playful number is built on a challenging combination of loops, accordion lines, acoustic guitar and santur ornaments, saxophone washes, distorted vocals. How could I describe this track? Well, I'll take my chances here: cyber-RIO with fusionesque touches. 'A Bao a Qu' goes far more constrained places, displaying nebulous, intriguing sounds that at times get somewhat creepy - this is a JLFL specialty, creating scary ambiences in a "soft" way. The track's final climax emerges like a wall of gloom that conquers the sky with a vengeance. 'ParaRap' is sort of a rap parody set on a jazzy vibe and recycled through the spirit of Slapp Happy-meets-Art Bears: arguably, this is the most humorous piece ever recorded by JLFL. The next two tracks respectively bring a homage to the musique concrete school ['Ca(s)za de Chaneques] and an interesting mixture of psychedelic rock and fusion ['Oigo Voces']. 'Muda de Piel' is the album's epic. The main scheme around which the themes revolve is based on a mixture of electro-jazz and RIO: the violin and violectra inputs prove very effective during the more candid passages, while the usual guitar/keyboard layers are vital for the more languid ones. The section displayed for the last minutes is a lament that is gradually built up on an architectonic climax: Botello shines splendidly here with her deliveries on vocals and accordion. After this magnificent piece is over comes the epilogue 'Road Movie II'. It is a brief retake of a 'Raod Movie' motif, albeit less electronic: this time, the harmonization elaborated by the accordion and the harmonium build the nucleus around which Botello does her evocative chanting. Overall balance: "Híbridos" is yet another genius effort by JLFL, more colorful and varied than most of his other works. While not matching the artistic perfection of "Sol Central" or "La Paciencia de Job", it still deserves to be labeled as an excellent musical item that worthy of a privileged place in any good avant-garde music collection.