TIEMPOS DE CUARENTENA

This is the second album by electronic artist Alejandro Villalón Renaud, a Mexican talent whose debut offered a truly interesting mixture of prog electronic and ambient music, creating an exquisite album for those who like this kind of music. Now after several years, he has just released his second record entitled 'Tiempos de cuarentena' which translates as "Quarantine Times", so by the title we are receiving a message, and can figure out a little bit of what's this record about.

It kicks off with 'Nuevo Amanecer' (New Dawn), and since the very first seconds we can notice the kind of futuristic sound like a sci-fi movie, we know Villalón is a master of electronics, he is aware of the existence of big names such as Klaus Schulze so it is normal if the sounds here reminds us of him or other artists. Everything here is made by electronic devices, and it is nice to see how the music changes a little bit while the minutes pass, it develops into a kind of chaotic scene, not repetitive, but hypnotic. The song is very visual, like being in a film.

The second track is 'Último día normal' (The Last Normal Day), so yeah, when was it? Was it before the lockdown, was it after the lockdown? The new normal had already finished? Well, throughout this album the quarantine comes to our minds, and how everything drastically changed in our lives, for good and for bad, but it is a kind of landmark or milestone in our history. We can notice in this track which is one of the longest of the album, several changes in time, tempo, mood, Villalón is also an audiophile so he knows how to move things and create atmospheres and different layers and make the music rich and full of images and sounds. Earlier I mentioned Schulze, but in this track you might also remember Vangelis or even Tangerine Dream. It is an introspective track, we can be in a ride of calm and tranquility and then have uncertainty and doubt, it is like real life, like a reflection of our emotions when pandemics started. All of a sudden we didn't know what would come next.

'Sombras' (Shadows) is the third track here. Important to say that in the CD booklet we can see some pictures of those pandemic moments, since Villalón also loves photography he wanted to share with us a slice of his eyes, of his perception when the lockdown appeared, and how we as humankind were reduced to shadows in this enormous land. This is a somber track, it also works like a soundtrack for a desolated film. I like when the synth appears and creates an hypnotic passage where the tension and uncertainty are always present. I would recommend listening to this album with good headphones so you can better appreciate the different layers.

What I love is that music becomes memory, I mean, it is impossible not to bring back those 2020-2021 moments where we were locked, and the infinite emotions and mental and physical changes we had. The music always shares a message, its up to anyone of us to give it a meaning.

Spacey and atmospheric tunes are present here almost all the time, and we can notice it again in 'Monstruo invisible' (Invisible Monster) which happens to be the longest composition of the album. This is quite interesting, the first two minutes are truly quiet, just soft spacey calm, you can close you eyes and take a deep breath. Then after the fourth minute it comes a major change, the peace disappears and a kind of scary and somber atmosphere appears, not far from drone music, and the uncertainty that one feels while listen to it, is the same uncertainty we all had in those pandemic times. Maybe uncertainty is one of those "invisible monsters", and I can say some of them are still present in our actual life, they have become part of us.

'Flores en el pavimento' (Flovers in the pavement) is very much a keyboard-driven track, synths with several layers that keep the same mood than the previous tracks, maybe the one track I least connect with, however it is a very nice one, though.

'Ecos' (Echoes) begins with some church bells and then the synthesizers enters, this is kind of new, it creates a spiritual atmosphere and once again I picture us on those pandemic moments, because no matter our different beliefs, we shared echoes of hope, also of despair, but we all wanted the lockdown to end and re-do our lives, and recreate ourselves. I'm not sure what happened through Villalón's mind while creating this track and this album, but it is powerful to see how music reflects our days. We all have our personal interpretation, but I embrace the idea of representing here those endless feelings and emotions we had: afraid of dying, of losing someone, of losing jobs, of being unable to travel, go out and enjoy life, etc.

Well, now imagine you wake up, open your eyes and know you have to face (A New Day) 'Un nuevo día', this is what is this track about. I picture myself at bed, then opening my eyes, the window and see the sun and just smile and ask to myself: what's next? I don't know, it's a new day and we have to face it and make decisions all the time and also give some hope. I perceive this track is about hope, about being alive, about thanking life for a new opportunity. Routines changed, and now we must figure out how to go on.

Last but not least comes 'Contacto' (Contact), and it is like a closure of the record. I like this because it introduces new elements such as guitar and also I remember those famous Frippertronics, so yeah the spacey and ambient atmosphere is here always, but now the tempo is a bit faster, different from all the previous tracks. It is a quite interesting track, because after the new day we have to face the new normal, being in contact with people in a new way of life.

Kudos to Villalón Renaud, he did a very interesting album from one of our most memorable experiences in life, and it has not been an easy ride after the lockdown, so I really appreciate this honest work, and how it succeeded to move my emotions and memories. I felt it.

Congrats!