LUZ DE RIADA

It's been 8 years since Mexican project Luz de Riada released their last album, which was also the end of the 'Cuentos y Fábulas' trilogy; and now in this 2024 after different line-up changes and life challenges, Ramsés Luna, mastermind behind this project, has released an amazing album entitled 'Rizoma', which was possible thanks to his insatiable creativity and, of course, to the great assembly he has created with the awesome Luis Nasser (Sonus Umbra, Might Could) on bass, the great Sergio Aldama (Deuol) on drums, and long-time friend and collaborator Edgar Arrellin on the sound design.

Important to say that this community has further extension to some quite talented musicians as artists who are featured in the album. Tim McCaskey (Sonus Umbra) helps with his work on both acoustic and electric guitar during the whole album, being like an unofficial member of the band. Big names such as Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson) or Matias Olsson (Anglagard) provide their drumming work in the first and last track of the album, respectively, and also talented guitar man Enoc Jiménez puts his grain of sand in three tracks. So it is great to see Luz de Riada is not just an ordinary group, but an entity of talented minds in constant movement and change, minds that have always something to say, not only in a specific musical way, but also in an artistic way, so here we can also have hints of poems and vocal freestyle made by María Lucía dal Farra, Armando Palomas and Floriano Martins.

The journey is divided in 10 tracks that make a total time of 55 minutes of an explosive mixture of sounds and emotions. It kicks-off with 'Auromboros', a wonderful song that opens the gates to this current Luz de Riada's realm, where we can find well-crafted compositions, top-notch performances, colorful sounds, mood and rhythm changes, prog rock, jazz fusion, folk, and more. Though we know Luna is the main composer behind this project, it is great to see Nasser was also involved in the composition, and yeah, we can notice his hands on tracks like these, where bass cannot go unnoticed.

'Entropía' was the song they chose as a single, and I think it was a great decision, because when I first listened to it I said to myself "this sounds like a great album is coming". This track starts with vocals, which Luna has used throughout his career as another instrument, they remind me of some zeuhl acts. Then the song embraces a proggy sound which took me to a crimsonian world, a place I am sure the band and we all love. There are moments where Luna's winds take over and shares a diversity of sounds, nuances, and textures, which is great.

A folkish sound made by percussion appears in 'Raíces', letting us know the band can go to different places and explore a diversity of sounds, musical genres and most importantly, cultures. Here I love McCaskey's acoustic guitar work, is so delicate and delicious, and I also love Aldama's drumming, so accurate, so free, so wonderful. 'Atípica' is the longest track of the album, and according to the credits, it was composed by Nasser, and yeah, his bass here is marvelous, he is capable of creating soft and delicate sounds that feel like big hug. Aldama's work here is outstanding once again, but I really love how all the musicians put their grain of sand in equal parts not only in this track, but during the whole album. At half the song a spoken word appears, it is Dal Farra reciting a poem named 'Canción del barco', written by Floriano Martins. Beautiful!

I love the contrasts between songs, now with 'Matanza de chivos' Aldama delights us with an explosive drumming beginning, then after some 40 seconds strings joins and then winds, so they together create an interesting conversation in a prog fusion style. Later at 2:30 the song makes a changes and adds some kind of atmospheric sounds and raw guitars. 'Todos por la banqueta' has a peculiar beginning that I related with samba de roda and capoeira, later it vanishes and morphs into a complex track where each member plays something quite different from each other, but they manage to fit in, so the track represents their creativity and their union. Here we can also appreciate Armando Palomas featuring with his voice, creating freestyle, in a great trip to our Latinamerican cultures.

'La bestia' comes with some dark atmospheres that later turn into bright fusion colors, it has some crimsonian nuances again, and a wonderful contrast within, because we can hear to explosive rock sounds, but there is a delicious and delicate atmospheric passage where we can close our eyes and imagine things, it is very visual, indeed. 'La danza del tlacololero' has a delicate start that sounds like a score for a silent film, after a minute bass and drums create a kind of afro-latin rhythm in which one cannot help but moving and shaking, it invites us to dance. Then guitars (acoustic and electric) interplay, and a new structure begins to be built up. Luna makes magic with his electronic wind devices, he can hypnotize us and take us to another galaxy.

'Ñuñoa' has a folk essence and sounds like an introspective track to me. The musicians create beautiful sounds that transmit peace, it is like a healing ritual which of course, has different phases, so its first half is like that inner work, but the second half becomes more intense, so its now the outside work. The album finishes with 'Mil Novecientos Quince' which is a hell of an epilogue, a magnificent track that shares power, intensity, and freedom. I love its bombastic start, it sounds epic and it is impossible not to get excited about it. This song is a living proof of how creative these guys are, and confirms the importance that breaking boundaries when it comes to music composition, will provide satisfying results.

Congrats to Luz de Riada for this extraordinary comeback!

While the project employed the talents of many guest musicians on the trilogy albums beyond the core members, RIZOMA is more of a return to basics and simply features the talents of four members. While Luna himself dishes out the flute and saxophone airy sound effects, he is joined by Sonus Umbra bassist Luis Nasser as well as Deuol drummer Sergio Aldama. As an extra special bonus King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto as well as Anglagard percussionist lend a hand on the first and last tracks making this a dynamic and versatile album that delivers as much creative spontaneity as it does groovy bass-driven processions that keep everything from spiraling into the world of unhinged experimentalism. Other guests included Enoc Jiménez on guitar and vocal contributions from María Lucía dal Farra, Armando Palomas and Floriano Martins. This is a Spanish language only affair so hopa you speaka the lingo.

Imbibed with an insatiable quest for creative exploration, Luna once again embarks on a unique musical journey that sets this project apart from pretty much any other act out there i've experienced. A somewhat lengthy affair, RIZOMA features 10 tracks that extend to the 55 1/2 minute mark but it's the kind of musical procession that keeps you enthralled in every metronomic cadence and prancing proggy display of unexpected musical insertions that keep you guessing what could possibly come next. A veritable cauldron of jazzy fusion performs unthinkable antics with crazy avant-prog time signatures, psychedelic atmospheric overlaps and a groovy procession that while not in the camp of Magma inspired zeuhl sort of exists in a parallel universe to it. A plethora of textures, timbres and diversity of instrumental interplay, the album features classic prog workouts as well as adding some home grown ethnic resources to spice it all up like a jalapeño infused burrito.

Where the creativity shines the most is in how the varying basic grooves of the instruments interact. Syncopation and contrapuntal contrast is the name of the game here as the bass playing delivers a beefy yet steady groovilicious stability that allows the party to take place over its time signature rich dominance. In addition to the obvious Mexican nods to cultural sounds, tracks like "Todos La Banqueta" incorporate some beautiful African guitar moves as well as a vocalist that offers traditional African vocal contributions as well as another vocalist who delivers a completely different unreleased track that somehow jives quite well with the various grooving of the instruments. Yeah, this is unique. Very. "La Bestia" and other tracks even flirt with what sounds like klezmer only set to avant-prog mode especially in the feisty guitar workouts.

I have been woefully unaware of this band project. While prog bands in Mexico have become more prolific in recent years, for the most part they still lurk in the shadows of their Anglo and European counterparts. That is a shame because some of the most fertile creativity stems from regions of the world that have been smitten with the world of progressive and experimental music in the last few decades. This album is ridiculously creative from beginning to end with a never-ending series of twists and turns that never cease to amaze. One example is the avant-garde classical music intro of "La Danza del Tlacololero" that gurgles around until the track breaks into a sort of danceable Mexican inspired groove accompanied by the klezmer effect of the woodwinds. All in all this is a brilliant album and a band i simply must go back and explore more as the trilogy of albums that preceded seem to be just as adventurously creative. An excellent album but i find the last two tracks a little lackluster and could've been left off.

When any recording launches a cool bass riff, my spider senses awaken from any nonchalant inertia and immediately switch to gratification mode. "Auromboros" certainly sets the stage with some crafty sounds, turn on a peso twists and turns, odd noises, and scintillating creativity, that stretches the boundaries of prog convention. The ability to shift gears is seemingly fearless, courtesy of Pat Mastellotto (King Crimson) on the drums, leading to an exemplary opening salvo.

With "Entropia" there is a strong classic Gong feel (less the bubbly synths and the glissando guitar swells), where Luis channels his inner Mike Howlett /Hansford Rowe and I can easily envision him grinning mischievously as he is carving another feathered serpent furrow for the amigos to play in. Ramses has Didier Malherbe as a muse to an uncanny level, tossing in some Gilly/Daevid vocalizations and Sergio surely infused some Pierre Moerlen into his athletic playing. This is cosmic jazz with razor sharp playing and delirious imagery, as if the Mexican pyramid on Gong's "You" cover channeled together the Mayan culture with the Pot Head Pixies! Pure bliss and a killer track. The tricky "Raices" presents a thick and rubbery bass line that erects the sonic real estate to towering heights, a jazzy build-up that stuns the listener into submission, as the crew pile on the playful execution. Tim McCaskey shines on both acoustic and electric guitars, as the arrangement evolves into a thrilling workout that maintains the synergy. But that bass ?OMG!

Yup, the 4 stringed monster seizes the onset on "Atipica" with a clearly defined melody, a deliberate methodical build-up that demonstrates the rhythmic partnership with the incredible syncopation doled out by Sergio. Graceful transition into a parallel groove with a brief synthesizer flurry, and a spectral Spanish spoken word narration from Maria Lucia Dal Farra, straight out of a stage opera, with the hushed tones, quivering squeaks, and dense drama. Terrific piece of music.

How about some percussive boom-boom tchack to light the fuse under "Matanza de Chivos"? No problem, caballeros! The slaughter of goats is perhaps an altogether odd title, but the sonic butchery here is worthy of a world class surgeon, a body of work with sliced rhythmic sinews, various instruments cutting thick slabs of dense aural muscle, and a hard to the bone tempo that puts up quite the challenge. The segue is flawless with "Todos por La Banqueta", as the feast is now roasting juicily, perhaps the head used as a Jamaican soup made once famous by the Stones, infused with a wide variety of spices indigenous to the Mexican food culture. The pulsating chanting is hypnotic, the drums and percussion heavily in tow, the mood festive and carnivalesque. Enoc Jimenez delivers undulating guitars as Armando Palomas inserts some free-styling voice manoeuvres. With a title like "La Bestia" that needs no translation, the poor listener is slammed by a beastly set of ominous riffs, discombobulated sax blurting, tortured Jimenez axe outbursts and a merciless drum onslaught. The mood veers towards the insane, the synthesizers gone ballistic, impossible stops and possible starts galore, shifting winds and the kitchen sink to boot. The finale simmers like a fusion stew, tight like a tiger.

For all the farmers out there, "La Danza del Tlacololero" refers to the cultivation of the fields (as vegetables and fruits must also be discussed so as to be inclusive to all) and the dance is highly appropriately evoked. Imagine a huge stage where corn cobs waltz with red tomatoes, under the watchful eye of jalapeños, poblanos, chipotle and habaneros, each providing different levels of 'caliente'. Only the agave plants mind their own business, happy to remain at the bar with el Patron! An extraordinary track once again, with hypnotic colourations, bouncy bass, booming beats, and beguiling atmosphere.

Back to the shimmering suavity of "Nunoa", a breezier number with delicate bass phrasings, glittering flute and synthesizer work from Ramses and intricate percussive meditations. Luis takes over the spotlight and shifts the arrangement into a more cosmic realm, recalling perhaps the 'Isle of Everywhere' feel, as the relentless bass pounding muscles ahead with endless restraint, nevertheless. The reflective flute takes this deep into the night, as the sun sets on the mesa.

"1915" (General Obregon defeats Pancho Villa at the Battle of Celaya), features the incredible Mattias Olsson on the drums, in complete harmony with Luis' bellicose bass guitar, and a vast variety of spirals from the sax. The clash between the two musical warring sides parallels the storyline I guess, but it puts an end to all the hostilities with the peace of victory and defeat, holding hands in accepting reality. This was an absolute joyride from the very first note to the last and comes very highly recommended as surely one of the finest instrumental releases of 2024.

Muchas gracias, Rosy Sanchez, for reaching out to the Prog Rogue. Thank you, Luis, for being such an inspiration.

5 rootstalks. [email protected]

Luz de Riada is one of the current Mexican bands that make me feel very proud, they are a group of four talented musicians whose compositional skills are always floating and bringing new ideas, new concepts and fresh offerings, which is why allowed them to play in festivals such as Baja Prog, or tours in Chile and other cities. Their debut álbum has been greatly received by mexican press and fans, and even some foreign ones, which boosted the band to continue creating music and new records.

Their ambition has given now their second "son", named Cuentos y Fábulas Vol. 2, which is like the live version of the debut, with 14 pieces that were performed and recorded in shows from 2012 to 2013, so though you will find here several songs included in the first álbum, the live condiment, the improvisation and the guest musicians in the short songs (fables) will make you have a good time, and appreciate the experimental music of this great band.

"Intro" is a short piece with only percussion (not drums), that leads to "Vórtices" which nowadays might be one of the audience's favorites Luz de Riada songs. I love it because it brings the accurate energy to open the eyes and feel like the music has something to tell us. It starts with sax and later drums, stick and bass join so together they form a experimental piece with rock, jazz fusion tunes and even some mid-east flavors.

"Doméstico Depredador" is a wonderful progressive rock track, the energy here prevails on top, and though winds disappear, here a couple of electric guitars interact and speak to themselves, while stick and drums mark an amazing rhythm. A experimental, avant-garde track comes with "Comparsa de Cronopios", where winds appear again, creating a chat with the strings, so one speaks, the other answers, it is not a battle, but in moments might sound like one. "Ritual de fulanos" continues with the long compositions, the "Tales", this time with a kind of gypsy, mediterranean sound on it. One can easily appreciate the musicians skills, their times and accuracy to play notes in the right moments, so the atmospheres and nuances can be perfectly enjoyable through this journey.

The improvisations (Fables) come now with "El atrevimiento de las riadas", and though some of them in studio are shorter, we know in a live concert everything can be optimized. This one is like a slow jam where the musicians collaborate with a diversity of textures and nuances, while one can put images in our minds. After a couple of minutes it becomes more mysterious, with a sitar-like sound thar make us travel to mid-east lands. "Por la puerta trasera" is a great song that wants to reflect the terrible political storm we suffer in Mexico, where our "leaders" always go out in the back door. The music is wonderful, the winds catches our attention first, but it is great to perceive the stick and the guitar in the background, because they perfectly complement each other.

"Parlamento Saurio" is the last long composition, the last Tale. It has a Crimsonian style, easily perceived in the strings, but it is also a special song because it is the only one that features vocals, and though Ramsés Luna is not actually singing, he plays an intuitive vocal game that transmits images to the listeners. The last six-piece bunch of the album are fables, short tracks, visual improvisations. The first one is "El gato que no quería saber", a 3-minute piece with dark and somber atmospheres produced by guitars.

Later it comes "La rata maruca" whose sound belongs to the RIO scene, some Henry Cow (live sounds) reminiscences can be found here. "Un llamado" are six seconds of drums introducing the next track. "Marxistas de costumbres exóticas" is another weird piece where the instruments create difficult noises, atmospheres that are not easy to dig, but to the shortness of the song, they vanish after a while. "Mar afuera" gives more space to guitars, and also to some soundscapes that take again some Crimsonian textures. Finally, "La rana que olvidó al chango" is a nice fable where winds and strings have another kind of chat, each one with its respective saying, but always communicating something.

It is a great live compillation that might work for new listeners as an introcution, or for solid fans, as a live album that brings good memories. In spite their few years as a band, I have seen them at least 6 or 7 times, and they always offer good shows. Now I am eagerly waiting for their upcoming studio album.

Enjoy it!

Wonderful!

A new and fresh musical project has just arrived from the heart of Mexico. Luz de Riadaoffers more than only music, their compositions share a concept, which makes the listener create their own images and stories, so while you listen to them, you will surely have what I call 'music totally visual'.

The band is form ed by four trained and talented musicians who have been creating music for different bands and projects, so all their gathered experience give as a result a high- quality material. Rams's Luna (former Cabezas de Cera) on flute, sax, voice and Wx5; Hugo Santos (former Saena) playing stick and bass; Hugo Hern'ndez on drums; and Alejandro Vergara on guitars, are who make this project possible.

Their musical style may be difficult to define and label due to the richness of sounds, however, in Luz de Riada you will listen to a wonderful mixture of jazz elements, experimental music and progressive rock (among others), that create an eclectic and very original sound. Now in this 2011, they have just released via Angelito Editor, their debut album entitled 'Cuentos y F'bulas'.

In the album, you first will find a beautiful and well-crafted package, with a worth reading booklet. Then, you will explore their musical, visual and literary realm formed by fifteen compositions that make a total time of fifty-one minutes. Eight of the songs (the longer ones) are what the band call 'stories' (Cuentos), while the shorter improvisations are the 'fables' (F'bulas).

The intercalation of both narrative styles was a wonderful decision, so the listener's interest will not cease because the band and the music itself will not allow it. Worth mentioning that three of the tracks have lyrics, two of them spoken by Luna's voice, while the other by Mamselle Ruiz. The short tracks have the collaboration of Mexican musicians such as Alejandro Otaola, Ernesto Mendoza and Iv'n Bringas, among others.

The album kicks off with 'El p'jaro y el elefante', a one-minute conversation between sax and flute that leads to 'V'rtices'. This is a wonderful composition with an extraordinary structure; I love the bass sound, the prominent saxophone which in moments put a kind of mid-eastern flavor, the guitars ala Crimson, and the always great and constant drumming.

'Dom'stico depredador' is an addictive piece. Once you start listening to it, your hunger will not cease until it finishes, because it is involving you little by little. Here I like a lot the two guitars adding different nuances, and as usual, Hugo Santos' bass and stick playing is superb.

'El lenguaje del agua' is a very dreamy and tranquilizing short piece. Here you will listen to a couple of electric guitars, one is creating strange but nature-reminiscent sounds, while the other plays some soft notes. 'Comparsa de cronopios' starts slowly but it is gradually progressing, adding a diversity of sounds, textures, nuances and images. Here once can definitely appreciate the musicians' compositional skills, because this is a top-notch song.

'Ohlos de Linda Porter' is a short piece with some far noises and a text spoken in Portuguese by Floriano Martins. This track leads to 'Ritual de fulanos', a song which starts with an explosion of winds and a charming and happy sound; a minute later it slows down, creating a relaxing atmosphere for a couple of minutes, until it suddenly changes and once again morphs into that crazy and accelerated sound of the beginning. The mixture of rock and jazz elements is really good.

'El chango y la rana' is like the first track, but this time the conversation is between violin and saxophone. 'Luna perdida' is the first track with lyrics, as I previously mentioned, sung by Rams's Luna. This is a mid-tempo composition with (once again) a wonderful bass sound, great hypnotizing guitars, adequate drums and exquisite winds.

'La oruga y el conejo' is probably the weirdest fable, with a conversation between a dissonant electric guitar, and an acoustic one. 'Parlamento Saurio' starts heavier and with more power, the vocals appear here once again but with a different language and velocity, that specific moment honestly reminds me a bit of Cabezas de Cera's 'Pretexto a un texto fragmentado'. Returning to the song, the instrumental passages are pretty cool, every instrument is in its own world but at the same time all belong to the same realm.

'Carta jur'sica' is a peculiar track, with a dark, scary and nervous sound created by a theremin, with a stick sound behind, and a typewriter as background. Then, all of a sudden 'Por la puerta trasera' begins with an explosive and addictive saxophone sound for some seconds, then the song changes and creates a body in which several jigsaws are being puzzled, and when it is completed, the song returns to that explosive sax sound and finishes like that.

'Recuerdan a Lucy? Is the longest track of the album, with more than seven minutes in which a beautiful female voice can be heard, creating a soft, relaxing sound, which at the same time is complemented by the band's instruments. The atmosphere is very calm, charming and comfortable. After three minutes the intensity is increasing little by little, until after 4 and a half minutes a guitar riff appears. But guess what, it slows down and fades out, returning to the same beautiful and tranquilizing style of the first minutes. Finally, the album finishes with 'R'quiem' , with a darker atmosphere created by stick and accordion.

What a wonderful debut of Luz de Riada, an example that in Mexico we do have high-quality musicians and projects. I eagerly invite you to listen to them, I bet you will not regret. My final rating will be four solid stars (4.5) actually.

Enjoy it!