MAQUINARIAS

What was it Robert Christgau said? "It's not impressive or difficult to rock out in 9/8 - it's impossible"? Well, these guys are sure showing him: not only are they rocking out, they're jumping all around, getting drunk and partying the house down in 9/8 and various time signatures. This album adds a very nice funky Latin element to what is in and of itself quite a rhythmically complex jazz fusion basis, creating a convincing balance between the Apollonian and Dionysian for all of those stuffy music snobs who hear the call of the dancefloor but feel too good for regular 4/4 beats. Something like that. Actually, I am not able to confirm at this moment if this album is at all fit for playing at any party, but even when you're alone and with headphones on it is a hoot to listen to all the same.

All the musicians are given their fair time to shine, with band leader/saxophonist/flautist Cristián Crisosto (who's not shy in adding some cheeky vibrato to his blowing) and drummer Christian Hirth especially giving it their all, but the main star is vocalist Florencia Novoa, whose contributions range from seductive crooning to wordless melodic doublings of the rapid guitar lines. Like I said, the overall atmosphere is one of good fun: the best track is "Godzilla", which has quite an involving main melody and goes through several cool tempo changes near the end but always retains the feeling of looseness and laidbackness, as if it all comes natural to the musicians (I don't quite understand the relevance of the song title, but the king of the monsters would certainly be able to level a major city if he were to try dancing to this tune). Even when the sound gets more edgy and starts vaguely resembling Zeuhl with its synchronized horn blasts and female vocals (as on "Fulano") it sounds hopeful and triumphant.

The whole experience is only soured by the final track, a primitive punk song that lacks an interesting hook and just gets annoying with its shouty vocal delivery and stupid "sieg heil" chants - tongue-in-cheek, undoubtedly, but very tasteless nonetheless; it doesn't fit at all with the rest of the album's jolly carefree tone, so just skip it and you'll have yourself a nice eccentric Latin jazz treat.