AGITOR LUCENS V

Arco Iris were, along with Los Jaivas, pioneers of an international scene of South American rock musicians that drew on the heritage of the Andes to inform their work. The scene would blend psychedelic, traditional folk, and prog influences into a volatile mixture, and on this double album the formula turns out to be outright explosive, with some jazz-rock influences creeping in here and there of a Canterbury/Zappa sort of flavour.

The star player here is Gustavo Santaolalla, frontman and main guitarist of the group, though sax-master Ara Tokatlian deserves credit too. As it stands, this would be their last major collaboration under the Arco Iris name; following the completion of this album Gustavo, tiring of the strict demands of the mystical commune Arco Iris lived in (led by their muse Dana), would exit the band. Further departures would follow, and in the long run this would lead to Ara and Dana relocating to the US and taking the group in a New Age/jazz fusion direction.

As it stands, then, Agitor Lucens V finds the original form of Arco Iris at its peak of development.