MITOS DE UNA RESURRECCIÓN

1870 (Mil ochocientos setenta in letters) is the year of Count of Lautreamont's death, and it is also the name of this Mexican avant-prog ensemble who have just released their debut album "Mitos de una Resurrección" in November 2008. This is a concept-album based on Lautreamont's poetry, and since this guy was a true pioneer of modern avant-garde literature, it only makes perfect sense that a band devoted to the dark, challenging meanderings of RIO and chamber-rock traditions should be in charge of this sort of musical enterprise. The Francophone schools of early Art Zoyd and early Univers Zero, as well as compatriot RIO pioneering ensemble Nazca are strong inspirational figures for 1870, but definitely this band can also instill a contemporary trend of their own with their gusto for electronic sources of deconstruction and panache for academic minimalism: these former options are clearly noticeable in the important presence of synth layers and digital ornaments in order to state a weird dynamics of tension and mystery. There are moments in which 1870 seems happy to leave the habitual standards of chamber-rock and turn their heads into the uneasy textures that we take fro granted in Kluster and Oxomaxoma albums. 'Puerta Abierta' opens the door for us to enter this occasion for a different aesthetic experience through an exquisite fanfare that soon enough expands into a dissonant architectonics. From minute 3 onwards, the disturbing nuances come to the fore and dominate the track's last section. The segued follower 'Canto Primero (Quiera el Cielo.)' brings a lovely landscape of pure sonic disconnection. The madness in there is enhanced by the falsetto that emulates a demented child (Dadaistic unrest?, surrealistic humor?, both?), and later on, by a tortured oboe solo that, in its solitude, generates a Spartan delirium with harsh passion. This is cerebral music, of course, yet sensitive to the concerns of the human heart from its abstracted stance. The next piece is the namesake one, occupying a 12 ¾ minute span. If you thought you already knew the most outrageous side of 1870, you weren't precisely right - now it is when the real deal begins to show unabashedly. The digital sonic displays oscillate among the industrial and the cosmic, with the woodwind and brass layers clothing the melodic potential with a mesmeric use of minimal traces. At some point, the use of percussive resources states a pulsation that softly augments the mysterious darkness that by now reigns supreme. 'El Ceremonial' goes on emphasizing the industrial element and takes it to a weird climax via the combination of cacophony and chaos on multiple synths. When the Cor Angalis and French horn enter in, an interesting struggle begins between these wind instruments' autumnal connotations and the persistent pulsating set of electronic keyboards. Right before getting at the 7 ½ minute mark, an interlude of piano, theremin and horns gets in to bring a transition toward the intense finale. Now you really know 1870! 'Canto Segundo (Allí, en el Bosquecillo.)' resumes the minimalistic approach and incluyes some recitations. The gradual climax extended through the track's final 2 ½ minutes feature a compelling call for the hermaphrodite to never wake up. 'Una Vendetta' closes down the album wit hs sort of recapitulation of the prevalent moods in tracks 1-3. The wind ensemble shines like never before in the album, alternating languid and playful passages at ease. The track's second half consolidates the installation of various momentums of neurosis and creepiness, ultimately arriving at an electronic coda pretty much a-la krautrock. "Mitos de una Resurrección" is a solid work of avant- prog for the new millennium: the work of 1870 is not one I would recommend to the regular prog fan, but it is something to be deeply cherished by the true lover of the weirdest kinds of avant-garde and free form music.

This is the first album of this curious, original Mexican experimental chamber quartet named 1870, who come from the city of Querétaro, and whose members are experienced in some other projects such as orchestra, so the talent is inherent in them. The name of this debut album is "Mitos de una resurrección", which contains 6 tracks and a total time of 54 of avant-garde music, inspired by literature and writers such as Guy de Maupassant.

"Puerta abierta" opens the album, here we can appreciate some horns talking with an oboe, they keep their talk for three minutes and then the electronic effects appear and change a little but the direction of the song, so a new passage is implemented now, with some kind of dark and somber atmosphere. "Canto primero (quiera el cielo)" starts when vocals enter for the first time, this is Gustavo Albarrán with a pitched voice that may scare you, he repeats the same phrase over and over, and first seems to be lost without a goal, but later where oboe and drums enter they seem to be packing a new fate, building some colorful structures based on the poem of life. At half the song the voice returns but now with a "normal" tone, though the scary feeling continues.

"Mitos de una resurrección" is the longest composition here with almost 13 minutes length. In this track we can listen to a more participative use of electronics, they put the nervousness and mark the path as a foreground, here the background is made by the horns at least in the first 4 minutes, because later the roles are inverted and electronics become just the facade. "El ceremonial" is my favorite track, its repetitive "rhythm" is actually mesmerizing, hypnotic and disturbing at the same time; it is obvious you have to be in the mood to listen to this, otherwise you will skip it after a minute. Though it is not a horror movie soundtrack, it could enter in this scary category where your nerves are moved and you cannot do anything but be alert to whatever it would happen. It is cool how music can mark your mood. Wonderful track, excellent implement of winds and lovely repetitive electronix.

"Canto Segundo (Allí, en un bosquecillo)" starts with Gustavo Albarrán declaiming a fragment of poetry for some seconds, then his voice vanishes and a repetitive dark beat appears, while horns enter all of a sudden every given period. The music is not easy to dig, actually in moments it can be truly difficult so you may get bored, I have to be honest that I had to listen to it at least 3 times in order to understand a little bit of its essence, which in fact, is poetry transformed (or merged) in music. The last song is "Una vendetta" which has probably the darkest sound, the feeling is disturbing and somber most of the time, the horns sound even grim in some moments. The music flows and the chaos transcends until it finishes.

A very good debut album by this peculiar band, though after several spins I have to say I am more into their second album (Pogo), however their developed sound is worth listening and recommending, mostly to those who like raw and crazy experimental music, with avant and chamber tendencies. My final grade will be three-stars.

Enjoy it!