I was quite taken aback by this it has to be said. Spanish producer/multi-instrumentalist Pablo Diaz-Reixa is a real renaissance man who has incorporated elements of everything from disco and folk to electronica and hip-hop into his vibrant Spanish gumbo. The carnival of sound that greeted me when I popped 'Pop Negro' (his 3rd album) into my stereo almost floored me. The stereo imaging here is second to none with the vast and eclectic instrumentation given real depth by a perfectly balanced mix (even more impressive considering Reixa was completely self-taught).
It's one of those albums where you don't really know where to focus your attention, there's just so much going on at any one time. Reixa explains in the press release that it wasn't songs that inspired this record but 'sound', the production of classic 80's and 90's hit records that used to require teams of 40 or 50 people and can now (thanks to the advent of home computer recording) be replicated almost verbatim with a mac and a sound-card. That's not to say the songs took a back-seat though, in fact if anything working backwards has resulted in a set of pop songs as interesting structurally as they are melodically and rhythmically.
There's a real restless energy at work here which can feel a bit much at times ('Ghetto Facil' is a bit of a mess structurally and 'Danza Invinto' collapses into rhythmic confusion) but more often than not it just requires a simple adjustment on the listeners part. You almost have to fine tune your ears to the clattering percussion and sharp steel drums of 'Bombay' or Reixa's quick-fire delivery on 'Lycra Mistral' (incidentally his voice is a powerful instrument that he doesn't use half as often as he should). Once you do (a few thorough listens should do the trick) the rewards are numerous and plentiful.
It's rare for a foreign language release to make much on an impact in the UK (indeed the only such notable band to have dented the mainstream in recent years is Sigur Ros and half of their words are made up) and it won't be any different for El Guincho. This is a pop album sure but in the loosest possible sense. The hooks are there and the sound is absolutely stunning (Reixa is obviously a real talent behind the desk) but there are very few concessions to convention here and those unfamiliar with the works of early electronic mavericks such as Arthur Russel might find the constant waves of texture and melody a little overwhelming. Those willing to pierce the veil though will discover one of the most inventive records of the year.
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