Album: El Andarín (2012)
Genre: Prog Rock (Jazz Rock/Fusion/Crossover) / Chile
Chilean band La Desooorden were one of my finds of 2007 and their album Ciudad De Papel deserved its place in my top ten of that year. If anything the album has increased in stature over the intervening period and is one I reach for quite often so it was with a great deal of excitement that I heard that a new album was finally arriving in 2012. Sadly, this was tempered with disappointment as it appears that the band is now no more and El Andarín is a posthumous release. It is often difficult for a group so steeped in their native music and culture and who release albums independently to get themselves heard in the outside world but La Desooorden is certainly one that merits further investigation from those who enjoy music that is outside the box and influenced from a multitude of disparate sources. Their music is an exquisite melding of traditional indigenous sounds and instrumentation with rock rhythms and influences from all over the world. The playing from this septet and guests is top notch and the album well recorded with an atmospheric feel shot through with South American vibes. Sounds from nature are used to conjure up mental images of the vastness and diversity of the continent and the eclectic array of instruments is deployed to great effect in a concept that tells of The Walker of the album’s title and his journey across the continent on a course defined by his spirit, the landscape and the characters he encounters along the way. The scenery and his experiences are captured in the variety of textures within the music. Trumpets and saxophones feature prominently in a number of tracks and plaintive violin is well used as a guest here and there allowing the natural timbres of the album to shine through. Short, linking tracks build atmosphere while the music strays from jazz rhythms through almost metallic guitar to haunting ballads, all sung in Spanish, that give a sense of the journey as it unfolds through city and wilderness. The brass colours the sound but direct comparisons are hard to note in this heady and thought provoking brew with a particularly positive edge. The traditional rock instruments mix on an equal footing with their more traditional counterparts, each faction getting the spotlight where the music requires it, often within the same piece. Drums build steady rhythms with influences from their latin heritage but also jazz and rock and percussion is used to great effect featuring a vast array of instruments including berimbau, djembe and tabla, the mix of exotic and driving rhythms is compulsive. The vocals are strong and the melodies interesting and accessible. Sometimes the band takes on an almost metallic hue but the brass instruments and violins don’t let it become one-dimensional and this is a fantastic listen from a band that deserves a far wider following. Solo instruments from flute to saxophone, violin to electric guitar come and go in an exhilarating flow. Mouth harp and didgeridoo add their own individual voices and the result is quite breathtaking, the variety of the journey described in full by the chosen instruments. La Desooorden aren’t afraid to mix genres and go where their muse takes them and for this they are to be applauded. El Andarín is a pan-global delight that keeps the flavour of its local inspirations close. The mix of simple flutes and drums in an Amazonian rainstorm sit well with the more driving rock and jazz settings and, like groups such as Afro Celt Sound System, they enjoy dropping in instruments that may be alien as long as the sound fits such as a tabla that works a treat with spoken word Spanish voice, thrashing rock guitar and jazz rhythms. There are aggressive sections that verge on metal or freeform jazz but it is the beauty and variety that makes it all work so well. There are the carnival rhythms of Rio, indigenous sounds of Amazon and Andes, the industrialised bustle of the port city of Buenos Aires and a fast paced track that could be the theme to a ‘50s cop show set in downtown Valpariso. The CD-ROM portion of the beautifully packaged disc includes many features to help understand the journey including lyrics translated into English and a game that follows the route of El Andarin through South America. Also included are photo galleries and two videos of the band in action, one cut together in the studio, the other live in concert. This album is a compelling and satisfying listen, another candidate for a high placing in the end of year poll. La Desooorden are a particularly talented bunch and it is sad that they’ve decided to call it a day.
Genre: Prog Rock (Jazz Rock/Fusion/Crossover) / Chile
Chilean band La Desooorden were one of my finds of 2007 and their album Ciudad De Papel deserved its place in my top ten of that year. If anything the album has increased in stature over the intervening period and is one I reach for quite often so it was with a great deal of excitement that I heard that a new album was finally arriving in 2012. Sadly, this was tempered with disappointment as it appears that the band is now no more and El Andarín is a posthumous release. It is often difficult for a group so steeped in their native music and culture and who release albums independently to get themselves heard in the outside world but La Desooorden is certainly one that merits further investigation from those who enjoy music that is outside the box and influenced from a multitude of disparate sources. Their music is an exquisite melding of traditional indigenous sounds and instrumentation with rock rhythms and influences from all over the world. The playing from this septet and guests is top notch and the album well recorded with an atmospheric feel shot through with South American vibes. Sounds from nature are used to conjure up mental images of the vastness and diversity of the continent and the eclectic array of instruments is deployed to great effect in a concept that tells of The Walker of the album’s title and his journey across the continent on a course defined by his spirit, the landscape and the characters he encounters along the way. The scenery and his experiences are captured in the variety of textures within the music. Trumpets and saxophones feature prominently in a number of tracks and plaintive violin is well used as a guest here and there allowing the natural timbres of the album to shine through. Short, linking tracks build atmosphere while the music strays from jazz rhythms through almost metallic guitar to haunting ballads, all sung in Spanish, that give a sense of the journey as it unfolds through city and wilderness. The brass colours the sound but direct comparisons are hard to note in this heady and thought provoking brew with a particularly positive edge. The traditional rock instruments mix on an equal footing with their more traditional counterparts, each faction getting the spotlight where the music requires it, often within the same piece. Drums build steady rhythms with influences from their latin heritage but also jazz and rock and percussion is used to great effect featuring a vast array of instruments including berimbau, djembe and tabla, the mix of exotic and driving rhythms is compulsive. The vocals are strong and the melodies interesting and accessible. Sometimes the band takes on an almost metallic hue but the brass instruments and violins don’t let it become one-dimensional and this is a fantastic listen from a band that deserves a far wider following. Solo instruments from flute to saxophone, violin to electric guitar come and go in an exhilarating flow. Mouth harp and didgeridoo add their own individual voices and the result is quite breathtaking, the variety of the journey described in full by the chosen instruments. La Desooorden aren’t afraid to mix genres and go where their muse takes them and for this they are to be applauded. El Andarín is a pan-global delight that keeps the flavour of its local inspirations close. The mix of simple flutes and drums in an Amazonian rainstorm sit well with the more driving rock and jazz settings and, like groups such as Afro Celt Sound System, they enjoy dropping in instruments that may be alien as long as the sound fits such as a tabla that works a treat with spoken word Spanish voice, thrashing rock guitar and jazz rhythms. There are aggressive sections that verge on metal or freeform jazz but it is the beauty and variety that makes it all work so well. There are the carnival rhythms of Rio, indigenous sounds of Amazon and Andes, the industrialised bustle of the port city of Buenos Aires and a fast paced track that could be the theme to a ‘50s cop show set in downtown Valpariso. The CD-ROM portion of the beautifully packaged disc includes many features to help understand the journey including lyrics translated into English and a game that follows the route of El Andarin through South America. Also included are photo galleries and two videos of the band in action, one cut together in the studio, the other live in concert. This album is a compelling and satisfying listen, another candidate for a high placing in the end of year poll. La Desooorden are a particularly talented bunch and it is sad that they’ve decided to call it a day.
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