Resplandor – Tristeza (Album – Reptile Music)
Genre/Influences: Dream-Pop, Shoegaze.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Nearly fourteen years after their last album, Peruvian formation Resplandor -operating from The Netherlands, are back on track unleashing their fourth full length. Just as for the previous full length album, Robin Guthrie (The Cocteau Twins) has produced it.
Content: There’s no better definition as a true symbiosis between Dream-Pop and Shoegaze to describe this work. This work brings us back to the golden decade of the 80s and definitely evokes good-old souvenirs. The fuzzy guitar parts will rapidly lead you into a buzzy sensation. This is only empowered by the extended format of some songs. Male- and female vocals are alternating but also performed as duos.
+ + + : Resplandor avoids any innovation but are clearly a talented combo when it comes to compose contemporary Dream-Pop and Shoegaze. I was deeply impressed by the great guitar playing which clearly injected a true spirit in the work. The album sounds like a surreal reverie leading you into a delicious sonic trip. Some passages remind me a bit of the mysterious sphere emerging from the famous Twin Peaks tune.
– – – : I only regret the work only features 7 songs but that’s because I became a bit greedy after having heard such a cool work.
Conclusion: Resplandor will only bring you happiness and delight with this great piece of Dream-Pop and Shoegaze album.
Best songs: “Reverie”, “Oceano”, “Tristeza”.
Rate: 8.
Artist: www.resplandorofficial.com / www.facebook.com/resplandorofficial
Label: www.reptile-music.net / www.facebook.com/reptile.music
About Resplandor
Resplandor is a shoegaze and dream pop band of Peruvian origin that operates from the Netherlands. Discogs lists Antonio Zelada, Christopher Farfán and Tatiana Balaburkina among its members, with Zelada credited for vocals, guitar, programming and sequencing.
The band self-released the single “Sol De Hiel” in 1998 and the album “Elipse” in 2000, followed by the single “Bajo Oscuro Cielo” in 2001. “Ambar” appeared on Alison Records in 2002. Split releases with The Radio Dept. in 2006 and Mahogany in 2007 preceded the third album “Pleamar”, issued by Automatic Entertainment in 2008.
After a long gap the band returned with the singles “Adore” and “Sensitive / Until She Comes” in 2020 and “Blue” in 2021, the last of these carrying both a Reptile Music and an Automatic Entertainment catalog number. Discogs also lists Automatic Entertainment on its 2022 editions of “Tristeza”, which Side-Line covered as a Reptile Music release.
Robin Guthrie produced both “Pleamar” and “Tristeza”, and Simon Scott of Slowdive mastered them. “Tristeza” is the band’s fourth album and their first full length since 2008.
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
