V/A Anthology Of Experimental Music From Mexico (Album – Unexplained Sounds Group)
Genre/Influences: Experimental, Dark-Ambient, Cinematographic.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: The famous “Anthology Of Experimental Music” set up by the Italian label Unexplained Sounds Group for his newest edition is visiting Mexico. The CD version features thirteen artists while the digital edit features five extra names. The compilation wants to be a mix of ‘older’ artists and more contemporary ones.
Artists: Rogello Sosa, Tecuexe Band (2 tracks), Juanjose Rivas, Interspecifics, Israel Martinez, Simonel, Roberto Romero Molina, Rodrigo Ambriz, Mito Del Desierto, Concepción Huerta, Heraldos Negros, In Formaldehyde + Sebastián Fuentes, Microhm, Fernando Vigueras, Gibnán Androide and Sunnesther.
Content: The Mexican Experimental scene is not exactly the most familiar one to me. Except Israel Martinez the other names are totally unknown to me. An opportunity to discover new names, but also to get an idea about this scene. The selected artists are clearly and mainly dealing with Experimental music. From Experimental bombast with a neo-classic touch on top (Rogelio Sosa) to Tribal aspects (Tecuexe Band) to pure horror impressions (Juanjose Rivas) to explicit field recordings (Israel Martinez) to classical voices mixed with Experimental sound treatments (Roberto Romero Molina) to noise experiments (Rodrigo Ambriz) to a final part animated by Dark-Ambient like passages (Concepción Huerta, Heraldos Negros, Tecuexe Band) this sampler reveals an impressive canvas of Experimentalists.
The bonus track you’ll discover on the digital edit reveals some extra Ambient parts.
+ + + : Mexico is an interesting land; the cultural life is a mix of old traditions and rituals (think about the rituals of death) at one side and modernism -probably inspired by their American neighbors, at the other side. I’m not affirming that you hear this paradox in this album, but there clearly is a mix of very different influences. One thing is for sure this edition is one of the most Experimental ones. It’s also fascinating to realize the differences in the approach and writing of Experimental music between all different countries and continents that have been already covered by this series. I’m more into the Dark-Ambient driven artists and therefore the bonus tracks from the digital edition are worthy of examination.
– – – : I have to admit some artists are definitely too experimental for my taste.
Conclusion: This is one more interesting edition in this brilliant compilation series!
Best bands: Tecuexe Band, Heraldos Negros, Concepción Huerta + Sebastián Fuentes.
Rate: (8).
Label: www.facebook.com/unexplainedsoundsgroup
About Unexplained Sounds Group
Unexplained Sounds Group is an Italian label and curatorial network founded in 2015 by Raffaele Pezzella, also known under the alias Sonologyst, to document experimental music scenes around the world. It runs the sublabels Eighth Tower Records, Reverse Alignment and ZeroK.
The label’s ongoing “Anthology Of Experimental Music” compilation series has surveyed the experimental scenes of multiple countries, each edition pairing established and lesser-known artists. This Mexico edition brings together thirteen names on CD and eighteen on the digital release, including Israel Martinez, Tecuexe Band and Concepción Huerta.
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.
