As mentioned in previous articles, Puerto Rico’s independent music scene has seen a rapidly growing branch of electronic musicians. From island based artists like Labajura, Furry Vowels and Mau Lynx to the widely known and acclaimed Buscabulla and Los Walters, the movement just continues to flourish. However, there are those still finding their footing who as they slowly experiment and immerse themselves in the field. Take for example the eclectic Guabágeuse who recently release his full-length project Sancocho Studies/Uno, a mix of ambient and intelligent dance music that will make some reflect while others dance or relax. The second full-length proposal by Guabágeuse kicks off with “Eugene Mary Hosts (Preludio),” a reflective ambient and intelligent dance music (IDM) mixture that prepares listeners for what is about to come. From there, the project moves to the more danceable “Jain Pest Control Service,” a tune that mixes elements from glo-fi, IDM, dembow and even 8-Bit music. Afterwards, we are treated to “Vimmy’s Request,” a track that though it may seem experimental at first it can turn into a very danceable one too. Then one is provided with “Jeffrey Gongora,” a more 8-Bit driven instrumental that allows one to either look back or dance. Next the listener is given “El Empastedillo (Paz para los hombres),” an adrenaline fueled retro game influenced song that if played live can cause a few mosh pits. Subsequently, one is provided with “Slung Slag Slug,” a weird blend of relaxing yet energetic vibrations that will make one feel like they are in a world filled with Blade Runner type of reflection fused with Tron action scenes. Finally, the album’s first half ends with “9 Sietecueros,” and 8-Bit influenced IDM track that will have some dancers and others lost in astral planes where retro games take control of your mind. The second half of Sancocho Studies/Uno starts with the project’s longest track “Mickey Tre (3),” a slow and atmospheric ambient track that feels like a reflection of some sort; it almost tells a story of how good things in a given space got complicated with changes brought forth by uncontrollable forces. Afterwards, we are treated to yet another reflective yet danceable piece in “Paco Tocineta,” a song that might make some think about the times when Puerto Rico was governed by the Spanish colonizers. Then listeners are provided with perhaps the strangest tune in the project “With Me Yes That No, Baby!,” a complicated tune that will make some think they are inside the mind of a person who suffers from some sort of mental health issue, someone who is using psychedelic drugs or somebody trapped inside of a nightmare. Subsequently, listeners enter the world of “Calma, Frustravo,” a song that takes one into the experience of being relaxed and the opposite of it. Next we enter “Güigli Gungulén Gurú,” an atmospheric, psychedelic and introspective track that will transport you to dimensions never explored. Finally, Sancocho Studies/Uno closes with the fast paced “Abanicolapso,” a tune that feels like the entire project is coming at you at over one hundred miles per hour providing an adrenaline fueled psychedelic experience. (cover the musician’s project Bestiario) While Guabágeuse’’s second full length project might serve as difficult to digest for some, it is a prime example of the type of genre blending and risk taking artists in the island must take in order for the independent scene to grow. Moreover, the album serves as a model of how musicians can use instrumentals as a reflection of their past and present.
Listen to Sancocho Studies/Uno on Bandcamp
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AuthorFernando E. E. Correa González is the author behind over 30 self-published poetry books. He has been published by literary magazines & journals [Id]entidad, El Vicio del Tintero, Sábanas Magazine, Smaeralit, The Occulum, Tonguas and Hound Magazine. Other than writing, Correa is also the host of FENCast, a podcast dedicated to documenting the Puerto Rican independent art scene. Aside from this, he experiments with filmmaking, photography, drawing, painting, multimedia and transmedia. He currently lives in his native Puerto Rico. Archives
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